BRCL Referee Liaison's Report to the Board

Report for 11/16/2005 Board Meeting

Here is a summary of the refereeing concerns I have received via e-mail and responded to during the Fall 2005 BRCL season. These are roughly in chronological order. In parentheses, I have included the site of the game and the "generic" source of the e-mail, if I had this information.

September 2005:

1. AR decision to signal a foul for a goalkeeper handling the ball outside of the penalty area when field markings were faint. (Charlottesville. Staunton parent.)
2. Distance walked off by Center Referee for the taking of a PK, "inconsistent" calls by Center Referee, inexperienced AR assisting in a highly competitive U-19 level match. (Fort Defiance. VAFC parents.)
3. Certification of referees used in a Fort Defiance game. (Fort Defiance. BRCL Administration.)
4. Issuance or lack of issuing Cautions or Ejections for serious foul play near the end of a game. (Parent.)
5. Fouls being called or not, advantage being called or not, making sure opponents are 10 yards from location of free kicks, issuance of Cautions and Ejections. (Charlottesville. Waynesboro fan.)
6. Center Referee decision to allow a goal after whistling for a stoppage. (Charlottesville. MonU coach and fans.)
7. Center Referee decision not allowing players with newly pierced ears to play with tape covering the jewelry. (New River team representative.)

October 2005:

8. Ejection for handling the ball outside the penalty area. (Martinsville. PASA fan.)
9. Center Referee "would not call anything in the game," specifically pushing. (Franklin County. Radford fan.)
10. Referees need to protect the goalkeepers by issuing Cautions or Ejections to players who foul goalkeepers. Goal awarded from an Indirect Free Kick when a second player did not touch the ball before it entered the net. Referees should refuse to officiate games in which they have close personal ties to players. (Danville parent.)
11. Center Referee terminated game before full time. Incorrect score of the game recorded by Center Referee. (Collinsville. Radford coach.)
12. MonU parent's criticism of a Center Referee resulted in the official asking the parent to leave the field area. (Franklin County. Franklin County club official and BRCL Administration.)
13. "Very biased refereeing at our game at Troutville." More fouls called against one team than against the other. Lack of opportunities to substitute players into the game. "A very biased effort . . . I think it was deliberate." (Troutville. Coach.)
14. Protection of goalkeepers by referees. "Need to have refs that are knowledgeable and concerned about the safety of these special players." (Roanoke coach.)
15. Center Referee's handling of a player injury situation did not help teach sportsmanship to opposing players. (Anonymous.)
16. Player Ejection for retaliation. (VAFC coach.)
17. "The referee situation in Martinsville is troublesome." (Piedmont coach.)
18. "Experiences with refereeing in Martinsville have been very bad." (Roanoke parent.)

Throughout the season I have sent my specific responses to the people who have e-mailed me and also to League President Paul Radike and to the assignors involved. I have kept confidential the identities of all people who have e-mailed me in all cases, except where they themselves made this personal information available to League officials, assignors, other coaches, fans, etc. first.

By the way, I have no knowledge of how, or even if, the assignors are using their copies of my responses to the e-mails I receive about refereeing. That is their business, in my view, and not for me to dictate or evaluate. My hope, nevertheless, is that such feedback will be used by some as one small source of continuing education for assignors and their referees. (Incidentally, I did receive one e-mail from one referee this fall who politely requested that he not be sent any additional such feedback in the future. I am complying with that request.)

Thanks for all that you are doing for me in my role as Referee Liaison and also for everything you do to help our youth enjoy and benefit from the great game of soccer.