Desert Valley Soccer Referee Association

It was an honor and a pleasure to spend the weekend out in beautiful Palm Desert with the referees of the Desert Valley Soccer Referee Association.

Fred Stroock and Scot Stormo were great hosts for Toros Kitbritjian and I, who mentored some of their youth referees at the local Cactus Tournament, then gave four hours of training over two nights.

This was a big commitment for the referees, giving up their Friday and Saturday nights for the good of soccer and their referee advancement, but the feedback was great.

Shout out to some of the referees I got to watch: Kris, Shane, Peter, Adam, Brennan. Sorry if I left out any names. And Kimberly, I hope your car wash fundraiser went well.

The Making of the Laws

Ever wonder who or what makes the Laws of soccer? Well the answer is very interesting and gives insight into the history of football. Indeed, the law makers predate even today's FIFA and despite FIFA's authority, this other group remains the gatekeeper of the laws.

Click on the links to read about the IFAB, which meets Feb/Mar every year. They are meeting Feb 28 to consider some changes to the laws.

What do you think about no longer sending off a player for denying a goal scoring opportunity if it occurs in the penalty and results in a PK for the opponent. I bet they don't change it, but it's on the agenda to consider it.

http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/federation/bodies/media/newsid=1021869.html

And here's one on the history of the IFAB.

http://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/history/law/ifab.html

Famous soccer story from WWI retold here

Paul McCartney did this video in the early 80's. Retells a story from WWI when British and German soldiers called a ceasefire and played a game of football.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVK_mJrLbmY&feature=related

New Advanced Referee upgrade

Put your hands together for Marijan Rudela, 17, who just completed his requirements for Advanced Referee in Covina Region 602.

Well done, Marijan! Come by and I'll give you a new badge, or I can pass it to Brian for you so you don't have to wait for the mail.

This is quite an accomplishment given Marijuan's age, and I hope it will inspire other teens in the area to keep at it.

BYU vs Air Force Pregame Clip

Home team BYU showed this clip in the stadium prior to their game with visiting team Air Force Academy. Gotta see.

I posted it again here because the prior link went away.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72OhOWFMf84

From BYU vs Air Force football game. The Univ president of BYU had this short video play on the big screen in the stadium before the teams took the field. This is what sport is all about, and a true example of sportsmanship and class. Enjoy!

I dare you not to feel pride, break a smile, or even shed a tear.

http://s29.photobucket.com/albums/c254/Rinker270/?action=view&current=BYUvsAF.flv

What's this incident mean for the WC in June?

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-jones-soccer10-2010jan10,0,4203500.story

Clearly a terrorist act in Africa.