There is no worse a thing heard than "Let them play REF!"

[beeroe]

When I hear it, it drives me nuts.

For me the most important thing is the safety of the kids playing the game. This responsibility is placed solely on the shoulders of the referees. It is their responsibility to keep control of the game (obviously not to manipulate it). If a ref does not control the game the kids will loose their cool and will begin to retaliate. The force will become more and more excessive.

Yes soccer is a physical game, as it should be, but dangerous it should not be. But I am tired of watching defenders use excessive force or not playing the ball on a striker who has earned their opportunity to shoot. Soon enough strikers will learn to not even try... why risk it, and I cant say I dont blame them for it.

So feel free, referee, to pull you card out for descent when you are told "To let them play" 

[Lionheart88]

The same folks will holler about fouls not being called when a referee plays the advantage, or when there's a fair shoulder charge, or two guys just get their feet tangled up, etc.  A lot of players, coaches, and fans go into the game with the attitude that "any call that goes against my team is wrong".

[chaoslord]

My favorite is when the same person is complaining "LET THEM PLAY" and then twenty minutes later "YOU NEED TO CONTROL THE GAME."

Translation: "Why aren't you letting my team get away with everything "


EDIT: Dang it, Lionheart.

[hogbert]

As a ref, here's my favorite: "Call it both ways!"

oh my...really? You think I show up to purposefully screw your team? yeah, that's my mission in life.

Much better criticism? "Hey ref, work hard to be in position to make a good call. The kids certainly are". I took that one to heart.

[ConwayCoach]

Personally, I think the game in Arkansas for both club and high school is allowed to be too physical. Kids get away with late and dangerous tackles all the time. Yes, soccer should be and is a physical game and yes it is a contact sport but it isn't basketball (more space available), football, or hockey. Far to often there is grabbing, late tackles, tackles from behind, etc. that aren't called. Yes my players are guilty of it too sometimes as is any player, but that is why the refs are present, to protect the players and enforce the rules of the game.

Some of it is incidental contact but that can still be a foul if it stops the player in possessions forward progress. I can think of examples in each game I've coached this year where consistent fouls go unpunished and late tackles are ignored.

If we want to create players who are gifted on the ball and learn how to express themselves in the game we need to ensure the players are protected from over physical play. This will discourage the dive in tackles as well and make our defenders improve their positioning, decision making, and timing. The only time touching the opponent with the ball is legal is if its shoulder to shoulder or clearly incidental contact.

I want to be clear that this isn't an attack on officials in the state. I think they are instructed and want to let the game flow and don't want to stop the play every 2-3 minutes for a foul. I think refs do a great job overall in the state. It is a thankless job and one that requires courage. I have a ton of respect for our officials.

[Lionheart88]

Personally, I think the game in Arkansas for both club and high school is allowed to be too physical. Kids get away with late and dangerous tackles all the time. Yes, soccer should be and is a physical game and yes it is a contact sport but it isn't basketball (more space available), football, or hockey. Far to often there is grabbing, late tackles, tackles from behind, etc. that aren't called. Yes my players are guilty of it too sometimes as is any player, but that is why the refs are present, to protect the players and enforce the rules of the game.

Some of it is incidental contact but that can still be a foul if it stops the player in possessions forward progress. I can think of examples in each game I've coached this year where consistent fouls go unpunished and late tackles are ignored.

If we want to create players who are gifted on the ball and learn how to express themselves in the game we need to ensure the players are protected from over physical play. This will discourage the dive in tackles as well and make our defenders improve their positioning, decision making, and timing. The only time touching the opponent with the ball is legal is if its shoulder to shoulder or clearly incidental contact.

I want to be clear that this isn't an attack on officials in the state. I think they are instructed and want to let the game flow and don't want to stop the play every 2-3 minutes for a foul. I think refs do a great job overall in the state. It is a thankless job and one that requires courage. I have a ton of respect for our officials.

What if we want to create hard-nosed, physical defenders?  The game shouldn't be officiated so as to give any players special protection unless it's written into the rules.


But don't mind me, I'm just an old D-mid who never liked glory hog forwards.  Those pretty boys need to learn how to not fall down in a stiff breeze.   

[ConwayCoach]

Not asking for special protection, asking for the rules of the game to be enforced more strictly. The game is moving toward the "beautiful game" and the hard nosed 70-80s style is disappearing. Hard nosed defenders are all well and good but there is a reason as a state we are behind the other states when it comes to producing top talent. Hard tackling isn't discouraged. Hard illegal tackling should be.

[Lionheart88]

Oh, I agree.  Illegal play should always be discouraged.  I just bristle when I see suggestions that players who are gifted on the ball should have the chance to "express themselves".  If I'm playing or coaching and the other team's ball handlers are getting to express themselves, it's because our defense isn't doing their jobs.

[sevenof400]

Personally, I think the game in Arkansas for both club and high school is allowed to be too physical. Kids get away with late and dangerous tackles all the time. Yes, soccer should be and is a physical game and yes it is a contact sport but it isn't basketball (more space available), football, or hockey. Far to often there is grabbing, late tackles, tackles from behind, etc. that aren't called. Yes my players are guilty of it too sometimes as is any player, but that is why the refs are present, to protect the players and enforce the rules of the game.

Some of it is incidental contact but that can still be a foul if it stops the player in possessions forward progress. I can think of examples in each game I've coached this year where consistent fouls go unpunished and late tackles are ignored.

If we want to create players who are gifted on the ball and learn how to express themselves in the game we need to ensure the players are protected from over physical play. This will discourage the dive in tackles as well and make our defenders improve their positioning, decision making, and timing. The only time touching the opponent with the ball is legal is if its shoulder to shoulder or clearly incidental contact.

I want to be clear that this isn't an attack on officials in the state. I think they are instructed and want to let the game flow and don't want to stop the play every 2-3 minutes for a foul. I think refs do a great job overall in the state. It is a thankless job and one that requires courage. I have a ton of respect for our officials.

Say what??? 

Leave the state in any direction and you will find that a much more physical style of play is allowed in ALL of our border states.  One of the problems Arkansas teams have to overcome when they play out of state is the physicality of the game markedly steps up and Arkansas teams are unprepared to play that style.

I'm not saying that is right or wrong, but it is certainly a reality.

[forumfan]

Sevenof400 is absolutely right.  I've seen both HS and club games in the North East that are far, far more physical than in Arkansas but that also have the same portion of fouls called.  Physical play by no means is equal to illegal play.  And the old adage, if you don't like the refereeing, do it yourself.  Speaking from experience of playing, coaching and refereeing, it takes something special to (a) want to be a referee and (b) be good at it.  Finally, there are far more parents watching Arkansas high school soccer that have no clue what they are talking about than those that do.  Soccer and refereeing are growing here, which is great.  But it takes time.

[Bloodinthewater]

Let's face guys. And Ive discussed this with many a parents.  The biggest problem from the stands is the lack of knowledge of the rules by most parents.  Drives me nuts when one of our fans is hollaring for "Offsides, shes offsides," when in fact shes clearly on.  Every good tackle DOES NOT "deserve a yellow card, ref"  The ole "call it both ways, ref" when the other team is physical while playing ball and we are retaliating without it.  Yeah, refs miss one every now and then, but most of what I'm hearing is parents with rose colored glasses on.

[Go Postal]

I have no kid playing in any high school sport now.  My son has his State Championship ring for soccer and weightlifting plus was a power offensive back/defensive middlelinebacker in football.  Got me use to physical play.  Since he graduated high school, that still didn't stop me watching high school sports.  I still enjoy watching two great teams battle it out.  What a lot of fans, especially new to this sport, might not understand, soccer can be and is a physical sport.  They only have shin guards to protect their lower legs but have to use all parts of the body, except arms and hands, to control the ball.  Watch as though a fan of soccer, I love a physical fast paced game, but not when the physical play gets out of hand.  Remember their are usually only 3 officials in soccer trying to watch play on a larger than football field.  They can't see everything all the time.  Fans do and cry foul.  Most of the time it is because something happened to their team or son/daughter.  This I can understand being a parent and most of the time it is just a little too much physicality from the opposing team.  But like I said earlier, soccer is a physical sport.  We don't have pads on like football.  Good Officials usually call, "Play On" when even a minor infraction from the opposing team was noted but the ball play is in favor for the team controlling the ball.
Like I said, I have seen many physical games over the years, head to head contact, high kick in the face, elbow in the face, players going down from a torn ACL, etc.  Usually these are unintentional from the opposing players.  But when a player does this intentionally, then it is time to pull out the red card.  I have seen this also.

All that said and not having a dog in this sport fight, there has been sometimes when I jumped up and yelled at the refs or the opposing team on what happened.  Heck I have evened yelled at the home team on stupid play and even cheered for the opposing team to do better.

The one shout from the opposing fans that really gets me, "Home Cooking".  They must really think that the Officials are always from the home town.

Side note to fans:
Soccer is semi new in Arkansas since 1998
Soccer is a physical sport
Soccer is amazing on athletic skill
Anything can happen from game to game
Learn the rules of soccer

[Sir Alex]

I think what someone posted above was trying to get at is that soccer say in Missouri is more physical but in a soccer way.  Whereas in Arkansas it is more physical in a out of control sorta way, more so at the high school level.   This comes from less experienced players that lack a sense of the game played at a higher level.   Sure there is some higher level play in Arkanasas but in general there are less soccer players but more athletes out on the pitch.  As always, I say protect the welfare of the players.  Let them play when you can but keep it under control.  A well played shoulder charge is a lot different than a cleats up two footed tackle that was ok when I played the game...  Shoot, we did not have to wear shinguards until college.   Carry on officials, you're doing a fine job. 

[Go Postal]

Well said Sir Alex.
One thing that I have noticed from coaches in any sport over the years.  Is that they yell at the players constantly during the game to do this or that.  One coach that I have seen in all sports that knows what his players can do and watches the play of the game is Harrison's soccer coach.  He sits and observes the game, but when he jumps up and gives direction to a player or a call from a ref, that something is not doing right.  He is a great professional coach, Harrison has done great hiring him.  Maybe that is why he has 10 boys/girls State Championships, 3 boys/girls State Runner-ups, 22 boys/girls State semi-finalists and NOW 30 boys/girls teams going into the 5A playoffs since 2002.  As a Goblin/West/5A fan, dang, this coach needs a raise in salary.  If it was football, he would already got it for the same stats.  

[Lionheart88]

Maybe he should talk to the AD.   


I find that it's hard to do much tactical coaching in soccer.  It isn't like American football, where the coach sends in each play, or basketball where a coach can call a time out an draw up a play.  If you're yelling anything more complex than "Send it!" "Cross!" or "Don't just stand there, pressure the ball!"  Then odds are that by the time you're done yelling, your instructions are outdated and quite possibly confusing.  You have to teach the kids in practice how to think independently, how to read a game and deduce for themselves where they should be positioned and what they should be doing.

[Go Postal]

Well said also, Lionheart88!

Arkansas high school soccer has only been "officially" recognized since 1998.  It's not like football/basketball/baseball that has been here since the '20s or before for high school teams.  New sport for America and Arkansas compared to other sports.  Still a learning process for coaches/athletes/fans.  We are getting there.

PLAY ON!!