The following information was published in the Fall 2002 Winchester Soccer Club newsletter, delivered to homes the first week of September 2002.
We can't boast enough about the terrific group of teens and adults that make up our referee program. It can be tough to go out on the field and make calls that are not popular to coaches and players that may be your friends and neighbors. We are so pleased at the progress our younger referees have made as they grow in confidence and learn to officiate. At the Tufts tournament in May, a parent of one of our high school referees was overheard telling another parent that his son had benefited tremendously from being a WSC referee as he learned responsibility, how to be in charge, and how to shoulder criticism, warranted or not. This was truly a proud moment for both this parent and our program. I hope all coaches and players remember how hard it can be to referee, and offer thanks to the ref after the game. If you have a particularly good ref make sure you tell the ref so (and let us know too!!). If you have a referee that you think could use more training, or who comes to the game unprepared, please let us know ASAP. Constructive feedback only helps referees improve.
We would like to say a special "thank you" to our more experienced referees who have served as mentors to our younger referees. You provide an invaluable service to both the Winchester Soccer Club, and to the referees in training, as you share your knowledge of the game of soccer. As part of our longer-term plan to improve referee development and payment, there will be several significant changes to our Referee Program this fall. Please take note of the following changes whether you are a coach OR referee (or parent of a referee), as they are major and very important. Referees, look for a letter in the mail that updates you on all of these important changes.
Coaches will be given envelopes with paychecks at the beginning of the season for all game that apply, and will pay the referee before the game. We really need coaches to cooperate with this process in order for our referees to be paid adequately for their services. The coach simply needs to fill in the name of the referee on the check. If a coach forgets a check, then the coach is responsible for paying the referee in cash or personal check. If no check or cash is produced, the referee is NOT to work the game, and is to call the Referee Assignor (Ellen Lemay) immediately upon returning home to report the incident. Referees will be compensated by the WSC for showing up at the game. Coaches, it is imperative that you come to games with paycheck (or payslips in the case of Middlesex travel coaches) for all your designated home games. Coaches that do not come to games prepared will not be provided referees for their future games.
We hope in the future to have a web based assignment system, so both referees and coaches can use the WSC web site to see who is assigned to a particular game.
If you see a course you are interested in register right away as they fill up quickly. The courses are updated daily, so keep checking back, as several new ones are likely to be added this fall. If you register for a course let me know, and once you are certified we will add you to our referee list for the fall. We may hold a Grade 11 course this winter, depending upon our need for referees for the Spring season.
Contact me if you have any questions or need help finding a course.
Q: The red team has been awarded a penalty kick. As the red player takes the kick from the penalty mark, a red teammate moves forward out of the penalty arc beside the red player about to take the kick. We know that if the ball goes into the net it is NOT a goal, as the second red player committed an infraction (all players on the field MUST remain behind the penalty arc until the kick has been taken by the designated player). However, in this instance the keeper makes the save, and the ball is deflected toward the red player who moved too soon, who then kicks the ball into the net. Is this a goal?
A: No, this is not a goal. If the ball rebounds from a crossbar, goalpost, or from the keeper and is touched by an offensive player who has been in an illegal position during a penalty kick the referee stops play and restarts with an Indirect Free Kick to the defensive team.
Follow-up Question: If the initial kick had gone into the net, with the offensive player in an illegal position during the penalty kick, what is the restart? What if a defensive player had been in an illegal position during a penalty kick and a goal was scored?
Answers: If an offensive player is in an illegal position during a penalty kick, and a goal is scored, the kick is retaken, with a warning (verbal or yellow, depending upon the circumstances) to the offensive player in question. If no goal is scored play resumes as normal .
If a defensive player is out of position during a penalty kick and a goal is scored the goal stands. If a goal is not scored the kick is retaken, and the offending player is warned as above.