Tough Physical Play versus Playing Dirty?

I am tthinking if I knew the name of our center ref tonight I would call him out publicly on the forum. There should be some type of accountability.

Which game?

Parker v North

I only saw half. Whoever referenced consistency earlier, it would apply for the half I saw.

Please don't misunderstand... I am not calling Parker out for dirty play. The game was very competative on both sides. My problem was with the center ref. His performance tonight was poor.

Only saw 2nd as I watched the first of another game. At one point I heard Coach P tell the ref he needed to get control of the game before it got ugly. Definitely chippy. And very inconsistent.

I will say that I think Coach G has a good team. They worked hard and played very steady.

backofthenet wrote:Only saw 2nd as I watched the first of another game. At one point I heard Coach P tell the ref he needed to get control of the game before it got ugly. Definitely chippy. And very inconsistent.

I will say that I think Coach G has a good team. They worked hard and played very steady.

You summed it up well.

So here's where I will contribute to the thread. My one generalization is this: the girls will play to the extent the officiating allows. If a ref callas it tight they will play a "cleaner" game. If the ref lets it go more, then it will get more physical. The inconsistencies between referee crews is what make it frustrating. There's no way to control that unfortunately. Some "prefer" a more technical game, some favor the more aggressive style. Tough for any age girls.

Soccer is and will always be a physical game, and gets more physical the older they get and the higher level they get to -- they are not playing futsal. Fouls are part of and always will be part of the game. As in basketball, depending on where and how they occur, there are good/smart fouls in soccer. Part of the game. It seems smart as a player (particularly a player with a physical component to their game) to determine early in the game what a foul will (and won't) be that day. For example, find out how much shoulder contact is allowed that day with that ref. It is up to the refs to call the fouls, and to be consistent in their treatment of physical conduct - IMO, they should let them play hard but not dirty (shoulders to shoulder and tackling the ball, not swinging arms, grabbing and clipping ankles and legs. However, everyone's mileage varies on what is physical and what is dirty.

Its easy to distinguish...

if the other team does it, it's playing dirty
if your DD does it, it's tough physical play..

I usually find myself wishing some of our kids would do more of what some of their kids are doing in that regard, but I agree with your assessment of how most parents judge physical conduct in games.

backofthenet wrote:So here's where I will contribute to the thread. My one generalization is this: the girls will play to the extent the officiating allows. If a ref callas it tight they will play a "cleaner" game. If the ref lets it go more, then it will get more physical. The inconsistencies between referee crews is what make it frustrating. There's no way to control that unfortunately. Some "prefer" a more technical game, some favor the more aggressive style. Tough for any age girls.

I agree with much of what you said here. I will go on to say there seem to be some officials who are reluctant to call fouls and happens in multiple sports. Often a more aggressive team can take advantage of a more passive/technical team pushing the envelope past what should probably be called but as long as the more passive team continues to take it nothing is called. With these officials it seems up to someone on the passive team to make a hard challenge for the referee to decide to start calling fouls as they probably should have all along. This is why I believe every team should have at least one player who can play a physical game so their team is not taken advantage of. Now the really bad referees don't realize/see when these stakes have raised and players start headhunting each other.

Hooligan wrote:1.  Violence breeds retaliation.
2.  Talking smack breeds like comments.
3.  LH refs are a joke.  

They wait until the game is out of hand before they try unsuccessfully to regain control of it.  By then, the parents have become vocal...then some parents get sent to the parking lot, and a player or two get sent to the hospital....but it's never the ref's fault...right?

This post is what happens when the referee doesn't figure out what is going on and loses control.  It gets ugly on the field and on the sidelines.  IMO parents can scream all they want at officials who allow cheap shots to kepp taking place.  I can remember two really poorly officiated games where players from my dauughters teams went after players from the other team with obviously late cardable fouls and NOTHING was called.  They were going after the plyer and not the ball.  These were in retaliation to players from our team getting taken out.  Very dangerous.

silentparent wrote:Its easy to distinguish...

if the other team does it, it's playing dirty
if your DD does it, it's tough physical play..

Not necessarily.. I would say a tough player can shoulder to shoulder a player off the ball and even use their butt and be considered a tough player.

A dirty player- will push from behind, elbows to the ribs and back, & even kick the ankles! . Also any two hand pushing is bad as well!

madskillz wrote:

silentparent wrote:Its easy to distinguish...

if the other team does it, it's playing dirty
if your DD does it, it's tough physical play..

Not necessarily.. I would say  a tough player can shoulder to shoulder a player off the ball and even use their butt and be considered a tough player.

A dirty player- will push from behind, elbows to the ribs and back, &  even kick the ankles! . Also any two hand pushing is bad as well!

umm you might want to look up the word satire.....

Ah, yes, satire didn't he play on the German team?

At this point, I am beyond arguing how much shoulder contact is too much.

I have seen so much tripping, take-downs away from the ball, contact from behind with no intent to play the ball, clotheslines, leading with the forearm, etc., that complaining about shoulder contact becomes moot.  I am happy if the ref. simply calls the obvious infractions that they see.


(I also appreciate an assistant refereee who actually positions themselves correctly to call off-side.)

When the ball is in play, the assistant referee will do their best to remain in line with whichever one of

•the second closest defending player to the goal line;
•the ball; or
•the halfway line

is closest to the goal line (p.86 - FIFA 2014/15 Laws of The Game).

InaB wrote:Ah, yes, satire didn't he play on the German team?

No, I think his name was mayhem....

Oh darn Silent, you are right, it was Mayhem. Satire was the coach at the Italian School of Flopping!

Not again!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cU0Eho3kkjs

Here's a related question. At what age do they / should they start enforcing clear goal scoring opportunity red cards? I would settle for a yellow.

It's seems to be common practice in north texas to horse collar the player on a breakaway, even in the box. I see it enough that it has to be coached behavior.

footbull wrote:Here's a related question.  At what age do they / should they start enforcing clear goal scoring opportunity red cards?  I would settle for a yellow.  

It's seems to be common practice in north texas to horse collar the player on a breakaway, even in the box.  I see it enough that it has to be coached behavior.  

Don't you realize they are just well intentioned slightly clumsy girls who mean no harm.

I believe the operative word is "klutzy"

I prefer to think they are just sharing the love!