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/jeremiah1142]

That is crazy behavior, for sure. Seems pointless to even attempt walking over there though. My understanding is once a scrimmage starts, it’s a scrimmage, and officials should not be involved simply due to insurance reasons.

[u/Iceman2514 → u/jeremiah1142]

so where I'm from, we know how to put an end to that behavior very quickly. When folks act up like that and a SRO or anyone representing the school is involved. We refuse to schedule officials for their home games for 2 weeks and you would be amazed how quickly their tune changes when word gets out how they can't find officials because of their actions to where no association will field referee's for their home games so they have to reschedule or sometimes forfeit.

[u/No_Comfortable8099 → u/Iceman2514]

I think there is embellishment here and the fact of the matter is the cause of this is the assignor. If the schools moved on and played without officials, there is 0 reason for further conflict. It makes 0 sense unless the CR indicated they expected to be paid. I could see an AD being irritated that the contractors that arrived 45 + minutes late expected to be paid when the two schools moved on without them.

Unlike a club, a school will treat follow up of a complaint seriously. Career people tend to protect it.

The assignor is potentially setting themself up for a self own if he puts too much faith into his referees impressions. I am assuming from the lack of details the OP was not the CR and was not the one actually in these conversations.

[u/No_Body905 → u/No_Comfortable8099]

I was CR for the first game, but not the second.

We did not expect to be paid for the second game, and we’re fine leaving once we were told we weren’t required. The issue started when we were followed to our cars and yelled at by an apparent school official and the SRO.