Thoughts on this?We have a shortage of match officials at the moment as they’re constantly being abused when they’re out there (Most of them volunteering and often in terrible weather). Should parents be made to volunteer when they are hostile towards officials and coaches?
26 comments
You think those parents know the rules?
Do they fuck!
Why would you want some angry oul lad to referee a match?
My husband coaches U5s soccer/football for our oldest. These parents are out of hand.
I think its a fair situation. Obviously have officials available to make sure calls etc are fair and correct. But i think having to do the job will make parents think twice before berating umpires/referees.
My husband had a dad get in his face because he didnt like that my husband pulled his child from the match 15mins in. At a 4yos soccer game. As though it was the damn world cup.
Ideally you want those pricks well away from the club not getting a foothold in the place. I’m at a club currently where 2 coaches will routinely be very verbally critical of the ref , then the kids join in and they lose their composure then and match goes to shit. I can’t wait for the end of the season to move.
How do you keep them from attending future games?
Yes, what we definitely need is angry dads reffing games. Maybe even throw in a soft penalty for their kid too so they can really wind the other team up.
Remeber getting told walking off the pitch at an under 10s lgfa bltiz, yes, UNDER. FUCKING. TENS…….
“you’d wanna learn you’re rules ref”
My response:
“You ref it next time”
They should be put in charge of the corner flags.
Who’s going to enforce it?
Not a good idea to make parents referee. Its not fair to the players to have an untrained referee. Refereeing shouldn’t be seen as a punishment.
The volunteer work they should have to do is, litter picking after games, cutting grass etc
It would actually be hilarious if one of those parents was an actual umpire (trained and with an association), and bitched about a pitch two feet off the plate being called a strike. Then the 11 year old pitcher would have to deal with an actual strike zone next game.🤣🤣🤣
I think this really depends on the sport. Some sports are more complicated than others, so are harder to ref. You could certainly get them to volunteer in other ways, like putting out cones, retrieving balls that are kicked off the pitch, etc.
Also depends on the age group. Standards of reffing needs to become higher for older ages.
If parents are abusive on the sideline the kid gets suspended. Tough but fair.
Treating adults who act like kids …. Like kids.
I’d rather they were banned until they completed a recognised anger management course, then had to wear a high-viz vest confirming that at all games for a probationary period.
Baseball has its own issues with umpires. Rulings coming out of their ass a lot of the times.
…a random parent cannot just become a coach for a few games, there are exams to do and pass, Garda vetting etc. Who’s there to verify the person does not come back for three games? Security at a kids game?
That’s not how working with young people works at all. Anyone working with young people need to be vetted before they come in to work with them.
It’s a bullshit rule. They want people who don’t know the rules to officiate?? Madness
If they have to it’s not volunteering.
A good idea in principle but I can see the arse coming out of it in practice.
If Seamus goes nuts on the sideline this weekend because his son didn’t get a free, could we truly trust him to act impartially as referee the following weekend?
I’d be a bit wary of putting a proven manchild in charge of reffing a minor match just because he threw a hissy-fit last Saturday.
I think bans and suspensions are more appropriate for loopers who ruin the fun for everyone else.
We should also make helicopter parents get actual helicopter licenses, for the craic like…
Sorry, I’ve no skin in the game and am a childless arse the that is just here for the popcorn moments.
You’d swear twas the Olympic or a life changing game. It’s kids sort like. Can they not have a 2 strike rule.. If you can’t manage your Adult reaction or emotion in response to a decision by a ref in a Kids game then leave the grounds. Come get your child after the match.
Bullshit decisions increase by 5000% overnight. They don’t know the rules and have a vested interest in one team, and particularly in one player.
Stopped at a game in the local park a while back and my goodness the poor linesmen. The ref was getting abuse too but those two poor lads had it rough. Every flag had them getting abuse either by the striker or the defenders or the managers, for calls that you’d need VAR for.
Couldn’t help but feel bad for them and then when they get a call right they still get abuse even if it’s an obvious offside and striker still has a go at him and not one person of the opposition was like “you were miles off man leave it out.”
Unless they were built like The Rock or someome players and managers will always have a go, as unfortunate as it is.
I referee myself, think this would be a good idea seeing as leagues are crying out for referee BUT, the parents who argue the most are often the ones who have no clue about the game