Week 1 Recap:
Thank you to all the referees that covered games for opening day. It was great to see returning and new referees covering so many games. I thank you for providing excellent game reports. Those matches had issues were forwarded to the Coach Administrator along with the reports praising the behavior of coaches, players, and spectators.
Special Recognitions:
First, I would like to recognize Will Craig. Will is a new youth referee and it excited to cover games as well as play. Will was covering a U-8 match and the time for the substitution break was running long. Will proceeded to stop the match when he could and the break was awarded. Now, for the good part. What is the restart? Will proceeded with a drop ball (correct) and explained the procedure to the players. The unfortunate thing is the assistant coach proceeded to tell Will that drop balls should not be done in U-8 because they were dangerous. Will informed the coach the drop balls are allowed in U-8 and it was the correct restart. I thank Will for knowing the Laws, not getting upset when the coach was questioning his decision, and following procedure by noting it on the game card. This coach is being dealt with as his behavior was not appropriate.
Secondly, and this came from a coach.
I just wanted to write about the referee of my son’s U10 game last Saturday. In the midst of all of the mayhem related to the first game, handing out uniforms, assigning positions, etc., I did not catch his name. Hopefully, you have a schedule that will allow you to figure out who it was. He had dark hair and a mustache.
In short, he was excellent. He took the time, where appropriate, to explain to the boys why he had made certain rulings, and why he had not made others. He demonstrated legal and illegal methods of blocking after confusion arose on the field. He helped protect the new goalkeepers who were all running around trying to figure out how to play the position on the fly. Several parents mentioned his kindness to the kids. I really appreciated how he handled the game. Please thank him for me.
Who was this referee? It was our Brian Palank. Brian has been with AYSO for 27 years. He is a National Referee and great mentor.
I hope to recognize referee each week. We always strive to do our best and those efforts should not go unrecognized.
Week 2:
Please try to cover a game or two. This will be a repeated message each week. U-19 will play at 3:30 PM. I will be unavailable to cover that game as my daughter plays at the same time.
For those that have an 8AM match, I am looking for some assistance in getting the referee tent up. It is a nice place to take a break between games and drop off game cards.
When filling out a game card, please be sure to PRINT referee name(s) on the card. I may need to chat with you if there is an issue during the match.
Please remember to avoid burn out by only covering 3 games and leave time to take break for water. Take care of yourself while on the pitch.
Play On!
Matt Byers – Regional Referee Administrator
Advanced Referee
AYSO Region 322
Jefferson County Youth Soccer League
