Referee abuse

[Unregistered]

90% of the games I attend there is some sort of verbal abuse of referees. When are coaches and parents going to grow up?

The number of referees is down. $20 per hour of abuse is not worth it. The stories are endless.
We are a culture so focused on winning that we collectively are all losers.

Apply for soccer referee licenses folks. You obviously can call a game so much better.

[Unregistered]

Referee shortages are a growing problem. Youth refs are obviously less mature and not all can or want to handle getting yelled during a U10 game for $30. The more that drop out early on the fewer older, more mature/experienced refs we have down the road.
However I think parents are a bigger issue than coaches. "Most" coaches don't go nuts over bad calls and try to set a good example for players and parents. "Most coaches" actually do know the rules while many parents do not. What coaches don't do is reprimand parents for bad behavior. Give them an initial warning with a reminder that this is youth soccer not the freaking national team with a championship on the line. If it happens again restrict them from the fields for a bit. Third time you're banned altogether. Don't take it out on the players, but caution that disrespectful parents often raise disrespectful players

[Unregistered]

Parents are frustrated. Paying a ton of money to participate in a handful of games. Clubs need to hire referees that actually know what and when to call. One week you have the refs let everything go until there are many injuries the next week refs call every little thing and the game momentum stops every minute. At club prices clubs need to hire better refs and parents won’t be so frustrated

[Unregistered]

Parents are frustrated. Paying a ton of money to participate in a handful of games. Clubs need to hire referees that actually know what and when to call. One week you have the refs let everything go until there are many injuries the next week refs call every little thing and the game momentum stops every minute. At club prices clubs need to hire better refs and parents won’t be so frustrated

Parents will always be frustrated regardless. I don’t care if it’s a town game or ecnl. Here’s a thought. Shut up and act like an adult. Be a role model for your kid. You’re embarrassing yourself yelling at a ref. Let your Coach handle it and just stand there and be quiet. Saw it and heard it today. New York parents (yes, you’ll be called out ) grow up.

[Unregistered]

Parents are frustrated. Paying a ton of money to participate in a handful of games. Clubs need to hire referees that actually know what and when to call. One week you have the refs let everything go until there are many injuries the next week refs call every little thing and the game momentum stops every minute. At club prices clubs need to hire better refs and parents won’t be so frustrated

You fail to understand the point: there aren’t enough good ones around since the DB parents feel justified to crap on them since they feel entitled due to the high club prices they are charged.

[Unregistered]

You fail to understand the point: there aren’t enough good ones around since the DB parents feel justified to crap on them since they feel entitled due to the high club prices they are charged.

select parents are the loudest. Always complaining about every single call that doesn't go their way and when they win they let everyone know it. As far as their behavior towards the refs it's almost abusive. My daughters have played against select many times over the past 10 years and we hate when we have to play them. It's like every play is life and death and when a call doesn't go their way that's when the abuse begins!

[Unregistered]

select parents are the loudest. Always complaining about every single call that doesn't go their way and when they win they let everyone know it. As far as their behavior towards the refs it's almost abusive. My daughters have played against select many times over the past 10 years and we hate when we have to play them. It's like every play is life and death and when a call doesn't go their way that's when the abuse begins!

Not too obvious an agenda there. Some clubs have more than others but ALL clubs have some bad parents.

[Unregistered]

Parents are frustrated. Paying a ton of money to participate in a handful of games. Clubs need to hire referees that actually know what and when to call. One week you have the refs let everything go until there are many injuries the next week refs call every little thing and the game momentum stops every minute. At club prices clubs need to hire better refs and parents won’t be so frustrated

It's because of parents like you - complaining all the time in one way or another - that there aren't enough refs in the labor pool. Be a part of the solution. Start with STFU. Cheer the kids on, that's it. Then get trained yourself and ref games yourself. See how hard a job it is, let alone as a teenager trying to stand up to to abusvie adults.

[Unregistered]

select parents are the loudest. Always complaining about every single call that doesn't go their way and when they win they let everyone know it. As far as their behavior towards the refs it's almost abusive. My daughters have played against select many times over the past 10 years and we hate when we have to play them. It's like every play is life and death and when a call doesn't go their way that's when the abuse begins!

Played Select this weekend, and didn't hear anything bad. Cheered their kids, but rather tamely, gave out a few "nice save" to our keeper. I won't vouch for all the time for all of them, but found just the opposite recently.

[Unregistered]

We need to start filming the crazy behavior by parents and coaches at games. They look like absolute foolish buffoons, as they sit there and yell about every call and berate teenage refs. The video evidence should go viral. They will be exposed. Perhaps some college coaches will see it, and steer clear of recruiting the kids of these toxic parents.

[Unregistered]

I found with great success that if you speak strongly to the ref before your game, calls will go your way. Just sayin

[Unregistered]

I found with great success that if you speak strongly to the ref before your game, calls will go your way. Just sayin

I always slip them some cash. It’s important my kids U11 team stay on top of the Got Soccer rankings

[Unregistered]

Parents are frustrated. Paying a ton of money to participate in a handful of games. Clubs need to hire referees that actually know what and when to call. One week you have the refs let everything go until there are many injuries the next week refs call every little thing and the game momentum stops every minute. At club prices clubs need to hire better refs and parents won’t be so frustrated

I hope your not paying a ton of money just to have kid play a few games? I would think the money is for the training your kid gets a practice. If you just want your kid to play in games just have them play town soccer you will save a ton of money and still get to yell at the refs.

Why is it in youth sports for some reason parents think it’s their right to yell and scream at a ref? In what other part of society is it normal to do this?
If you acted like this in a store or restaurant you would be kicked out.
Just because you pay money for something doesn’t give you the right to yell at a person. Do you yell and scream at your coach during the game? You are paying his/her salary.

I do think it’s funny how most coaches probably send out an email to the parents about not telling the players during the game what to do. But the coaches will be the first to tell the ref how to do their job.

Here’s what refs should do toss any parent/spectator/coach out once they say anything. Set the tone early. Of course if a ref did this parents would complain about the refs letting the power go to their head.

[Unregistered]

I hope your not paying a ton of money just to have kid play a few games? I would think the money is for the training your kid gets a practice. If you just want your kid to play in games just have them play town soccer you will save a ton of money and still get to yell at the refs.

Why is it in youth sports for some reason parents think it’s their right to yell and scream at a ref? In what other part of society is it normal to do this?
If you acted like this in a store or restaurant you would be kicked out.
Just because you pay money for something doesn’t give you the right to yell at a person. Do you yell and scream at your coach during the game? You are paying his/her salary.

I do think it’s funny how most coaches probably send out an email to the parents about not telling the players during the game what to do. But the coaches will be the first to tell the ref how to do their job.

Here’s what refs should do toss any parent/spectator/coach out once they say anything. Set the tone early. Of course if a ref did this parents would complain about the refs letting the power go to their head.

good post - and if parents are frustrated with the youth soccer landscape or their club they should be "yelling" at the club, not a 16 year old making $30 to be abused by parents who don't even know the rules.

[Unregistered]

Good timing on this. We had a game yesterday, with no refs. So calls are made and one shows up. Now, this ref is a total DBAG...well past his expiration date and has the mistaken impression everyone is there to see him. He's been like this for years...decades....so self-important it's comical. But, he bailed us out so I chuckled "geeze most games he thinks he's the most important person here. Well, today, he's right!"