TheRefereeFrom2003
New Member
Genuinely perplexed as to an incident yesterday and cannot tell whether I messed up or whether the knowledge of the laws is really that bad.
1-1 after about 15 minutes in an U12 game. Away team takes a long range effort, keeper saves, it falls to away striker who taps it in. Away striker is clearly in an offside position when his teammate struck the shot, I blow for the offside. Cue pandemonium.
The players are fuming, claiming the keeper touched it. I thought some of the players would know this rule, but I’m expecting this confusion from some U12s. I quickly explain the rule and signal for play to continue. However the manager then begins screaming, asking how it can be offside when the keeper touched it. I quickly shout over the rule to him as play continues but he doesn’t seem to accept it.
2 minutes later he’s still moaning and at this age kids take their lead from their manager. If the manager gets riled up, the kids do, and fouls start flying in. With a responsibility at U12 to keep the kids safe, this needs to be avoided. I have a quick word with the manager and suggest that he stays quiet for the next 5 minutes or so until half time and I’ll show him the rule, to which he agrees.
As predicted, the away team start losing their heads and fouling a lot. Cue the parents shouts “ignore the referee, keep going lads” and always a favourite “it’s 2-1 really lads, keep going.” At this point, self doubt is creeping into my head. Numerous parents are making the latter comment, the manager doesn’t believe it and the players don’t. What’s causing the doubt is that I thought it was a well known law. Have I made up a law?
At half time a quick look at Law 11 finds what I’m looking for:
“A player in an offside position at the moment the ball is played or touched by a team-mate is only penalised on becoming involved in active play by gaining an advantage by playing the ball or interfering with an opponent when it has been deliberately saved by any opponent”
I showed that to the away manager, to which he apologised profusely, went over to tell his parents to calm down and explained it to his players. The home manager admitted when he was paying me he had no idea that was a law. Away team kept their heads second half and won 4-1.
A slight detour, a year ago a refereeing mentor told me we had a FIFA generation. Players, parents and managers only understand the game based on the laws they see in the video game FIFA. He points out that’s why many players are surprised by certain decisions, they don’t really know the LOTG, just a version of it.
This is something I can see. We say on here all the time none of these groups know the LOTG. But the fact is, I knew of this rule long before I became a ref. Why? Because I was confused why my goals kept getting disallowed in FIFA and soon it clicked its because the keeper saved it. A Google search confirmed my suspicions.
I think the reason it created so much self doubt is because I thought it was a well known law and when it wasn’t, I was convinced I must have made a mistake. Even now as I write this I’m doubting myself. So quickly, my closing questions
Did I make the right call? Or have I mis interpreted the law and therefore become guilty of being a part of the FIFA generation? Anything else about my game you want to comment on? Cheers all
1-1 after about 15 minutes in an U12 game. Away team takes a long range effort, keeper saves, it falls to away striker who taps it in. Away striker is clearly in an offside position when his teammate struck the shot, I blow for the offside. Cue pandemonium.
The players are fuming, claiming the keeper touched it. I thought some of the players would know this rule, but I’m expecting this confusion from some U12s. I quickly explain the rule and signal for play to continue. However the manager then begins screaming, asking how it can be offside when the keeper touched it. I quickly shout over the rule to him as play continues but he doesn’t seem to accept it.
2 minutes later he’s still moaning and at this age kids take their lead from their manager. If the manager gets riled up, the kids do, and fouls start flying in. With a responsibility at U12 to keep the kids safe, this needs to be avoided. I have a quick word with the manager and suggest that he stays quiet for the next 5 minutes or so until half time and I’ll show him the rule, to which he agrees.
As predicted, the away team start losing their heads and fouling a lot. Cue the parents shouts “ignore the referee, keep going lads” and always a favourite “it’s 2-1 really lads, keep going.” At this point, self doubt is creeping into my head. Numerous parents are making the latter comment, the manager doesn’t believe it and the players don’t. What’s causing the doubt is that I thought it was a well known law. Have I made up a law?
At half time a quick look at Law 11 finds what I’m looking for:
“A player in an offside position at the moment the ball is played or touched by a team-mate is only penalised on becoming involved in active play by gaining an advantage by playing the ball or interfering with an opponent when it has been deliberately saved by any opponent”
I showed that to the away manager, to which he apologised profusely, went over to tell his parents to calm down and explained it to his players. The home manager admitted when he was paying me he had no idea that was a law. Away team kept their heads second half and won 4-1.
A slight detour, a year ago a refereeing mentor told me we had a FIFA generation. Players, parents and managers only understand the game based on the laws they see in the video game FIFA. He points out that’s why many players are surprised by certain decisions, they don’t really know the LOTG, just a version of it.
This is something I can see. We say on here all the time none of these groups know the LOTG. But the fact is, I knew of this rule long before I became a ref. Why? Because I was confused why my goals kept getting disallowed in FIFA and soon it clicked its because the keeper saved it. A Google search confirmed my suspicions.
I think the reason it created so much self doubt is because I thought it was a well known law and when it wasn’t, I was convinced I must have made a mistake. Even now as I write this I’m doubting myself. So quickly, my closing questions
Did I make the right call? Or have I mis interpreted the law and therefore become guilty of being a part of the FIFA generation? Anything else about my game you want to comment on? Cheers all
) is the immediate assumption that the 'expert' on the field has got it wrong. That's what accounts for comments gaining ground without challenge in situations like this I think. I had the similar one the other day for a player making a deliberate attempt to play the ball but heading it backwards to an otherwise offside player. I was told - loudly and repeatedly - and by players, club officials and spectators alike - that I didn't have a clue and didn't understand the rules.
