Lake Highlands Officiating

So does anyone care to discuss if officiating is better or worse then last year?

On my way to the car, I saw a kid rush a free kick, block the ball that bounced back turning into a break away for the other team ans a subsequent goal.  I didn't think you were allowed to do that.  And while a ref may make a mistake on who the ball goes out of bounds on, they shouldn't EVER let something like that happen.

Always a hot topic. Of course I have had my fair share of unhappiness regarding the officiating over the years. But, it is what it is. They get paid relatively little and take a tremendous amount of abuse at times. Having top notch officials at youth soccer games consistently is desirable but never going to happen. Even though it is Lake Highlands, this is still youth soccer.

The goal of lake highlands and referees should be to protect players and the integrity of each game. If that is the goal of all parties involved then the referees will begin to improve.

Call, card the obvious intent to hurt and players out of control fouls and catch the intent of coaches and players to take advantage. Ex. Player running at a free kick.

How does a ref say "I should have given a yellow on that play, but I didn't."

If you recognize you should have, THEN JUST DO IT

isawthelight wrote:So does anyone care to discuss if officiating is better or worse then last year?

Hard to tell after only two games. But I will say that it has looked a little better so far, and we actually saw a YC (it was deserved) handed out. We didn't see any handed out at all last year.

Zizou wrote:The goal of lake highlands and referees should be to protect players and the integrity of each game. If that is the goal of all parties involved then the referees will begin to improve.

Agree totally. But there is a lot of room for human interpretation as with most if not all sports officiating. So consistency at such a lower lever will be very difficult to achieve.

I hate to admit this, but really kind of happy to just have officials at each game. Make sports officiating too difficult and you won't have enough to go around.

Just curious but what percentage of refs speak english?

CBTeamworks wrote:Just curious but what percentage of refs speak english?

Nice.

Don't think speaking English needs to be a prerequisite as much as being able to see and being able to stay awake on the field.

CBTeamworks wrote:Just curious but what percentage of refs speak english?

I don't think it matters a bit. Some of the best ones I've see as far as seeing and controlling the game as well as getting their message across didn't speak a bit of English.

Lefty wrote:

CBTeamworks wrote:Just curious but what percentage of refs speak english?

I don't think it matters a bit.  Some of the best ones I've see as far as seeing and controlling the game as well as getting their message across didn't speak a bit of English.

Were they legal to work in this country or paid in cash? Also curious if their job requires background checks like coaches do?

CBTeamworks wrote:

Lefty wrote:

CBTeamworks wrote:Just curious but what percentage of refs speak english?

I don't think it matters a bit.  Some of the best ones I've see as far as seeing and controlling the game as well as getting their message across didn't speak a bit of English.

Were they legal to work in this country or paid in cash? Also curious if their job requires background checks like coaches do?

Looks like someone had a little time on their hands sitting in their seat at the AAC tonight waiting for the Donald Trump rally to start.

A better program for better education for refs would be great. Refs should have license like coaches to be able to do certain games in the metroplex. So far is just as bad as last year but until something is done to improve and educate refs nothing will get better.

Adrenalinetx wrote:A better program for better education for refs would be great.   Refs should have license like coaches to be able to do certain games in the metroplex.   So far is just as bad as last year but until something is done to improve and educate refs nothing will get better.

They are and have licenses. Depending on experience and time and classroom will depend on the level.

CUZete90 wrote:

CBTeamworks wrote:

Lefty wrote:

CBTeamworks wrote:Just curious but what percentage of refs speak english?

I don't think it matters a bit.  Some of the best ones I've see as far as seeing and controlling the game as well as getting their message across didn't speak a bit of English.

Were they legal to work in this country or paid in cash? Also curious if their job requires background checks like coaches do?

Looks like someone had a little time on their hands sitting in their seat at the AAC tonight waiting for the Donald Trump rally to start.

Sounds like you don't know and don't care. BTW, if they don't speak english then most likely they're undocumented and there would be no way to do a background check for an official that works with our kids.

CBTeamworks wrote:

CUZete90 wrote:

CBTeamworks wrote:

Lefty wrote:

CBTeamworks wrote:Just curious but what percentage of refs speak english?

I don't think it matters a bit.  Some of the best ones I've see as far as seeing and controlling the game as well as getting their message across didn't speak a bit of English.

Were they legal to work in this country or paid in cash? Also curious if their job requires background checks like coaches do?

Looks like someone had a little time on their hands sitting in their seat at the AAC tonight waiting for the Donald Trump rally to start.

Sounds like you don't know and don't care. BTW, if they don't speak english then most likely they're undocumented and there would be no way to do a background check for an official that works with our kids.

No more and no less than I care about background checks for any of the hundreds of parents and otherwise random spectators that are milling around UTD and Railroad on any given weekend or weeknight, far more inconspicuously than any of the refs are, and generally in much closer proximity to kids hanging out on the sidelines than any ref is.  Seems to me a whole bunch of those people aren't speaking English either.

CBTeamworks wrote:

Lefty wrote:

CBTeamworks wrote:Just curious but what percentage of refs speak english?

I don't think it matters a bit.  Some of the best ones I've see as far as seeing and controlling the game as well as getting their message across didn't speak a bit of English.

Were they legal to work in this country or paid in cash? Also curious if their job requires background checks like coaches do?

I can think of a ton of coaches that had background checks and spend an infinite amount of time around the kids, that were found to be pretty unsavory. Besides if they can't understand what the crazy parents are yelling at them they can focus on the game more.

CUZete90 wrote:

CBTeamworks wrote:

CUZete90 wrote:

CBTeamworks wrote:

Lefty wrote:

CBTeamworks wrote:Just curious but what percentage of refs speak english?

I don't think it matters a bit.  Some of the best ones I've see as far as seeing and controlling the game as well as getting their message across didn't speak a bit of English.

Were they legal to work in this country or paid in cash? Also curious if their job requires background checks like coaches do?

Looks like someone had a little time on their hands sitting in their seat at the AAC tonight waiting for the Donald Trump rally to start.

Sounds like you don't know and don't care. BTW, if they don't speak english then most likely they're undocumented and there would be no way to do a background check for an official that works with our kids.

No more and no less than I care about background checks for any of the hundreds of parents and otherwise random spectators that are milling around UTD and Railroad on any given weekend or weeknight, far more inconspicuously than any of the refs are, and generally in much closer proximity to kids hanging out on the sidelines than any ref is.  Seems to me a whole bunch of those people aren't speaking English either.

I think background checks are a must in kids sports. Refs, COACHES, etc because no one who has a felony conviction should be able to coach or ref period.
However the fact that many parents on the sideline don't speak English is a good point. It just doesn't play in my mind as relevant.

CUZete90 wrote:

CBTeamworks wrote:

Lefty wrote:

CBTeamworks wrote:Just curious but what percentage of refs speak english?

I don't think it matters a bit.  Some of the best ones I've see as far as seeing and controlling the game as well as getting their message across didn't speak a bit of English.

Were they legal to work in this country or paid in cash? Also curious if their job requires background checks like coaches do?

Looks like someone had a little time on their hands sitting in their seat at the AAC tonight waiting for the Donald Trump rally to start.

KeeperCommander wrote:

CUZete90 wrote:

CBTeamworks wrote:

CUZete90 wrote:

CBTeamworks wrote:

Lefty wrote:

I don't think it matters a bit.  Some of the best ones I've see as far as seeing and controlling the game as well as getting their message across didn't speak a bit of English.

Were they legal to work in this country or paid in cash? Also curious if their job requires background checks like coaches do?

Looks like someone had a little time on their hands sitting in their seat at the AAC tonight waiting for the Donald Trump rally to start.

Sounds like you don't know and don't care. BTW, if they don't speak english then most likely they're undocumented and there would be no way to do a background check for an official that works with our kids.

No more and no less than I care about background checks for any of the hundreds of parents and otherwise random spectators that are milling around UTD and Railroad on any given weekend or weeknight, far more inconspicuously than any of the refs are, and generally in much closer proximity to kids hanging out on the sidelines than any ref is.  Seems to me a whole bunch of those people aren't speaking English either.

I think background checks are a must in kids sports. Refs, COACHES, etc because no one who has a felony conviction should be able to coach or ref period.
However the fact that many parents on the sideline don't speak English is a good point. It just doesn't play in my mind as relevant.

My point is that the random guy standing off by himself 50 feet away from me on the sideline who I've never seen or met before, but is dressed like any other spectator at the fields, and is speaking perfect English, has just as much chance of being a pedophile or convicted felon than the Spanish speaking ref on the field in front of me.

Frankly, that random guy is far more dangerous to me or my kid because he is otherwise blending into the sidelines and most people aren't paying any attention to him. On the other hand, the Spanish speaking ref dressed in a bright red/yellow/blue/green striped jersey with 10's to 100's of eyes on him actively officiating a game, is far less of a threat to my child or me at any given time.

Seems to me, up until a few weeks ago, Jared Fogle would've passed any typical background check. Pretty sure he's an English speaking, fully documented American citizen.

Background checks are far from flawless, and are no replacement for common sense, which tells me that the language a person speaks, has no bearing on this discussion.

Oh, and someone should let CBTeamworks know that if he's concerned about Spanish speaking refs, he shouldn't let his kids play in PLD or Dallas Cup/DIGC. Pretty sure those tournaments INTENTIONALLY go out and recruit referees from Mexico to come help out with those tournaments. Those referees also tend to be some of the best ones we ever see around here.

CBTeamworks wrote:Just curious but what percentage of refs speak english?

Unnecessary and crass comment. 100% ignorant.

For the record, everyone on the field speak the same language. It's called Whistle. The language of Yellow and Red work in soccer also. It ain't that hard to communicate on a soccer field. . I'm sure there are excellent refs out there that don't speak a word on the field and there are terrible refs that talk the entire game. Would much rather them be able to see straight and move around than talk

Dallas Cup recruits refs from all over the world. I ended up in the homestay program expecting to host a team with my club and ended up hosting 2 referees from Japan. I think they list all the states and countries the refs are from in the program. My refs were in a group that included a Women's World Cup referee.

Different experience hosting refs for Dallas Cup than players, though.