LHGCL new zero tolerance officals policy

What does everyone think about the new LHGCL zero tolerance on questioning the officials?

Before our game on Saturday, I was walking to the restroom at UTD and asked an official how he was doing. Now I've got a hearing and I'm banned until I make my case?!

smbush wrote:What does everyone think about the new LHGCL zero tolerance on questioning the officials?

What is this new zero tolerance policy?

ballhead wrote:

smbush wrote:What does everyone think about the new LHGCL zero tolerance on questioning the officials?

What is this new zero tolerance policy?

User was banned for this post - as an example of the zero tolerance policy

Congradulations too LHGPL four there supper grate knew rool. Yew geyes shud throe tha bock at hymn ,

It's ashame we continue to empower the weak. Typically parents don't get upset with Referee's who are doing their job, or at least making a their best effort. Often, the Ref should be suspended not the coaches and parents. Zero accountability and more power isn't the answer to improving Refs. We pay a lot of league fees for the league directors not to take responsibility and train their Refs properly. But, then again, MLS can't seem to do it either!

The solution to this has always been an easy one, but no one is willing to dig into their wallets. Are you ready for the answer?

Pay the referees more. Make it a job worth doing instead of one no one wants. You pay a referee $45-$50 per game, and you'll suddenly have knowledgeable, qualified people lining up who want to earn an income in their spare time. Then there will be such a supply that the refs will have to do good work since they know they'll be quickly replaced if they don't.

It's amazing when you think about it. Parents pay boat loads of money to coaches, clubs, leagues, and private trainers but think the guy who speaks no English and makes $15 an hour running up and down the field while being screamed at on both sides will do a good job of controlling the game. Why would they? It sucks to be out there wearing yellow stripes. I wouldn't do it for a minute.

Xara, I thought the center ref typically makes about $40 a game.

Wait, I found this on Arlington Soccer website, I'm sure others make the same as they get refs from North Texas pool.


REFEREE FEES
Age Group / Fee / Time


U4 $15 per Game (Center Only) 8 Minute Quarters
U5/6 $15 per Game (Center Only) 10 Minute Quarters
U7/8 $15 per Game (Center Only) 11 Minute Quarters
U9/10 $20 Center/$14 per Line 12 Minute Quarters
U11/12 $24 Center/$16 per Line 30 Minute Halves
U13/14 $27 Center/$18 per Line 35 Minute Halves
U15/16 $40 Center/$26 per Line 40 Minute Halves
U17/19 $50 Center/$30 per Line 45 Minute Halves


So it looks like only the older age groups pay decent.

20 bucks to deal with 2 U9/10 sidelines? Good luck with that.

golgolgol wrote:Xara, I thought the center ref typically makes about $40 a game.

Wait, I found this on Arlington Soccer website, I'm sure others make the same as they get refs from North Texas pool.


REFEREE FEES
Age Group / Fee / Time


U4 $15 per Game (Center Only) 8 Minute Quarters
U5/6 $15 per Game (Center Only) 10 Minute Quarters
U7/8 $15 per Game (Center Only) 11 Minute Quarters
U9/10 $20 Center/$14 per Line 12 Minute Quarters
U11/12 $24 Center/$16 per Line 30 Minute Halves
U13/14 $27 Center/$18 per Line 35 Minute Halves
U15/16 $40 Center/$26 per Line 40 Minute Halves
U17/19 $50 Center/$30 per Line 45 Minute Halves


So it looks like only the older age groups pay decent.

I would agree that the pay at the very oldest youth ages is "decent". But when you factor in the half-time break and time between games, $50 per game quickly becomes $25 per hour. Not bad for the U17/19 CR's, but still crappy when you get to U14 and below. We're right back to that $15 per hour mark I described... and lower.

golgolgol wrote:Xara, I thought the center ref typically makes about $40 a game.

Wait, I found this on Arlington Soccer website, I'm sure others make the same as they get refs from North Texas pool.


REFEREE FEES
Age Group / Fee / Time


U4 $15 per Game (Center Only) 8 Minute Quarters
U5/6 $15 per Game (Center Only) 10 Minute Quarters
U7/8 $15 per Game (Center Only) 11 Minute Quarters
U9/10 $20 Center/$14 per Line 12 Minute Quarters
U11/12 $24 Center/$16 per Line 30 Minute Halves
U13/14 $27 Center/$18 per Line 35 Minute Halves
U15/16 $40 Center/$26 per Line 40 Minute Halves
U17/19 $50 Center/$30 per Line 45 Minute Halves


So it looks like only the older age groups pay decent.

Pay decent, huh?

The average U17-U19 game you will run 5-7 miles a game in the middle and 2.5 on the line, easy. A typical set is 3 games a day so you'll end up running well over 10 miles a day and have several folks questioning every single call you make, right, wrong or indifferent. Then you have to correct the coaches because they can't follow the technical areas and don't know the laws either. Moreover, you have to know and apply the laws correctly if you want to keep getting "good" games. The assessors are out there too and there is constant feedback. All for about a 100 bucks...

Xara wrote:

golgolgol wrote:Xara, I thought the center ref typically makes about $40 a game.

Wait, I found this on Arlington Soccer website, I'm sure others make the same as they get refs from North Texas pool.


REFEREE FEES
Age Group / Fee / Time


U4 $15 per Game (Center Only) 8 Minute Quarters
U5/6 $15 per Game (Center Only) 10 Minute Quarters
U7/8 $15 per Game (Center Only) 11 Minute Quarters
U9/10 $20 Center/$14 per Line 12 Minute Quarters
U11/12 $24 Center/$16 per Line 30 Minute Halves
U13/14 $27 Center/$18 per Line 35 Minute Halves
U15/16 $40 Center/$26 per Line 40 Minute Halves
U17/19 $50 Center/$30 per Line 45 Minute Halves


So it looks like only the older age groups pay decent.

I would agree that the pay at the very oldest youth ages is "decent". But when you factor in the half-time break and time between games, $50 per game quickly becomes $25 per hour. Not bad for the U17/19 CR's, but still crappy when you get to U14 and below. We're right back to that $15 per hour mark I described... and lower.

I'm not sure paying more is the simple solution. However, for my U15, based on this scale our team pays $46 per game for half the center and one AR. If you multiply this by 18 games and then divide it by the number of players (18 again in this case), the cost is $46 per player per year. I would gladly double down on this if it would truly upgrade the quality and consistency of the refereeing. An extra $46 per year is rounding error at this point in the total cost equation.

I also do not think muzzling your ultimate consumer is any way to fix the problem either. At the same time, allowing your consumers to yell at your employees is not any better. In the six or so years I've been wasting my life trolling the soccer forums, this topic has come up every year or so. Until North Texas brings the refs, the clubs and the parents together in a meaningful way, I do not think the situation will improve. As much as I'd like to hope there is a simple solution, I do not believe there is.

What happened to the mandatory referee meeting LHCL scheduled with each team? I believe the meeting was held in a hotel in Dallas.

I don’t know if that was the answer, but it seemed like a good start opening dialogue with the head referee with some parent feedback.

Just to say it...I saw one of the BEST officiated games on Sunday. I thought it was called a little tightly, but VERY even and a clean game overall. And I would rather have it tightly and evenly called than anything else. I know the next one may not be that way, but ours WAS. As many times as I have cringed at the calls, it was nice to have one done exceptionally well! No, seriously.

I have been a ref for more than 20 years and have done all levels including college. The select parents for the most part are horrible. I only do rec now because it is the same pay as select and little if any parent/coach abuse.

dadof3 wrote:Just to say it...I saw one of the BEST officiated games on Sunday. I thought it was called a little tightly, but VERY even and a clean game overall. And I would rather have it tightly and evenly called than anything else. I know the next one may not be that way, but ours WAS. As many times as I have cringed at the calls, it was nice to have one done exceptionally well! No, seriously.

DD's team scrimmaged a boys team out in Arlington a few weeks back. Center ref was alone with no ARs. DD's squad is not an easy out for even a 3-man crew. The back line is sophisticated and rarely hang out in one spot more than a few moments. This guy got all the calls right, both for and against us. Probably the best refereed game I've watched the DD play (boys team took it to us).

I've never seen that ref, but I'm guessing he was either a higher level official doing a little freelance or he does ethnic league games outside the jurisdiction of NTSSA. Tell-tale sign?....tried to give him kudos right after the game. He'd already high-tailed it out of dodge.