It's been a bit of a whirlwind couple of days. First, I was selected to work my state's National Championship series semi-finals and finals. I am scheduled to referee a semi-final game, run lines in two semi-final games and be the fourth official in another game. The next day, I will be an AR in 2 final games. Needless to say, I'm very pleased.
So you can imagine that I was quite overwhelmed when I finally received an assignment to referee a USSF Development Academy game! I have worked as an AR on 12 or 14 of these games over the last 2 years or so. I have never been the referee in one of these game and I have been hoping I'd eventually get one. Well, it happened!
Development academy is USSF's premier youth games. The clubs that qualify to the academy must meet very rigid standards. The games themselves have an extensive set of rules that must be followed. For example, there is a specific brand and model of ball that must be used. The referee manual specifies the inflation pressure of the ball (I'm not kidding!) The game reporting standards are quite high and detailed. These are, in my opinion, the best youth games you can do.
When you are assigned, you typically get two games. The first game is U-18 and the second is U-16. Teams at each age level are from the same club. Presumably they travel together. They are typically coached by the same set of coaches. My experience has been that the U-18 game is officiated by a State Referee while the younger game is done by a grade 7.
The game I worked today was terrific! I had two excellent AR's. One is a grade 7 that I met when I was upgrading. The other is a grade 5 that I've never met, but he was very helpful, offering a great deal of advice at half time.
The thing that is amazing about these games is how fast they are played. They are even challenging as an AR. You cannot lose concentration for a moment or you will miss something. I have not experienced this level of play anywhere else. Getting accustomed to this speed of play is not easy. I really didn't feel completely comfortable until 20 minutes into the first half. I suppose if you do these games often, this isn't an issue, but that was my experience. Also, you get a lot of chatter from the players. They are very advanced players, so you will see all the things you hear about in certification. There is simulation. There is dissent. Players will give you subtle feedback on a regular basis. The players will try to get any advantage they can. You have to manage free kicks to avoid any delays on restarts. It is quite a challenge. You must have great fitness so you can keep up.
Needless to say, this game was great preparation for my state cup game next week. We also had a meeting this morning (it was a busy day) to go over some points of emphasis for state cup. What I found interesting was an observation that I heard from two different people today. At the meeting, one of the presenters, a national instructor, pointed out that controlling the technical area can be critical at state cup. His thoughts are that this is a problem because the coaches are accustomed to being able to "game" the referee at their local field. When they get to state cup, they end up dismissed as they are dealing with a higher level of official that will not tolerate irresponsible behavior in the technical area. In discussing the state cup game with the referees I worked with today, they said similar things! So, it sounds like state cup will not be quite as challenging as it relates to the level of play. It seems there will be more of a need to exercise match control, so I'll need to think about that.
Showing posts with label Development Academy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Development Academy. Show all posts
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Monday, October 26, 2009
It's Been a Slow Fall
If you live in my area of the country (mid-Atlantic states), you know how much bad weather we've been having. Once again, my Sunday games were canceled. However, my assignor called and asked my son and I to report to a different field to work with a 3rd referee that had been assigned to do his games alone. Interesting, because that tells me that my assignor doesn't have as many active referees as I thought. Anyway, we did just that and managed to get in a couple of short sided games (U-9 and U-10). I always enjoy these games, as they are usually fun and have very little stress associated with them.
One observation I have is that the coaches seem to misbehave in the short-sided games more often than the coaches of the older teams. However, they misbehave i a different way. They complain about calls far more often, but in a way that is less offensive than their large field colleagues. The dissent you get from these coaches is more of the nature of the guy you see in the stands at professional games that is always yelling at the officials. It's part of the experience for them. While it is dissent, it's almost comical in the lack of soccer knowledge that it displays. Do you notice the same thing?
Substitution Problem
It's a pretty typical problem. Generally speaking, the substitution procedure is not enforced in youth soccer. Therefore, most teams don't really have a good idea how it works. Because it is typically not enforced, it's tough for the next referee to enforce it as they teams feel that "it wastes time." Of course, many referees don't add lost time either, exacerbating the problem.
Apparently, I can't count. At least I can't count accurately up to 8. Because the teams were being sloppy with their procedure, I was being careful to count the players on and off as the game went. I was the AR on the team side and I see that as part of my job. At one point, I noticed one of teams counting the players, during play, and call one of theirs off the field. I walked up and counted the players with the coach. I counted 8...2 times. To make a long story short, the referee counted the players at the next stoppage and counted 9. What's really annoying for me is I also counted the players at the last substitution and got 8. I think I'm getting old.
All of this brings me to my thoughts on youth soccer substitutions. The US Soccer Development Academy has substitution rules that are different from the typical youth rules. In the Development Academy, substitutions are allowed on any stoppage of play. However, the academy also has limited re-entry rules. Once a player comes off, they cannot re-enter the field until the next half. I think this does two things. First, it causes coaches to really think about their substitutions instead of taking advantage of the "revolving door" rule we have now. I've had games were there were substitutions every 4-5 minutes. Academy games have perhaps 1 or 2 substitutions per half. Second, I think it formalizes the substitution procedure. Because of the limited re-entry rule. Players present their passes when they come on for a substitution. Since they must present their passes, it slows the process down and makes it so the player can't just run on the field.
I guess the argument against the academy way of doing things is you could argue it's harder to get players adequate playing time. I don't know if I buy into that though. I think it improves things because coaches can no longer break up playing time into 5 minute chunks. It improves the flow of the game for the fans as well as the players. It makes the game far easier to manage, in my opinion, for the referees. What do you think? Send me a comment and let me know. Is there a downside to this I'm not seeing?
One observation I have is that the coaches seem to misbehave in the short-sided games more often than the coaches of the older teams. However, they misbehave i a different way. They complain about calls far more often, but in a way that is less offensive than their large field colleagues. The dissent you get from these coaches is more of the nature of the guy you see in the stands at professional games that is always yelling at the officials. It's part of the experience for them. While it is dissent, it's almost comical in the lack of soccer knowledge that it displays. Do you notice the same thing?
Substitution Problem
It's a pretty typical problem. Generally speaking, the substitution procedure is not enforced in youth soccer. Therefore, most teams don't really have a good idea how it works. Because it is typically not enforced, it's tough for the next referee to enforce it as they teams feel that "it wastes time." Of course, many referees don't add lost time either, exacerbating the problem.
Apparently, I can't count. At least I can't count accurately up to 8. Because the teams were being sloppy with their procedure, I was being careful to count the players on and off as the game went. I was the AR on the team side and I see that as part of my job. At one point, I noticed one of teams counting the players, during play, and call one of theirs off the field. I walked up and counted the players with the coach. I counted 8...2 times. To make a long story short, the referee counted the players at the next stoppage and counted 9. What's really annoying for me is I also counted the players at the last substitution and got 8. I think I'm getting old.
All of this brings me to my thoughts on youth soccer substitutions. The US Soccer Development Academy has substitution rules that are different from the typical youth rules. In the Development Academy, substitutions are allowed on any stoppage of play. However, the academy also has limited re-entry rules. Once a player comes off, they cannot re-enter the field until the next half. I think this does two things. First, it causes coaches to really think about their substitutions instead of taking advantage of the "revolving door" rule we have now. I've had games were there were substitutions every 4-5 minutes. Academy games have perhaps 1 or 2 substitutions per half. Second, I think it formalizes the substitution procedure. Because of the limited re-entry rule. Players present their passes when they come on for a substitution. Since they must present their passes, it slows the process down and makes it so the player can't just run on the field.
I guess the argument against the academy way of doing things is you could argue it's harder to get players adequate playing time. I don't know if I buy into that though. I think it improves things because coaches can no longer break up playing time into 5 minute chunks. It improves the flow of the game for the fans as well as the players. It makes the game far easier to manage, in my opinion, for the referees. What do you think? Send me a comment and let me know. Is there a downside to this I'm not seeing?
Monday, February 23, 2009
More Great Games
Yesterday, I worked another set of US Soccer Development Academy games. It seems these games are always scheduled in pairs. The clubs have 2 teams; one U-16 and one U-18. From what I gather, they play games within a pretty large area. In my case, the drive time radius for the teams can be up to 6 hours! If you are doing that, you are playing some serious soccer.
The first time I worked these games, I was the last guy at the field, so I made a point to show up earlier this week. It turns out it still wasn't early enough. I met up with the referee for the U-16 game. I was honest about being new to these games. It turns out he's a grade 8 as well, but he's been doing games for much longer than me. So I guess it's all about experience, not necessarily about your grade. Anyway, he pointed out that I should plan on getting to any US Soccer game at least 1 hour before game time. To be honest, I'm a little surprised that my assignor didn't send me a list of things to do for these games, but that just goes to show you that you are ultimately responsible for yourself. Since this referee was empathetic to my position, I was sure to ask him some other things that I was trying to figure out regarding administration of these games. Always use a willing resource when you find one!
Our third crew member, and also the referee for the U-18 game, was really late. I thought perhaps he had some other games going on, but I didn't hear him mention an excuse. I was a little disappointed by that as this is a State Referee. I guess I hold those guys in pretty high regard, given there grade. It turns out he's a really good referee. I learned quite a bit from watching him work. Both encounters show that the badge doesn't necessarily tell you everything about the referee.
For those of you that live in warm climates, I'm jealous. Wow, the weather was brutal for these games. The temperature was fluctuating in the mid-30's and there was a howling wind coming through the stadium. Not only that, but we had periodic showers and snow showers. Yes, we were in shorts. You don't do these games in warm-ups. Actually, you shouldn't be doing any games in warm-ups. You know it's cold when your teeth are chattering incessantly while you are running the line.
It's interesting to note that I felt far more comfortable this week than last. It seems that your brain needs a game or two to adjust to a higher level. I experienced that when I first started (doing short-side U-little games) as well as when I did my first couple of games at U-15 and above. This week, I didn't feel like I was barely keeping up with the game. I think I did a pretty good job. I was a little early on an offside flag, but I was still correct. I got all my directions right without getting "direction stupid." I even started talking to the players a little bit when they were in my area. You do talk to the players, right? I've noticed the referees at this level will often admonish the players when they are doing wrong, but not wrong enough for a whistle. You'll frequently hear things like "knock it off over there" or "hands down gentlemen!" I mentioned this in my last post, and I'll mention it again because I think it's important. As an AR, you can help the middle with things like "Red #5, get off his jersey!" It warns the player and let's the referee know where he should be looking.
I'd like to, once again, make a few comments about being a good Assistant Referee. Too many referees do not take the role or AR seriously enough. I've seen that, at the upper levels, a good AR is invaluable. Being a good AR doesn't just mean getting offside or ball out-of-play right. It's the little things like taking initiative and getting the game balls squared away for the referee. Making sure the referee has everything he needs while doing check-in (put a spare pencil in your pocket). Do you make sure your uniform is neat, clean and up to par before going to the field? That makes the crew look professional and garners respect. During the game, you must be on your offside line at all times. Coaches, and players, at the higher levels will call you on it if you're not. You must watch everything at once. You must pay attention to the other AR when the ball is away from your half so you can mimic his or her signals as necessary. You must watch the players when the referee is otherwise occupied (ie, talking to a specific player, dealing with substitution) so if something happens, you can report facts. Next time you are an assistant, try to think about all the ways you can make yourself useful to the referee. It is appreciated and only helps to build your reputation as a quality official.
The first time I worked these games, I was the last guy at the field, so I made a point to show up earlier this week. It turns out it still wasn't early enough. I met up with the referee for the U-16 game. I was honest about being new to these games. It turns out he's a grade 8 as well, but he's been doing games for much longer than me. So I guess it's all about experience, not necessarily about your grade. Anyway, he pointed out that I should plan on getting to any US Soccer game at least 1 hour before game time. To be honest, I'm a little surprised that my assignor didn't send me a list of things to do for these games, but that just goes to show you that you are ultimately responsible for yourself. Since this referee was empathetic to my position, I was sure to ask him some other things that I was trying to figure out regarding administration of these games. Always use a willing resource when you find one!
Our third crew member, and also the referee for the U-18 game, was really late. I thought perhaps he had some other games going on, but I didn't hear him mention an excuse. I was a little disappointed by that as this is a State Referee. I guess I hold those guys in pretty high regard, given there grade. It turns out he's a really good referee. I learned quite a bit from watching him work. Both encounters show that the badge doesn't necessarily tell you everything about the referee.
For those of you that live in warm climates, I'm jealous. Wow, the weather was brutal for these games. The temperature was fluctuating in the mid-30's and there was a howling wind coming through the stadium. Not only that, but we had periodic showers and snow showers. Yes, we were in shorts. You don't do these games in warm-ups. Actually, you shouldn't be doing any games in warm-ups. You know it's cold when your teeth are chattering incessantly while you are running the line.
It's interesting to note that I felt far more comfortable this week than last. It seems that your brain needs a game or two to adjust to a higher level. I experienced that when I first started (doing short-side U-little games) as well as when I did my first couple of games at U-15 and above. This week, I didn't feel like I was barely keeping up with the game. I think I did a pretty good job. I was a little early on an offside flag, but I was still correct. I got all my directions right without getting "direction stupid." I even started talking to the players a little bit when they were in my area. You do talk to the players, right? I've noticed the referees at this level will often admonish the players when they are doing wrong, but not wrong enough for a whistle. You'll frequently hear things like "knock it off over there" or "hands down gentlemen!" I mentioned this in my last post, and I'll mention it again because I think it's important. As an AR, you can help the middle with things like "Red #5, get off his jersey!" It warns the player and let's the referee know where he should be looking.
I'd like to, once again, make a few comments about being a good Assistant Referee. Too many referees do not take the role or AR seriously enough. I've seen that, at the upper levels, a good AR is invaluable. Being a good AR doesn't just mean getting offside or ball out-of-play right. It's the little things like taking initiative and getting the game balls squared away for the referee. Making sure the referee has everything he needs while doing check-in (put a spare pencil in your pocket). Do you make sure your uniform is neat, clean and up to par before going to the field? That makes the crew look professional and garners respect. During the game, you must be on your offside line at all times. Coaches, and players, at the higher levels will call you on it if you're not. You must watch everything at once. You must pay attention to the other AR when the ball is away from your half so you can mimic his or her signals as necessary. You must watch the players when the referee is otherwise occupied (ie, talking to a specific player, dealing with substitution) so if something happens, you can report facts. Next time you are an assistant, try to think about all the ways you can make yourself useful to the referee. It is appreciated and only helps to build your reputation as a quality official.
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