We don’t want to make mistakes but it’s part of being human. You could say that with all the games I have officiated — more than 11,000 — I’ve made more mistakes than most soccer referees. Even with Video Review, some important game decisions are still missed in professional matches. I have seen media coverage […]
Youth Soccer Insider
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
Youth soccer's Bermuda Triangle
The Bermuda Triangle is an urban legend focused on a loosely-defined region in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean where a number of aircraft and ships are said to have disappeared under mysterious circumstances. The Bermuda Triangle in our beautiful game of youth soccer is composed of three elements: Parents, Coaches and Referees. It sucks up the beauty and fairness of […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
Ref Watch: Work well with assignors. Plus: New rulebook is ready
For youth soccer referees looking to advance, their relationships with the State Referee Administrator (SRA) and State Youth Referee Administrator (SYRA) are crucial. For the rest of us refs, arguably our most important relationship is with assignors, the people who give us our games. When it comes to scheduling, assignors value referees’ reliability more than […]
Posted inStory
Ref Watch: Joe Machnik on calls the rules don't cover clearly
Even though I had a clear view of the incident, I blanked on what the call should be. The goalkeeper grabbed a bouncing ball near his goal line. A teammate kicked it out of his hands and the ball flew into their own goal. This happened at U-12 boys, one of my favorite groups to […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
Your crucial preseason checklist — first-aid kit and emergency action plan
With the spring season underway, this is the perfect time to make sure you’ve got the first-aid kit in order — and have prepared an Emergency Action Plan (EAP). Your First Aid Kit Every youth coach should have a very basic sideline first-aid kit. You should have this at each training session and game. Remember […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
A ref's view on managing dissent
I’m going to write something that many refs might disagree with: I believe it’s important to let the players and coaches have their say regarding your decisions. They feel that you are respecting them when you allow them to very briefly vent. But then we must move on. One way to move on is get […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
Beware aspiring refs: Assessment starts young
I officiated five older boys games with two teenage referees in a tournament. We switched as ref and AR for each game. After the five games, the assignor told me that both are being looked at by the State Youth Referee Administrator (SYRA) for advancement, possibly into MLS one day. I expressed surprise at this […]
Posted inStory
15 coaching insights from Soccer America 2021 interviews
From coaches of various levels we spoke to in 2021, we’ve pulled 15 quotes that may serve you well when you take the field in 2022. 15. “I used to observe how my college lacrosse coach, Richie Moran, thought that the bottom player in our team was as important as the best player. And I […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
The art of reffing solo
With the dire referee shortage increasing the chances of finding yourself without assistant referees presents an opportune time to republish this article on how to handle games solo. * * * * * * * * * * The referee’s position is called a “diagonal,” which he or she runs goes from corner flag to […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
How the pandemic impacted youth sports (for the better)
The pandemic is responsible for changing nearly every facet of our lives. As life went virtual, it also returned to simplicity, pushing us to consider what’s most important. Much of the focus on the mental health impacts of COVID-19 centered around adults, who were forced to weather difficult transitions to remote work, furloughs, or unemployment. […]