You cannot expect successful, intelligent, fit, younger men (or women) to choose to put the effort into something that will not pay them back in the long run. They will put their efforts into “normal” careers, that include things like medical benefits and reliable income. Again, I am not advocating paying for health care-just an obvious common sense point. Young referees have to make a choice, and most leave because they cannot afford to pursue a part-time career that takes a lot of time and effort to improve.

If all you want to do is critique an AR and referee crew that you feel made a mistake, you are not doing anything positive for the game.

By the way I am in no way a union supporter.

PRO- good start, but you cannot expect instant results.

My main point, let’s get together as fans, coaches, players and improve the referees, knowing that all of us need to contribute rather than just complain.

I have to pipe in as well. If money is the incentive needed to improve the level of referees on the pitch, then we have lost sight on why most of these referees come to the game anyway.

It is not for the game money, but for the love of the game. As you move up in the levels of the referee game, you need to be more sharp, more in tune and ready to do what is needed to call the game correctly.

Sure, mistakes happen, but blaming this on lousy pay and poor training is a union flub.

http://www.insidemnsoccer.com/2012/03/02/u-s-soccer-and-mls-to-announce-newly-organized-professional-referee-organization-pro/

Improving the quality of refereeing because it was obvious that it wasn’t keeping up the level of improvement from the players. I have heard this first hand from coaches in the Development Academy all the way up to coaches and players in Major League Soccer.

The assessor for this group talked to the refereeing team the very next morning. There were several bad calls in this match and the above offside was not the only blown call. On top of that, from what I have learned from the referees at the very top, assessors and instructors, is they are encouraged to keep their flag down if it is close. Calling offside on every close infringement kills the game and sends paying fans home disappointed.

I don’t think anyone is saying it’s an easy job, but again, these are pros are getting paid to score goals and get into the playoffs and more importantly, draw fans to try to make a profit. I am wondering where this extra money comes from in the teams budgets to pay these refs that you talk about, when most D2 teams are losing between $.75 and $1.5 million a year?

That’s why USSF is stepping in and even more so why MLS stepped in to create PRO and improve the overall quality of refereeing in this country.

If you are not a current referee at a grade 7 or lower, I am extremely confident that you have not read or discussed what USSF’s positions are on some of the most controversial issues. Just look at the discrepancies in the above comments and in the remarks about the US Canada game.

A big part of why spectators, coaches and players are so frustrated with referees is the lack of education for non-referees, on what is and is not expected from referees and AR’s.

You are also making judgement calls using hindsight, video, and stopped photography, none of these are available to either referee or assistant referees. They are all human and speed of play doesn’t allow perfection.

If you want better refereeing, you need to be willing to add resources and lots of money to the issue of training, mentoring, and assessment. Currently the referee has to pay for assessments and feedback. Upgrading to even a grade 6 can wipe out 4-5 games worth of pay, (the gear alone wipes out 4-5 games, recertifying each year wipes out a game, etc) and involves a lot of time in the off season to attend training and meetings when the referee could be spending time with family or their real career.

If you want professional referees, you need to pay them and treat them as professionals. I guarantee many will step up to the plate if it becomes financially worth the time and effort. You cannot expect referees to improve if no parent, club, or professional team is willing to put their money where their mouths are and bankroll mentoring and constant feedback, while at the same time paying a referee enough to make it worth all the time they put into fitness, education, travel, and gear along with listening to upset, rude spectators, parents, coaches and players who expect perfection in the referee crew but make constant mistakes themselves on the field, on the bench/at training, or in what they are even cheering about (think about all the mistakes the opponent makes and how loud the cheering gets . . .).

Being upset about a call is fine, but blanket statements about poor refereeing fixes nothing. Take responsibility for improving the game you love. If you truly think refereeing isn’t at the level it needs to be, tell your favorite team(s) to add money in their budget for referee improvement (like the EP club has done) and secondly, sign up, take the courses, spend the time to get fit, buy the gear, and push out those that are worse than you are (or are tired and not 100% due to the lack of referees).

I say bring in the rust belt derby teams or get calgary united to field a NASL team

Or Downs want St Louis get the St Louis Scott Gallgher team to go pro

I heard their academy is one the best and they just but themselves a soccer field from jeff cooper

People make mistakes, it happens. I do have a problem with it when it can effect attendance, scoring bonuses in some cases and who knows, could even mean a team doesn’t make the playoffs. As has been pointed out, these are pro players and pro coaches and organizations that trying desperately to make a profit in soccer, which isn’t an easy task in this country. The level of officiating has to get better.

In the heat of the moment, it can be a pretty confusing call to make. But it’s the center referee’s job to realize that no matter where Davis was, the ball must have been ahead of him. Even if his AR makes the incorrect call, the center should automatically override him and then explain his decision after the match.

It’s really Fitzgerald who proved that he lacks the ability to assess all of the factors at play on the field and make the correct decision.