r/Referees

Ok, silly question: I’m a first year ref. I was working AR2 this weekend at an ECNL game and one of the parents started griping that the opposing goalie’s socks weren’t a different color from their teams jerseys. I know the jersey has to be, but the socks? I thought to myself “I don’t think that’s a rule.” She griped enough that I finally said to her I’d bring it to the Referee’s attention at halftime and she shut up about that. The center ref was like “yeah I’m not making her change her socks.” Anyone provide clarification?

Full disclosure: I'm the developer of RefWatch, a referee app for Wear OS watches (Samsung Galaxy Watch, Pixel Watch). I'm deciding which platforms to bring it to next, so I'd like to know what refs actually use today.

What do you guys use?

1. Paper game card / notebook
2. App on Apple Watch
3. App on Garmin
4. App on Wear OS (Samsung / Pixel)
5. App on my phone (logged after or at breaks)
6. Other / memory + basic stopwatch

What’s everyone preference when you have multiple games a day? I mainly AR youth games and I find 3 in a row at the same field is the sweet spot. Would you consider doing 1-2 games in the morning, having a few hours break and then doing 1-2 games in the afternoon?

Recently on a few occasions I've been AR for a game played under USSF auspices (so standard IFAB laws), where the referee has warned players at check-in that equipment problems after kick-off will result in a caution (e.g. "make sure all jewelry is off before we start, otherwise it's an automatic caution"). On at least one occasion the referee put the warning to the coach, saying first card would go to the coach, then to the player. Similarly, on a game I was present at as a spectator, I saw a card given to the away coach for earring that were on during play. All of these were very experienced referees who I've worked with and generally know there stuff.

Now, I know that high school rules in the U.S. under NHFS do specify the "first card to the coach, second to the player" for equipment issues, but that's not explicitly in IFAB laws. I believe the referees in question also do some high school, so may just be mixing systems. That said, is there any justification in IFAB laws for giving cautions to players or coaches for equipment issues discovered after kickoff?

Law 4.1 says that "The players must be inspected before the start of the match and substitutes before they enter the field of play. If a player is wearing or using unauthorized/dangerous equipment or accessories, the referee must or the player to:

• remove the item
• leave the field of play at the next stoppage if the player is unable or unwilling to comply

A player who refuses to comply or wears the item again must be cautioned."

I suppose that could be read as saying that if you warn players at check-in to remove things and they don't, they are wearing the item again or refusing to comply, and must be cautioned, but the mention of "stoppage" implies that if unauthorized/dangerous items are found during play, they get at least one chance to remove them. Nothing in law 4 about coaches, but maybe you could stretch "lack of respect to the game" in law 12?

I’m a new referee this year. So far I’ve done a few games as an AR and centered several recreational games.
This past weekend I had my first center referee assignment for a U12 boys travel game.
The first half was straightforward. It was competitive but well behaved, and the home team led 4-2 at halftime. I don’t think I even called a foul in the first half.
In the second half, the home team started to dominate a little more. The game became slightly more physical, with a few minor pushes and fouls, but nothing I considered excessive or unusual.
About 24 minutes into the second half, with the home team leading 5-2, a visiting player pushed an opponent. I called the foul. It was just a normal foul - nothing reckless or worthy of a card.
One of the visiting spectators immediately started loudly complaining that it was never a foul. He continued shouting for the next 30 seconds or so and was also encouraging his team to play more aggressively, with comments along the lines of “get stuck in.”
I looked over and told him, “That’s enough. No more.”
He quieted down briefly, but within about another minute he started shouting again. Then I clearly heard him yell to the players, “Break their legs.”
At that point I stopped play and went over to the coaches. I established that the spectator belonged to the visiting team and told the visiting coach that the spectator had to leave the vicinity of the field.
The coach was immediately cooperative. He went over, spoke to the spectator and told him he had to leave.
The spectator initially did not leave, so I told the coach I would not restart the match until he had completely left the playing area and gone back toward the parking area.
The spectator reluctantly started leaving. He called his son off the field to leave with him and continued talking as he went. Some of the other parents were also telling him to just leave. Once he was completely away from the field, I restarted the match.
My question is: did I handle this correctly?
Looking at the league rules afterward, I think I may technically have been expected to caution the coach because of the spectator’s behavior. At the time, though, that didn’t feel appropriate because the coach had done absolutely nothing wrong, was immediately cooperative, and did everything I asked to get the spectator removed.

It was a baptism with fire for my first game, but I did what I thought was right.
Would you have handled it differently?

This is about a game I was the center for last spring. U16G, pretty solid game. This is the only game I’ve ever shown a red for.

Two girls had been getting into it most of the game. Early in the second half, one player fouls the other pretty hard and it’s been pretty back and forth between them all game, I show her a yellow. The other girl gives her a slight push after the kick, which was behind my back. AR flags it and tells me what he saw, so I gave the girl a yellow.

Not too long after, I’m following play in the middle of the field, when my AR flags and calls me by name. The girl who got the first yellow pulled the other girl down by her hair behind me. Although I didn’t see it, from my AR clued me in, and automatic red.

While the other girl is still down, I hear from the sidelines, one of the parents screaming “But you gave her a red?”

I have no question about the call or the card, but should I have talked to the coach about removing the parent as well?

I assume the parent was her mom, but I just don’t see how you can react that way after seeing your player commit a violent act ?

I’ve been a referee for just over 6 years. I average 60-80 games in the calendar year. Almost always a CR and usually 9v9 or 7v7. I honestly do it for fun and enjoyment.
I had a few games on Saturday where the weather was 100 degrees F. Super hot out there and we gave hydration breaks about halfway through each half.
This game was mid-level u11 boys match and one kid on the team leading 3-0 was not happy with a foul I called on him and he started jumping up and down and yelling that it wasn’t a foul. I immediately asked him to calm down but he was still upset. I reached for my shirt pocket and in the spirit of not wanting to give cards out as this game pretty clean overall, and I said to him “If you really want a yellow card, I’ll certainly give you one.” He then started to walk away and as he was about 20 feet away he said something like “this guy sucks” or something like that. I then said to him “22, you must really want the yellow card, don’t you?” I then hear his dad shout “Don’t call my son out” and he started walking towards the sideline to try to intimidate me. I responded to him that it was 22 calling himself out for his behavior and I was trying to give him a break as his dissent was unnecessary. He then said that I sucked and I immediately told him he had to leave the field of play as I would not let him speak that way and he was setting a bad example. He left but was muttering expletives as he was leaving the field.
Was wondering what I could’ve done better or changed in my approach as I hate that this happened and I also want to always improve?