Doomed

It was supposed to be a normal early season tournament game.

As normal as an Under 19 Boys game usually is with all the testosterone flowing and the competitiveness.

The game was played on a really crummy field, one of the worst in the area. The goal areas were swamps as was the center of the field. The field slopes from northwest to southeast in an awkward way and there was the usual 20 mph wind blowing steadily from the South down hill. And the two teams were from the eastern side of Missouri and had played each other several times before over the years.

I should have known this was going to be a rough one when the captains came out for the coin toss. The two white team captains were jerks. They didn't really say anything specific, but their body attitude was one of "we don't respect you and we won't." I haven't really had that before.

By the way, one team wore white and the other wore red.

Game got underway and it was obvious from the start that it was going to be a rough one to keep under control. Both teams were physical and aggressive. Red scored on white about midway through the first half.

A red player fell to the ground in the box and kicked the ball to another player who scored. There was no problem with the play. No white players were around him. It is perfectly legal to play the ball on the ground as long as there is no danger to another player.

So according to the white team, I had somehow scored on them. And downhill it went.

Before the game was over I had cautioned the head coach of the white team, dismissed the assistant coach for calling me something that I can't repeat here, cautioned both white captains for dissent, cautioned two other white players for reckless play and cautioned two of the red players for reckless play.

First coach I have tossed in over five years.

According to the white team, I had somehow scored three goals against them and they had lost 3 to 2 because of me.

Normally after a game, good or bad, I reflect on how I did and what I can change to improve. I really like the verse in Romans 12:3 "For by the grace given me I say to everyone of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you." I try to apply sober judgment to my refereeing.

I run across a lot of referees that seem to think they are perfect. I don't like working with those guys. I realize that I make mistakes in every game. Could be as simple as missing the direction on a throw in. My next perfect game will be my first one. And I have been looking for a perfect game for over 1072 games.

As I reflected on this game, I came to the realization that about the only thing I could have done differently was to card both white captains at the coin toss for dissent.

This game was doomed from the start...