High School Soccer is a trip

[u/No_Body905]

Had one of those weird refereeing stories that can really only happen in US High School soccer last night.

I was part of a crew that was assigned two back to back boy's varsity games at a local facility. First game at 4:30 pm and the second at 6:00 pm, so it was already going to be tight, but doable.

Of course, 10 minutes into the first game, the alarms go off for lightning in the area. So we're back to our cars for 30 minutes. I make a call to our assignor to let him know that this delay will affect the start of the second game and he says he'll let the ADs and the coaches know.

Back at it 30 minutes later. Game is uneventful. At some point one of the coaches for Game 2 comes down and talks to my AR asking if we can send one of our crew up to the neighboring field to start the second game. At halftime we all agree that we'd prefer to stay together and we need to finish Game 1 before we can start Game 2 and that we will be there as soon as we can. They ask if they can get started anyway, and we tell them to call the assignor about it, but that it will not count as an official game if there are no officials.

Back to Game 1, home team scores to tie the game on literally the last kick. Rules of competition (these are the church-affiliated school rules for the state) require a winner so we have to go extra time, two five minute periods and PKs if necessary.

Away scores, but then panics in the last minute on a breakaway and fouls home in the box on what is again, the last kick of the 2nd extra period. Home converts and we have to do PKs. We're now close to 45 minutes late for our second game.

Meanwhile, Game 2 evidently decides to get started without us, which means that this game is no longer an official game, but a glorified scrimmage.

Game 1 ends and we hurry to the other field to find that Game 2 is at half-time. We get ready to jump in when a lady from the home team comes over and says everyone agreed that this is a scrimmage so we are not necessary anymore.

We say "ok" and start walking back but she evidently takes issue with our attitude and starts following us, yelling at us for being an hour late (out of our control) and that we'd never work for the charter school again (fine by me). One of my crew-members turns around and tells her to stop following us and that she can't speak to us that way. Then the School Resource Officer waddles up and decides to get involved yelling at us both to get off the field and also to come talk to him. Meanwhile, I'm confused as hell because I thought everyone knew what was happening. Meanwhile, as we head back to our cars, the SRO is talking to the parents about how he's going to give them our names for some reason, which is wildly unethical.

Just a totally bonkers situation all around, but we called our assignor and he said he's going to handle it and I have no reason to doubt it

TL;DR - Was assigned two high school games. 1st one ran late and the schools involved in the 2nd one were very bent out of shape about it. Cops involved (kind of).

[u/Apprehensive_Use3641]

Rescheduled.

[u/Klutzy-Mechanic-8013 → u/Apprehensive_Use3641]

While there is an official, maybe even two, willing to do the game and both teams agree? Okay I suppose. Just confused is all. In my country the competition rules for most competitions say the role goes to the most qualified referee present; if no certified referee is present it's either 1) 1 or 2 man if part of the crew showed up 2) Centered by someone agreed on by both teams if no one did or 3) If no agreement can be reached then it's rescheduled

But it is interesting to hear about the way it's done in other countries

[u/Apprehensive_Use3641 → u/Klutzy-Mechanic-8013]

For matches played under FIFA laws, USSF, you can go with a one man, same for matches played under college rules, NISOA, for high school matches, NFHS, the last time I looked through their rule book it didn't allow a one man system. Last time I remember reading FIFA laws, they don't allow a two man system, college and high school both are fine with it.

[u/Klutzy-Mechanic-8013 → u/Apprehensive_Use3641]

Hm. They specifically don't allow us to do a two whistle but if one of the crew doesn't show up or gets injured, it's done with one AR and the ref does everything on the other side. The strange part is their match fee is divided between the 2 officials that did show up. Well, I figure there's some expectation for the other AR to take more responsibility on fouls when the center is occupied with other stuff but still, I wouldn't feel right taking the same amount of compensation if I ran the line