The 2004 Lake Highlands Girls Classic League (LHGCL) Spring season kicks off Saturday February 14th and is a perfect opportunity to start off the season by making a good professional impression with the players coaches and fans. How do referees do that you ask? Well let's look at the first two items on the assessors Development and Guidance Form;
1. Dress and Appearance
2. Pre-Game
Dress and Appearance
There is one thing you can count on when you have
soccer in February in North Texas, there will be games played in some very cold
weather, and it can be difficult to look 'neat and well groomed' while trying to
keep warm. However there are some basic fundamentals that all referees should
try to accomplish.
All referees officiating games in the LHGCL should have long sleeve jerseys in the four basic colors, yellow, red, black and blue. The three officials are the third team on the pitch and should be dressed alike. Long sleeve undershirts worn under short sleeve referee jerseys do not present a professional appearance and do not give a 'good first impression'.
The referees shoes should be clean and shined.
This should not be a problem for the first game of the day because the
professional referee will clean and dry his shoes after his last match. If the
day looks like it will be wet and muddy, you may want to bring two pairs of
shoes so that you can change if necessary.
Pre-Game
The biggest complaint among referees, assignors and
game officials regarding the four aspects of an officials Pre-Game
responsibilities is arrival time. The question "where is the third official for
this game", is asked and goes unanswered much too often. There are always
legitimate reasons for being late, however there are some habitual offenders
that need to correct this irritating bad habit.
The U.S. Soccer Federation Guide to Procedures, Referees, Assistant Referees and Fourth officials states in section 1 under Game Mechanics that;
1. Prior To The Game
A. Arrival At The Field
Referee, assistant referees, and
fourth official are expected to be at the field at the time
prescribed by the rules of the competition, but at least 30 minutes
prior to the kick-off.
Habitual offenders please note that the
'Procedures'
require all officials to report to the field at least 30 minutes prior to
kick-off regardless of the competition. Also your assignor, fellow referees and
league officials are expecting you to be there.
Looking professional and getting high marks on Dress & Appearance and Pre-Game on your assessment will be easy goals to achieve if you incorporate these three simple things into your referee routine this Spring:
1. Have all four long sleeve referee shirts
2. Keep referee shoes cleaned and polished
3. Leave home early enough to get to the field
at least 30 minutes before kick-off
Have a great Lake Highlands Girls Classic League Spring Season!
Theo Freeman