• Ref Watch: Throw-ins, corner-kick own goals and the new rulebook
    by Mike Woitalla on Sep 11, 5:01 PM
    There were only five minutes left in the U-15 game when I first got yelled at by a parent, upset about a throw-in.
      1 Comments
  • Heat and humidity can be lethal for your players -- here's what to know
    by Mike Woitalla on Aug 25, 4:26 AM
    It can be OK to practice in 100-degree weather, or it could be dangerous. It depends much on the humidity factor.
      0 Comments
  • Ref Watch: Teenage job quests led Tori Penso and Katja Koroleva to World Cup
    by Mike Woitalla on Aug 1, 3:12 AM
    Also part of the U.S. officiating crew Down Under are VAR Armando Villarreal and ARs Brooke Mayo, Felisha Mariscal and Kathryn Nesbitt.
      0 Comments
  • The youth soccer stories of the USA's Women's World Cup players: 1 through 23
    by Ben Wiley, Mike Woitalla on Jul 20, 3:39 AM
    From 18-year-old Alyssa Thompson to 38-year-old Megan Rapinoe: the paths taken to soccer's highest level.
      1 Comments
  • Ref Watch: The joys of being a teenage referee
    by Mike Woitalla on Jun 29, 8:50 PM
    Why did I start reffing when I was a kid and why did I continue?
      6 Comments
  • Referees deserve better from TV commentators
    by Mike Woitalla on Jun 2, 7:27 PM
    How broadcasters react to foul play influences soccer at the grassroots.
      11 Comments
  • Youth soccer club boards and PTA
    by Ahmet Guvener on May 30, 6:41 PM
    Remedies to avoid the boards being transitional:. maintaining institutional memory and developing a sound succession plan.
      0 Comments
  • Ref Watch: Who's lost control?
    by Ian Plenderleith on May 1, 8:42 PM
    On finger-pointing when games flare up. Plus: ref news from around the globe.
      6 Comments
  • Matt Crocker on English youth soccer revolution (SA September 2017 interview)
    by Mike Woitalla on Apr 25, 5:37 AM
    On Tuesday, Crocker will be named U.S. Soccer's new sporting director, replacing Earnie Stewart.
      26 Comments
  • Curse of short-sighted thinking: How U.S. youth soccer clubs continue to shoot themselves in the foot
    by Ahmet Guvener on Apr 14, 4:30 AM
    The transitional nature of boards has a negative impact on the sustainability of the governance of clubs.
      34 Comments
  • Ref Watch: Police sergeant arrested for punching a referee!
    by Mike Woitalla on Mar 31, 5:04 PM
    Players abusing referees has been normalized at the pro level, and on-field belligerence can inflame the sidelines.
      13 Comments
  • Are college ID camps a necessary evil?
    by Steve Gans on Mar 22, 1:19 PM
    Charging college soccer hopefuls to be evaluated has become an entrenched part of the process.
      6 Comments
  • Ref Watch: Advice to coaches from a referee's perspective
    by Mike Woitalla on Feb 28, 9:20 PM
    With spring seasons getting under way, here are a few things I'd like to see from coaches
      11 Comments
  • Ref Watch: Mark Geiger's advice for ambitious young refs
    by Mike Woitalla on Feb 2, 1:20 AM
    By the time he retired, Geiger had officiated in MLS for 15 seasons and worked more international competition than any U.S. ref ever.
      2 Comments
  • Ref Watch: The best of 2022
    by Mike Woitalla on Dec 28, 3:20 AM
    Once a referee, no matter how else you're involved in the sport, you keep a close eye on the officials.
      8 Comments
« Previous Entries