Born in Colledimezzo, Italy, on March 4, 1935, Gino D’Ippolito emigrated as a teenager and began reffing in Yonkers, New York, in 1963. “I was playing in a game and I was unhappy with the referee’s performance,” he told Randy Vogt in a 2016 interview. “After the game, I told the referee how I felt […]
referees
Posted inSoccer America Daily
Women's World Cup: What we're reading (and listening to)
1. How the USWNT’s pipeline got fractured by a youth soccer turf war By Henry Bushnell (Yahoo Sports)2. America’s business owners stare down punishing World Cup timings By Joseph Stepansky and Euan Marshall (Al Jazeera)3. How referees will announce VAR calls at Women’s World Cup By Dale Johnson (ESPN FC)
Posted inYouth Soccer Insider
Ref Watch: The joys of being a teenage referee
When I was 14 years old, my father and I suited up in our ref uniforms — sewn by my sister, Susi — and were gathering our gear. While about to say good-bye to my mom and my grandmother, Oma asked, “How many yellow cards do you have to bring?” We paused, then figured out […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily
Referee Watch: American officials at 2023 Gold Cup
Referees: Armando Villarreal, Rubiel Vazquez.Assistant referees: Corey Parker, Cory Richardson, Kathryn Nesbitt, Kyle Atkins, Logan Brown. VARs: Allen Chapman, Chris Penso, Edvin Jurisevic, Tim Ford.Support referee: Joe Dickerson. Note: Complete list of 60 officials assigned to 2023 Gold Cup HERE.
Posted inYouth Soccer Insider
Referees deserve better from TV commentators
“That’s a smart tactical foul in the moment,” Fox Sports color commentator Stuart Holden said after LAFC’s José Cifuentes kicked Lucas Romero from behind and swung his right arm at neck level as he plowed over the Leon midfielder. Romero had received the ball 20 yards inside his own half, but Holden proclaimed, “That’s not […]
Posted inSoccer America Confidential
Iowa Soccer innovates approach to training young refs
Nearly every soccer organization in the United States faces a crisis: Referees are leaving in alarming numbers. Most groups think the solution is money. If we pay them more, the thinking goes, we’ll attract more. Iowa Soccer takes a different approach. Administrators are making it easier for young officials to begin in the first place. […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily
Thursday morning: What we're reading (and listening to)
1. Jesus Ferreira is taking the long way By Jon Arnold (D Magazine)2. Ivan Toney banned: Brentford striker suspended for eight months over 232 breaches of betting rules (BBC Sport)3. The grim reality of being a Premier League fourth official: ‘It’s 90 minutes of hell’ By Stuart James (The Athletic)
Posted inSoccer America Confidential
For coaches and refs: Maintain composure. Don't condescend.
On a rainy late-April afternoon, I returned to the soccer field after a five-month layoff, shivering slightly in my spiffy yellow referee’s shirt with a 2023 certification badge. Most seasons end in mid-November. A few hardy travel teams play some winter games, and our local club has a small “Frosty Fields” rec league, but I […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily
Terry Vaughn remembered
Terry Vaughn, in 2011, was a pioneer in MLS and an inspiration to a generation of referees. Photo: Michael Janosz/isiphotos.com * * * * * Former FIFA referee Terry Vaughn succumbed after a long battle with Huntington’s Disease. He died on Thursday at the age of 50. Vaughn grew up in Iowa and was a soccer […]
Posted inSoccer America Confidential
Celebrating success doesn't mean you have to gloat about it too
Last Sunday I coached a game, and I reffed a game. Both results saw clear winners, with lots of goals scored. Both matches had their moments of pride and joy for individual players, and the teams as a whole. Yet, from my point of view, not all of those moments of pride and joy were […]