The dreaded referees

As the high school basketball and soccer seasons come to a close I could not help myself if I didn't discuss referees this year.  As I sit through game after game this year it is apparent that many people just do not appreciate the officiating that is being done.   Here are some of the most popular phrases that I heard this year:

• Call it both ways
• Blow the whistle
• Do you want to borrow my glasses
• I can't believe you missed that call
• Did you swallow your whistle?
• You're a joke
• My grandmother could make better calls than you
• You wouldn't know a charge even if it knocked you over
• I'm sure there are hundreds more and I would love to hear them so let me know.....

I've also thought of how it would be if we did not have referees and how we would get by.  It would definitely be interesting as I've also came up with some other ways that maybe we could have the game officiated:

• Provide every fan with a keypad like Americas Funniest Home Video and just let them vote whether a violation occurs
• Let the players call the fouls
• Let the coaches cal the fouls
• Just let them play
• If they are not on the ground / turf then there is no foul

While there is no clear cut solution in many peoples eyes I believe that there is one:  Just let the referees do their job and sit back and enjoy the game.  Yes they will miss calls that do not go in your teams favor, however they are also missing calls that they probably should call.  While the kids are playing the games I believe that the most important aspect of the game is that we have referees.  I believe that they perform at most times a very thankless job in trying to make the game fair.  They "ARE" going to blow calls because that is the nature of the game.  Many people say that they should add an additional referee to most sports and I do not agree.  This only makes the game more controlled and takes the control out of the kids hands.  The nature is that many calls will be missed and this is just part of the game.  I also believe that by adding more referees to the games it will make them lazy and not focus on the whole game more intently.

Now I believe that the reason that most referees are involved is because they love the game.  Now don't jump on me for that comment because it is true.  You cannot think for a minute that they would endure 2-3 hours of a game for just the money.  Most referees are paid anywhere from 50-70 per game and while if you look at it on a per hour basis it would seem that 20+ per hour is nice, however the travel and time spent listening to fans, players and coaches is definitely not worth that amount of money unless you love the sport.

I could go on and on about why we should give the referees a break, however think of the alternatives of playing without them and you will come to the same position.  WE NEED THEM!  They help shape the sports landscape and without them we would have nothing.

I look forward to your response.

Below are just a few quotes regarding referees:


The trouble with referees is that they just don't care which side wins. ~Tom Canterbury

I wanted to have a career in sports when I was young, but I had to give it up. I'm only six feet tall, so I couldn't play basketball. I'm only 190 pounds, so I couldn't play football. And I have 20-20 vision, so I couldn't be a referee. ~Jay Leno

The umpire... is like the geyser in the bathroom; we cannot do without it, yet we notice it only when it is out of order. ~Neville Cardus

I think you enjoy the game more if you don't know the rules. Anyway you're on the same wavelength as the referees. ~Jonathan Davies, 1995

Officials are the only guys who can rob you and then get a police escort out of the stadium. ~Ron Bolton

The trouble with referees is that they know the rules, but they do not know the game. ~ Bill Shankly

Soccer, Fall, Winter, Spring What makes Sense

A couple of years ago I was at the State Basketball Tournament and during the "State of the CIF" speech by Executive Director Marie Ishida was discussing potential playoff scenarios for the various sports in California. While we have Cross Country, Volleyball, Basketball, Track & Field, Golf and Wrestling there were sports that have not yet been able to come to grips with a State Championship. Now Football has their version of a state championship it is a shame that Soccer does not have one.

California is a hotbed for soccer and in my opinion both weather and club soccer has dictated when soccer is played. In the NCS the North Bay plays their girls soccer in the fall while another portion of the NCS plays in the Winter and finally other schools play in the spring. In the Sac Joaquin Section their girls play their soccer in the spring along with the MCAL in the North Bay. I truly believe that soccer would be one sport that would benefit from a state championship. While various websites will rank soccer teams, it is truly just a ranking and thus teams can be ranked, however with boys and girls all playing in each of the three seasons then it is opinion and not playing on the field that determines the champions. The Southern Section, San Diego Section and Central Section all play their soccer in the winter.

Now that brings me to club soccer. While I am not a soccer player and have never played soccer I do know quite a few athletes who have skipped their high school season to play club soccer. Just like many other sports players will probably get much more exposure at the club level, however I still have not spoken with an athlete after their high school years that talks about their "club experience", while I have encountered many athletes who talk about their high school experience. While the home trophy case will probably show quite a few first place trophies, medals and banners there is nothing like a banner on the gym wall with a league, section, region or state championship.

The next excuse that I hear is that the weather is a factor and thus we have to play in the fall or spring. That is just not true. In the Northern Section they play soccer in the winter and fall which is the time of the year with the the most rainfall. Thus weather should not be an excuse and with the rise in popularity of lacrosse if ALL soccer was moved to the winter it would free up field space.

If there is a good reason to not mandate that soccer be moved to one season, with winter being the most logical choice, I would welcome your comments about it as I would love for the high school soccer athletes to have the opportunity to be a state champion. Many of the club seasons take a somewhat break (yes I know that the SERIOUS teams go year round) and this would ease some of the conflict as well as give California what it deserves: A STATE CHAMPION

Tidbits for Week 2

The big game this week in many minds is De La Salle vs Don Bosco Prep in NJ. While that game is a very big game, there is a game at 5:00 pm on Saturday that is huge. Cardinal Newman travels to Folsom High School to take on Central Catholic in a game that could very well determine who will represent Northern California in Decembers CIF Bowl Game. You have to tip your hat to both coaches for making this an annual affair between the two powerhouses.

Both teams come in ranked behind St. Mary's of Stockton, however since Central Catholic will play St. Mary's on October 9th that makes this game that much more important. This makes the Division III bowl picture pretty clear. As in the past with much debate in Division I and II with the contenders not playing each other, the three top ranked teams all have common opponents and thus makes the bowl selection a bit clearer.

In other games Novato will take on another Foothill this week when they host Foothill of Pleasanton. This rivalry has been going on for several years and in the past has helped Novato with it's bowl chances. It should be a great game.

Granite Bay and Pittsburg will also clear up some of the Northern California division I rankings as both teams are ranked in the top 5 by Cal Hi Sports. Since Grant and Granite Bay could meet in the playoffs as well as Pitt and DLS then the Division I picture could definitely be clarified. The Bowl playoffs appears to have prompted teams to travel outside of their section such as the Northern Section teams as well as many NCS teams traveling to the SJS. We shall see what happens tonight.

Let me know your thoughts.

What's the biggest upset?

Well after a weekend of high school sports in Northern California there were some upsets, redemption wins and a few surprises. First off the game with the most anticipation was De La Salle vs. Serra. The game was a hard fought battle with the Spartans coming out on top by an unimpressive 14-7 win. Probably the biggest upset/surprise was Palma's loss to Spanish Springs of Sparks Nevada. Palma came in ranked #4 by CalHiSports.com in their first Division III bowl game rankings and since they are behind St. Mary's, Cardinal Newman and Central Catholic this might have already ended thier bowl hopes. Washington of Fremont squeaked by California High School 30-28 in what many considered an upset. (Click HERE for all the weekend scores)

Paradise from the Northern Section avenged thier loss last year to Pitman with a 48-15 pounding. Other teams that served notice were St. Francis of Mountain View who shut out perenial power Oak Grove 35-0. Also Grant who is coming off their CIF State Championship served notice that they will be around to repeat with a 42-0 win over Montgomery.

This year also served as a first for Valley Christian of Dublin who won thier first game as a varsity squad with a 41-8 win over Cochrane from Alberta Canada. Coach John Parrella set up his team with an incredibly tough schedule as the Vikings look to make some noise in the North Coast Section this year.

Next week should see the same as last week with many of the Northern California teams playing tough non-league schedules in order to enhance thier CIF bowl berth hopes.

What games this next week do you think might be prime for an upset? e-mail me at: james@usaprepscores.com with your picks.