There are going to be alot of p!ssed off parents here soon!

[Unregistered]

You know there is one thing that unites both sides of premier soccer in this community and that is the quality of officiating. This IS one thing that both parents and coaches agree on yet the leadership of the leagues is too timid to tackle.

Why should we allow our players to risk their safety when the Center is OBEESE and can not keep up with the play? Why should we allow our players to risk their safety when the officials ALLOW games to get unnecessarily physical?

Why should we put up with AR's who can't track the line of play and listen for the sound of the kick?

Look 80% of the officials are decent and take the game seriously and work hard but that other 20% bring the whole game down and gives the profession a bad name. We as Consumers and Clubs and Leagues have ALLOWED this to go on for far too long.

The solution is increasing the pay to attract more quality people to the job and in exchange demand more training and accountability and BANNING out of shape officials.

the reason that the Pay to Play leagues don't take the lead is that every dollar that goes to officials is a dollar that can't go to the Club!

Not sure what OSAA's problem is but their performance delivering enough or competent officials this season has been abysmal!

Yeah I AM pissed off because a poorly officiated game wrecks it for BOTH sides win or loose!

If you want better referees, stop yelling at them all game long every game. The majority of referees quit within a year or two because they don't want to put up with the abuse they get from the parent sidelines.

And, BTW, your child's safety is NOT the referee's responsibility. That lies with you, your player, and your coach. The referee is there to enforce the rules, nothing more.

[Unregistered]

If you want better referees, stop yelling at them all game long every game. The majority of referees quit within a year or two because they don't want to put up with the abuse they get from the parent sidelines.

And, BTW, your child's safety is NOT the referee's responsibility. That lies with you, your player, and your coach. The referee is there to enforce the rules, nothing more.

I agree that too many refs quit due to bad behavior by parents, players and coaches. It simply isn't worth it.

I do not agree that the ref is not responsible for safety. I agree coaches and players are most responsible. However refs are also responsible for keeping the game under control. Sole focus on the technical play calling is only part of the game. Player management is also key. You don't wait for a leg breaking tackle to occur when you see heavier tackles occurring as a game heats up. Intent matters and player emotions are very much part of the game.

[Unregistered]

I agree that too many refs quit due to bad behavior by parents, players and coaches. It simply isn't worth it.

I do not agree that the ref is not responsible for safety. I agree coaches and players are most responsible. However refs are also responsible for keeping the game under control. Sole focus on the technical play calling is only part of the game. Player management is also key. You don't wait for a leg breaking tackle to occur when you see heavier tackles occurring as a game heats up. Intent matters and player emotions are very much part of the game.

And how, exactly, do you determine "intent". Fact is, you can't. Only the player making the play knows what he/she "intended" to do. All you can do as a ref is look at what is happening and determine whether or not it's within the rules or not. You can NOT know "intent".

[Unregistered]

I agree that too many refs quit due to bad behavior by parents, players and coaches. It simply isn't worth it.

I do not agree that the ref is not responsible for safety. I agree coaches and players are most responsible. However refs are also responsible for keeping the game under control. Sole focus on the technical play calling is only part of the game. Player management is also key. You don't wait for a leg breaking tackle to occur when you see heavier tackles occurring as a game heats up. Intent matters and player emotions are very much part of the game.

Great post. Totally agree. A ref can tell when the game is getting out of control. Or at least when it is getting heated. I know that refs miss calls or give calls that I don't agree with and I do my best to not say anything. They have a tough job and I want them to get better rather than become disgusted with the parents and quit.

[Unregistered]

And how, exactly, do you determine "intent". Fact is, you can't. Only the player making the play knows what he/she "intended" to do. All you can do as a ref is look at what is happening and determine whether or not it's within the rules or not. You can NOT know "intent".

If you understand the game you can tell. Angle of the tackle. Force of the tackle for the situation. Where the feet are. Area of the field. Temperament of the player and their behavior.

[Unregistered]

Nope he was in the Balcony

I thought I saw you at the back there picking through the garbage cans and mopping the floor. Good effort!

No Mr. Negative was in the Muppet Balcony criticizing the entire presentation and didn't want to "hear" anything that challenged his preconceived notions. When your life is founded on hate it's hard to "hear' what is being said especially if it contradicts what you already "know". He also didn't bother to ask any clarifying questions that would have challenged that perception either.

Rather than doing anything to help make the effort better, like raising funds to lower the costs, the haters are content to spew their negative opinions without have any responsibility for the results other than to say "see I told you so" when things don't go smoothly.

Pillars of communities help BUILD things from scratch. They are the ones who put in effort unrelated to their individual interests and they are the ones who get Streets and Buildings named after them or in the case of sports, Fields and Stadiums.

What do the haters get? What can they say they accomplished other than spewing hate and negativity? What do they get their name put on other than a head stone?

Marbull claims his DD is good enough for the ECNL and that her College is paid for already yet he doesn't even think to offer a scholarship or even a partial scholarship to a player whose parents aren't as fortunate to pay for either the Academy or the ECNL.

I guess when you suffer from "Entitlement Syndrome" it never occurs to you that your wealth was created by your participation in a SOCIETY. The syndrome prevents you from realizing that giving back a few pennies makes the society stronger in the long run but that is exactly how Pillars of communities look at their place in the world.

The tail end of the Baby Boom and the lead part of Generation X are best defined by the phrase "I got mine to hell with everybody else". Is it any wonder our communities are crumbling around us both physically and emotionally? As the pillars of our communities from the war generations who built the schools roads, freeways, sewer and water plants die where is the next generation of equally civic minded individuals?

Looks like it's up to you Millennial's!


The Real THUSC MOM
Accept No Substitutes
AKA Angry Poster

[Unregistered]

If you understand the game you can tell. Angle of the tackle. Force of the tackle for the situation. Where the feet are. Area of the field. Temperament of the player and their behavior.

But none of those are "intent". Everything you listed is either a fact of the situation or a behavior of the player. Only one person on the field truly KNOWS the intent. It's always best to ignore intent and focus only on the behavior.

[Unregistered]

But none of those are "intent". Everything you listed is either a fact of the situation or a behavior of the player. Only one person on the field truly KNOWS the intent. It's always best to ignore intent and focus only on the behavior.

Whatever. Use the word Deliberate or excessive. It gets you to the same place. Refs are also responsible for judging if a foul was deliberate or excessive which can be judged from what a ref sees on the field.

[Unregistered]

Whatever. Use the word Deliberate or excessive. It gets you to the same place. Refs are also responsible for judging if a foul was deliberate or excessive which can be judged from what a ref sees on the field.

Of course that requires them to be in close proximity to the event to be able to asses the facial expressions, exact body action and verbal cues.

I would say less than 60% of the Centers at the HS ages here in Oregon can/do keep up therefore many of the fouls are long distance "guesses" and are influenced by the crowd reaction or the result of the contact which means the player hitting the turf gets the call even though they were the aggressor or responsible for their fall.

[Unregistered]

If you want better referees, stop yelling at them all game long every game. The majority of referees quit within a year or two because they don't want to put up with the abuse they get from the parent sidelines.

And, BTW, your child's safety is NOT the referee's responsibility. That lies with you, your player, and your coach. The referee is there to enforce the rules, nothing more.

Why do referee's call fouls and hand out cards? It's because those actions have been determined by FIFA to be DANGEROUS. The number one job of a referee is to make sure the game is conducted under the Laws of the game and is SAFE for all players. If you don't get that then you need to take an officiating class.

Getting and maintaining control of a game not only makes the game safer for the participants but it results in a better game where skills are rewarded rather than thuggery!

[Unregistered]

Why do referee's call fouls and hand out cards? It's because those actions have been determined by FIFA to be DANGEROUS. The number one job of a referee is to make sure the game is conducted under the Laws of the game and is SAFE for all players. If you don't get that then you need to take an officiating class.

Getting and maintaining control of a game not only makes the game safer for the participants but it results in a better game where skills are rewarded rather than thuggery!

So the FIFA rules state that as the referee's number one job? Prove it. Post the link to where they say that.

In a perfectly refereed game, the participants (players, coaches, and fans) don't even realize the ref is there. The ref only needs to get involved when the participants decide to do something other than play soccer.

[Unregistered]

You were obviously not in the room. I was there as well. This is completely untrue.

Sorry, but that is what they said. I recall it perfectly. "But it's ECNL...."

[Unregistered]

No Mr. Negative was in the Muppet Balcony criticizing the entire presentation and didn't want to "hear" anything that challenged his preconceived notions. When your life is founded on hate it's hard to "hear' what is being said especially if it contradicts what you already "know". He also didn't bother to ask any clarifying questions that would have challenged that perception either.

Rather than doing anything to help make the effort better, like raising funds to lower the costs, the haters are content to spew their negative opinions without have any responsibility for the results other than to say "see I told you so" when things don't go smoothly.

Pillars of communities help BUILD things from scratch. They are the ones who put in effort unrelated to their individual interests and they are the ones who get Streets and Buildings named after them or in the case of sports, Fields and Stadiums.

What do the haters get? What can they say they accomplished other than spewing hate and negativity? What do they get their name put on other than a head stone?

Marbull claims his DD is good enough for the ECNL and that her College is paid for already yet he doesn't even think to offer a scholarship or even a partial scholarship to a player whose parents aren't as fortunate to pay for either the Academy or the ECNL.

I guess when you suffer from "Entitlement Syndrome" it never occurs to you that your wealth was created by your participation in a SOCIETY. The syndrome prevents you from realizing that giving back a few pennies makes the society stronger in the long run but that is exactly how Pillars of communities look at their place in the world.

The tail end of the Baby Boom and the lead part of Generation X are best defined by the phrase "I got mine to hell with everybody else". Is it any wonder our communities are crumbling around us both physically and emotionally? As the pillars of our communities from the war generations who built the schools roads, freeways, sewer and water plants die where is the next generation of equally civic minded individuals?

Looks like it's up to you Millennial's!


The Real THUSC MOM
Accept No Substitutes
AKA Angry Poster

You criticize some people for knocking ECNL and not building it, but you do the same exact thing regarding the Academy. Hypocrite much?

[Unregistered]

You criticize some people for knocking ECNL and not building it, but you do the same exact thing regarding the Academy. Hypocrite much?

The Thorns Academy isn't worth building. We all know it's going to fail within 12 months so why bother?

[Unregistered]

The ECNL isn't worth building. We all know it's going to fail within 12 months so why bother?

I think both ecnl and the Thorn Academy will do fine.