MLS Week in Review

Check out the links to the MLS Week In Reviews thru week 9, this season. They are listed on the right of the blog. You'll get to read interpretations from USSF's top assessors and see video clips from games. This is some of the best instruction you can get.

What gets you by?

I'm inviting all referees to answer this question:

What bit of training, preparation, or tip best prepared you for your
last successful assessment or even just a well-done match?

Your input could help a fellow referee pass her next assessment.

PV

Friend of Blog Gets Promotion

Congratulations to Angie Ngiam for passing her final assessment for upgrade to Advanced Referee. Angie is a friend of the blog and the Referee Administrator for the Upland AYSO Region. Good job, Angie.

Newest Advance Referee in La Verne-San Dimas

Congratulations to Craig Pifer who completed his final assessment for upgrade to AYSO Advanced Referee.

Despite a 13:1 final score, Craig was able to demonstrate a high level of cooperation with his ARs, a good understanding of the laws, and excellent match control.

One decision I particularly liked was an unusual situation when a GK punted the ball into the head of an opponent from a close distance.

Craig stopped play and I held my breath to see what he would do: If he made this a foul by the GK, it would be a PK, and should be a card. But the act did not really call for that from my position. It could also be an IFK for GK team for the opponent interfering with GK's releasing ball into play.

Craig took the GK aside and spoke to him, then he awarded a dropped ball to the GK............an excellent decision considering everything.

His whistle and talk to the GK let the opponent know Craig saw the player get hit in the head and Craig would not let that happen; his talk to GK just reminded him to be more careful, giving the GK the benefit of the doubt that it was more an accident than on purpose.

Having determined no foul was committed, Craig restarted with a dropped ball for the GK. All in all, the message was sent and the game stayed fair, all within the laws.

Sending the right message in this match (U14B) at this moment in the match (15 min) was very important to setting a tone for the match, and player management.

US Soccer Week in Review for MLS Season

US Soccer appears to have connected its weekly posting of Referee Week in Review to the US Soccer site. It's a valuable review for all referees, where they can look at clips from the week's MLS matches and read interpretations from USSF's top trainers and assessors.



Look on the right column of this blog to find the links. I'll add new links each week.

Penalty Kick and Kicks from the Mark

Here's a challenge for all of you:

Respond to this challenge in a comment and come up two ways that PKs are SIMILAR to KFTM and two ways that PKs are DIFFERENT than KFTM. There are several for both. Let's see how many we can find. Here's one as an example:

Similar: All players must remain on the field of play for KFTM and PK.

Different: Players may gather in vicinity of penalty
area during PK, while abiding by Law 14 provisions, while in KFTM, all players are located in center circle, except for kicker and the two goalkeepers.

How many more can you find? Limit your responses to no more than two comparison/contrast so everyone has a chance to respond.

Meanwhile, look over to the right and see links to memos on PKs and KFTM.

Analysis of January Poll Question

Here's the scenario again:

Red player is attacking Blue in Blue's penalty area. From left to right, Blue #7 and Red #2 are standing on the goal line as a Red player shoots at the goal. The ball's path is heading to the right of Red #2(his left),who is standing still. Blue #7 pushes Red #2 into the path of the ball. The ball continues in play and goes out of the penalty area.

Three referees risked and submitted their decisions. Let's break down the situation:

Choice #1: Let play continue - not an option here as clearly a foul has been committed (push) by Blue #7.

Choice #2: Apply advantage - This is better option than #1...the ball is bouncing around near the goal and it might go in, only thing is...the ball has bounced out of the penalty area, and it does not look like there is any advantage left for the Red team.

Choice #3: Stop play, award PK; Send off Blue #7 and show red car for denying a goal scoring opportunity by committing a foul that is punishable by restarting with a free kick. YES...this is the best option. Blue could not get to the ball himself as Red #2 is standing to his left. Blue's push of Red #2 into the ball, keeps the ball from scoring. Pushing is a DFK foul, in this case punishable by a PK. Pushing his opponent into the path of the ball prevented a goal-scoring opportunity, thus Blue #7 must be sent off.

Choice #4: Stop play, award a PK, Caution Blue #7 for unsporting behavior. The explanation above demonstrates why this choice is not the best. This choice might have been the best had the ball scored despite the foul by Blue.

To be honest, I have never seen this scenario, but occurred to me one day and I wondered how I would handle it. It's important to rehearse and be better prepared for the unexpected.

Last thought. Some of you astute refs might be questioning the point of Red #2 being in an offside position. While it's possible, it was not stated in the scenario. But let's consider that Red #2 was in an offside position, at the point Blue decides to break up the play by pushing his opponent into the path of the ball, Red #2 has NOT demonstrated that he was involved in any active play. To interfere with play, Red #2 would need to play the ball and we cannot presume he was going to do that; To interfere with an opponent, Red's position may have kept Blue from gettting to the ball, and if so, he would be guilty of interfering with an opponent. The referee would have to form an opinion that Blue's position (distance from the ball) would have been close enough that he could have reached the ball had Red #2 not been there.

Any comment?