They call soccer The Simplest Game. But officiating it can certainly get complicated, especially when the coaches let it get that way.

At the lowest levels, it can be basic confusion over who’s in charge of a game, as I found in my last game of the season. The players were U-11 boys who, if they’ve been playing each season since they were 8 or 9, are in their fifth season of playing with referees.

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