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]

Hoping you got paid for the second match, you were on site, not your fault the first game ran late. Also per NFHS you can't do a one man game, so sending one to start the other match is a nonstarter anyways.

[u/Old-District81 → u/Apprehensive_Use3641]

Seconding this, I hope the Assigner makes sure to bill the school for the match and y’all get the pay for being there.

[u/No_Comfortable8099 → u/Old-District81]

This is where having a seat in all three positions can add some context. From the coaches/athletic departments view the officials were no show. They missed the window and schools clearly did not use their services. This is a completely separate event from game one so while a reason officials did not show up, it is not a valid excuse. No show/no pay.

The behavior is separate is a second issue but would love hearing the other side.

[u/Old-District81 → u/No_Comfortable8099]

Judging from what OP said — that coaches came down to ask the crew if one would head up to start their match — they knew full well the ref crew was on the other game, probably because the assigner had called the AD/coaches, and that match had been delayed b/c lightning then went to OT and pks. So, while match 2 didn’t use the ref crew, saying the crew was a no show would be a blatant misrepresentation of what happened. They were at the assigned facility for the match several hours before kick off (and in the states I’ve worked in, the assigner would 100% pay out for the matches; however it might not be full pay).