Soccer Lawsuit in Williamson Co

[Hoya]

A substantial injury occurred, but there was no foul called? Come on. Folks, there has to be something more going on here than is explained in the article. Both schools are in Williamson Co. Both are public schools. Why is the school system refusing coverage for a sports related injury?

 

Further, why would a District Attorney General interject his/her office into a sports injury issue eight months later---including the arrest of a college freshman? This situation sounds extremely unusual to me and I think something else has to be going on that isn't in the story.

 

Is there a film showing an intentional punch to the face? Surely, this litigation didn't result from a common hard collision on a 50/50 ball with no film and only the testimony of variously biased "eye witnesses", all of whom saw the event through the tint of their own preconceptions.

 

Without seeing a film or reviewing other proof establishing to my satisfaction that an intentional attack took place, I really wonder if I would ever knowingly expose my players to the risk of hurting someone with a track record for legal retaliation after a sports related injury. I don't think I could schedule this team in good conscience without substantial proof of an intentional attack. Regardless of how serious the resulting injury was, why take the risk of a disagreement in judgment leading to a second claim against one of my kids, my school or myself? Moreover, in the absence of overwhelming proof that a criminal attack occurred in this case (you know, proof of an intentional attack beyond a reasonable doubt), why would you ever play a sports match again in Williamson County where your players might become subject to a criminal arrest for playing hard?

 

There has to be something more.

[pseudophobia]

QUOTE(basehits @ Mar 21 2007 - 09:14 PM) 826419824[/snapback]Was this a physical game besides this play....and did the referee's have the game undercontrol?? It is too bad it had to come to this. I feel bad for both boys. I do believe that referee's in high school soccer alot of the time let the games get out of control. Sorry to hear about all of this.

 

I would like to know if there were 2 refs or 3 in this game. I know nothing about this situation, other than what is posted, but I would think that something like this gets by easily with only 2 refs. If anyone knows, please inform us.

By the way, I hate a game that only has 2 refs...it shouldn't be allowed- especially when post-season comes around!

[Law-Five]

Well said Hoya

[stevescarb]

QUOTE(pseudophobia @ Mar 22 2007 - 02:22 PM) 826420376[/snapback]I would like to know if there were 2 refs or 3 in this game.

 

 

I was curious about that, too. If anybody is open to a lawsuit, why isn't it TSSAA for allowing a ref system that is considered unworkable in the rest of the world and most of the USA? I have a ref friend who says,"Duals make good refs go bad."

 

I agree that there's more here than we know about. I don't like the fact that a lawsuit is involved because that probably means very few people who know much about soccer are going to be involved in the resolution.

 

I stand by the football chop block analogy. It's not about football, it's about a foul that causes lasting harm to a player.

[Hoya]

QUOTE(pseudophobia @ Mar 22 2007 - 02:22 PM) 826420376[/snapback]I would like to know if there were 2 refs or 3 in this game. I know nothing about this situation, other than what is posted, but I would think that something like this gets by easily with only 2 refs. If anyone knows, please inform us.

By the way, I hate a game that only has 2 refs...it shouldn't be allowed- especially when post-season comes around!

 

 

I have no idea how many refs were at this match, but I saw a description of the incident today (don't know how accurate) as being a 50/50 challenge directly in view of a ref. I don't know if he was a center or an assistant or if it was a dual.

 

We've talked about the danger of duals for years. I would rather have one referee in the center using two club linesmen rather than participate in a dual. Someone has to be in charge of a soccer match. I can live with a missed off-sides. That is probably going to happen anyway.That person needs to try to be consistent but mostly they need to be responsible for the match. I think when two people are equally "in charge", the net effect is no one is in charge. Years ago I was told at a USYSA coaches' clinic that our insurance would be cancelled if we allowed our team to play a club match with two refs. The reason is clearly increased risk of injury resulting from the dual "system". TSSAA should have outlawed it a long time ago.

 

stevescarb, I understood and agree that your analogy fits. This issue isn't just about soccer. It's about sports.

[takedown3]

This is one strange incident. The arrest had to have been based on the accusations of the aggrieved parents and maybe the injured player. The "official" witness, the ref, and the one whose testimony you would expect to have primacy indicated that there was no foul. He was officially objective. In order to arrest the player, would he have been indicted by a grand jury or did the district attorney get a warrant from a judge? Was the the injured player's father or mother involved in law enforcement as a prosecutor, police or judge? This creates incredibly bad precedence for high school sports and one of the weirder events in Tennessee high school sports.

 

I agree with Hoya, there has to be something else happening here.

[cbusoccer13]

I was lucky enough to be at this "preseason" game between Page and IHS last year. I have read all of the posts and think it is ridiculous that this is still even an issue. The play was a 50/50 ball in the midfield. The player that was injured was chasing a blind ball and ran right into the center back for Page. Yes, there were injuries to the IHS player, but it was not done on purpose. How can someone "assume" where a soccer ball will be. It is not like football where a QB will throw a specific pass pattern and the wide receiver is guaranteed to be in a specific spot on the field. It just happened!! Is someone allowed to sue another player if they head butt each other going for header off a corner kick? Absolutely not!! It is part of the game. I have heard the allegations about a "closed fist" and "intent to injury" but with the boys having no previous history, why would there be intent? Also, the coach for Page is a great guy and would never send a player out to injury some other player. That is ridiculous to think of in this situation!! Anyways, I just wanted to give you some of my "close" knowledge to the situation. There were only 2 refs at the match as "most" WCS games only have 2 refs. The 2 man system is ridiculous because there is no right to authority. One ref looks at the other and wants him to call something or the ref from 50 yards away calls a foul. Maybe this will teach Williamson County to put 3 refs on every game and have 1 center that mans the flow of play! When I was in high school and played, we always had 3 refs. This should just go away as the coach, player, and schools have all moved on.

[world cup]

I just saw this post and it sounds like a rather shady incident on all parties. I do not in any way mean to pass judgement on situation for I was neither there nor anywhere near the incident when it happened. But if anyone could answer any questions of my following questions, please do (but do so in trust that you were either there or know first hand about the incident:

1.) Did the injuries sustained by the player take place during the alleged collision?

2.) If this incident took place during a previous season, why is action only being taken out now?

3.) Who were the officials during this game?

4.) Why was the TSSAA not immediately contacted by the coaches or the parents of the player who sustained the injury?

5.) What has further come from the situation?

 

I am not harping on either side, but I am interested in this lawsuit; it really opens a new door (or possibly a Pandora's Box) on how schools and the association handle situations like this. Plus (and I am in know way harping on the style or aggressive behavior of Williamson County schools), Williamson County officials have been well known to allow certain play that would not necessarily fly in other regions of the state, particularly on the opposite side of town. Like I said before, this incident seems to stink of something the likes of which we as soccer purveyers have never witnessed.

[PinballWizard]

QUOTE(world cup @ Mar 26 2007 - 11:14 PM) 826423518[/snapback]I just saw this post and it sounds like a rather shady incident on all parties. I do not in any way mean to pass judgement on situation for I was neither there nor anywhere near the incident when it happened. But if anyone could answer any questions of my following questions, please do (but do so in trust that you were either there or know first hand about the incident:

1.) Did the injuries sustained by the player take place during the alleged collision?

2.) If this incident took place during a previous season, why is action only being taken out now?

3.) Who were the officials during this game?

4.) Why was the TSSAA not immediately contacted by the coaches or the parents of the player who sustained the injury?

5.) What has further come from the situation?

 

I am not harping on either side, but I am interested in this lawsuit; it really opens a new door (or possibly a Pandora's Box) on how schools and the association handle situations like this. Plus (and I am in know way harping on the style or aggressive behavior of Williamson County schools), Williamson County officials have been well known to allow certain play that would not necessarily fly in other regions of the state, particularly on the opposite side of town. Like I said before, this incident seems to stink of something the likes of which we as soccer purveyers have never witnessed.

 

 

This puts a blemish on TN high school sports and i hate this, i cant believe we are still talking about this issue this far after the incident. It should of ended after the game with an apology, or even after the 50/50 happened

[4soccerplaya10]

QUOTE(stevescarb @ Mar 21 2007 - 04:08 PM) 826419628[/snapback]We have an appointment with the orthopedist tomorrow as a result of a ridiculous clothesline at the Independence tournament last weekend. No foul was called then either. Frankly, I cannot read the descriptions of this incident without thinking a foul occurred. I would have to see a good video to make any determination as to who it was on.

 

Having said that, I would not fault the player or the coaches being sued (although if anyone should know better, it seems like it would be the coaches), but rather the ref system in this state. We are so horribly inconsistent that players never know how aggressive to be. No player should be allowed to play in a manner that can cause harm. Call the smaller fouls agressively, use cautions liberally, and protect the players, refs.

 

Just my opinion, of course, but I've never seen harmfully aggressive play tolerated at regional events. Until that style of officiating filters down to the high school level we'll see incidents like this.

 

it seems to me that all the refs around are old men in like there 50 and 60's, thats pretty old to be refifing if you ask me ........ most of them cant even make it up and down the field for 8o mins ......

[Cheamilion]

About the Two referre system. It may be true that this isn't always the safest or smartest way to handle a situation. But for some teams, as in mine, it is the only way.

 

We typicaly make $130 at most on gate and concessions. We have to spend $110 on refs. Some Schools just can't afford to bring in 3 refs in every game.

[stevescarb]

QUOTE(Cheamilion @ Mar 27 2007 - 12:23 PM) 826423940[/snapback] Some Schools just can't afford to bring in 3 refs in every game.

 

I've heard that from other schools. I don't know about everyone's situation but we set a budget for the year and have fund raisers to meet spending requirements. We know how hard it is to raise money and would help if asked. If any school hasn't asked for three refs because of financial dificulties, I strongly suggest they let the visiting teams know the situation in advance and see if the visitors would be willing to pay for the third ref. I guarantee Kingston would be glad to help out.