To: All Referees working the South Carolina Amateur Soccer Association State Cup

From: Fred Bieber, State Referee Administrator - South Carolina

Date: March 13, 2008

IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS – PLEASE READ!

Thanks for participating as an official in the South Carolina Amateur Soccer Association State Cup. Please review this document carefully so that all involved have a positive experience.

My contact number during the tournament will be: (803) 730-3733. If you have something important to tell me, you may leave a message, but it would be better if you keep trying until you get me on the phone.

Attached are the Rules for the SCASA State Cup (11v11 and 6v6), as well as a Preliminary Referee Schedule. Please study all of these documents. Should you have a schedule conflict or any inability to work any assigned games, you must contact me immediately. After you have read these documents, please send me an email to confirm you have done so.

Appearance:

As a USSF registered and certified referee, you should look professional. This includes having your shirt tucked in all the way around, wearing a current badge, and wearing your socks all the way up while working any games. There are 2 types of approved socks: Socks with 3 stripes or the black socks with the US Soccer Federation logo on them – that’s it! Few people have the second kind, so if you have both kinds, bring both kinds. The referee crew must look uniform!

The primary jersey color is gold; however, if a team is wearing gold or similar color, please adjust your uniform so that there is no color conflict. Remember to bring all of your jerseys, long sleeve and short sleeve, because we don’t know what the weather will be like. Please try to look like one of the State Level Referees you will see this weekend. Please notice that none of these people are wearing hats or sunglasses while on the pitch. If there is a valid medical reason why you need to wear a hat or if you wear tinted prescription glasses, please do so. Hats and sunglasses are not part of the uniform. Otherwise, please let me know you have a problem, so that I may find a replacement for you.

Checking In:

All Referees and Assistant Referees must arrive at the Headquarters Tent at Crooked Creek thirty to forty five minutes prior to game time. If you are one of the lucky ones working at Seven Oaks, please have the Referee call me when the whole crew is on site and ready. Please arrive at your game assignment at least fifteen to twenty minutes prior to the start of the game.

Stand-By Referees:

All stand-by referees will be expected to check in (ready to referee/assistant referee) at least 30 minutes before the first time slot they are working as stand-bys and need to be available at the Headquarters Tent through full-time of the longest game in that time slot. If games become available, stand-by officials will be put into the appropriate game for their experience and referee grade.

Weather Issues and Other Miscellaneous Info:

Any weather related cancellations or changes to playing times will be done by tournament officials only. Do not authorize water breaks unless instructed to do so. If you see lightning, please let a tournament official know. We will be using an automobile horn to alert all game personnel of any stoppage of games. One long blast means clear the fields. Three short blasts mean you may resume play.

There are many issues surrounding a tournament that do not directly involve referees. Field changes, team uniform issues, delay of start times, shortening of games, punishment for red cards or other inconvenient behavior, etc. These are issues of an administrative nature and usually not debatable. Please know and understand your role in this tournament and always defer issues listed above to a tournament official.

It is NOT appropriate to discuss calls with players, coaches and spectators. If you disagree with a call made by the referee, wait until half time or after the game to discuss it when you are away from the teams. If you are an AR and you are asked about a call that the referee made, appropriate responses are: “The referee is closer to play than I am”; “S/he may have seen something we could not see”; “I am not sure what s/he called”, etc.

There is no reason to hang around after the final whistle. Once the final whistle is blown, ARs should move QUICKLY towards the referee and the whole crew should start moving off the field and away from the teams. There is no need for any of you to police what happens or does not happen when teams are shaking hands. Be smart about this! If you need a pat on the back after your game, come over to the Headquarters Tent and I’ll be glad to give you one.

RULES OF PLAY

The Rules of Play are being sent to you. Review both sets because you may be asked to officiate in both 11v11 games and 6v6 games.

Games ending in ties will remain ties in the preliminary rounds of 11v11 games. There are special rules for the preliminary rounds of 6v6 games.

Be sure to read and understand the Overtime Rules of the competition for Semi-final or Final games that cannot end in a tie. There are many differences between the 11v11 games and the 6v6 games.

If 11v11 Final games are still tied after the overtime periods, go to Kicks from the Penalty Mark. This procedure is not used very often, so become VERY familiar with how it works and DO NOT deviate from it. Deviation from this procedure has caused protests in the past, resulting in having to repeat the kicks at a different time and place. Please note that the Kicks from the Penalty Mark Procedure does not say anything about getting a list of 5 players from the coach prior to the kicks or getting another list of 5 players if it goes beyond 5 kicks. This is a very common misconception with many referees. You DO NOT need a list of players. Just make sure that nobody kicks twice before everyone eligible has kicked.

Pre-game Procedures and Participant Passes:

Please follow the procedures in the SCASA State Cup Rules. Do not deviate from these published rules. If players or coaches do not have a proper participant pass, they CANNOT participate. There will be Tournament Officials available and they will have communication with the officers of SCASA in case you need anything.

At the completion of your game, please hand the game report to the Tournament Official.

Dealing with Problem Coaches:

A problem coach or player will go as far as the referees will let them. If you can see that you are going to have your hands full with a coach, warn them early on. In your own words say something like: “Coach, this is a warning. If your behavior continues in this way, I am going to ask you to leave”. Be calm and polite. Take a couple of steps back while still facing the coach and then turn around and walk away. Do not engage the coach in a discussion. If their poor behavior continues, ask the coach to leave and do not restart the game until they have left the vicinity of the field. If the coach will not leave, please contact one of the tournament officials for assistance.

Dealing with Unruly Fans:

Dealing with fans is always a tricky issue. Always try to get a resolution through the coaches by asking the coach to intervene and either calm the situation down or ask to have the spectator removed. Referees have many things to worry about on the field – do not add unnecessary distractions to your job. Please do not seek the opportunity to engage fans and only do so if you truly believe that their behavior is affecting the way that the game is being played by the players or have become abusive towards an assistant referee or the referee.

Demeanor during the Game:

Please maintain a professional demeanor throughout the game and throughout the tournament.

Many referees do not think of it this way, but you have been hired to do a job. While we appreciate your willingness to participate in the SCASA State Cup, we must insist on the utmost professionalism. This includes the following:

• Looking and acting in a professional manner

• Following the Laws of the Game and all SCASA State Cup Rules

• Taking the utmost care in checking players in and identifying problem passes

• Working with the other officials as a team and following established USSF procedures and mechanics

• Positioning yourself so that you maximize your opportunity to observe and make the correct calls. The teams in this tournament are expecting you to do a good job

• Behaving in an ethical manner – please do not discuss or criticize the performance of other referees in public. You have no idea who may be listening.

• Complete all the necessary paperwork. The job is not done until all the paperwork is in!!

Some final thoughts…

Laws of the Game:

Please do not invent rules for this competition! The Laws of the Game (LOTG) are very clear and concise and the procedures to be followed are those contained in the latest edition of the “Guide to Procedures for Referees and Assistant Referees”. If you are unclear about a rule interpretation contained in the SCASA State Cup Rules, please ask!

Good luck and have fun