> OK, so tell me, who is paying attention to a referee that is either incompetent, abusive, or horribly biased? Who is he/she accountable to?
Referees aren’t incompetent: they go thru extensive training and sit and write a tough exam. Then they go thru an internship with an experienced referee. They get their ticket once the Association is happy that they know what they are doing. By the time they have finished they know all of the laws stone cold. That is certainly the process I went thru. It took about a year.
Referees are accountable to whichever Association that has authority over the District. If asked, a referee should show you his ticket: that will tell you who has sanctioned him. Just as easy to look at the crest on his jersey. Left pocket, usually.
As to being abusive, there is no mileage at all for any referee to be abusive. It makes for a difficult game for everybody, and if you think referees like blowing their whistle all the time you’re mad.
Neither is there any mileage in a referee being biased. They don’t get the trophies at the end of the tournament, the teams do. Most referees don’t get paid: sure, the Association has a nominal fee set aside for the referees, but most of them donate that back to the game, so that junior refs can get a few extra dollars in their pocket — otherwise nobody in their right mind would begin their training to be a ref.
Referees tend to do the job for the love of the game. Certainly this is so at the junior levels — actually it would be so right the way thru to the semi-professional level.
Being a referee is one of the most thankless jobs on this planet, not made any easier by moron coaches shouting abuse from the sidelines. The Game isn’t about the coaches, and it isn’t about the spectators either. It is about the kids on the field, having a good time and playing a great game.
As a ref I had no hesitation at all about Red Carding any coach or spectator who forgot that. None.