Soccer (American), Football (European)/Expert Profile


Ask A Question

Expertise

Do you have a call made by the referee in last week`s match puzzling you? Are you a referee who may not be certain that what was done was the right thing to do? I shall be glad to entertain any questions about officiating soccer. The more the players, coaches and supporters understand the referee and his/her decisions, the more fun we can have on the pitch.

Experience in the area

After coaching my son's travel team, I have been USSF State Referee, State Assessor, Assignor and State Instructor in addition to having been a college NISOA referee,a NISOA clinician, a NISOA assessor and a high school referee.

Organizations

USSF, OSYSA, CASOA, NISOA

Publications

Soccer Ohio

Education/Credentials

J.D.

What do you like about this subject?

Officiating a soccer match is an art. There are very few black and white situations, but many, many grays. In addition, the ref has to decide if and when to stop the match to address one of those gray situations.

What do you still hope to achieve/learn in this field?

Every match has its own characteristics and challenges. Every match can be a learning opportunity. If I can do better, and if I can help others understand the Laws of the Game better, perhaps, we will all have more fun on the pitch.

Something interesting about this subject that others may not know:

Unless the referee calls the "foul," it is not a foul. Don't play the referee.

Something controversial or provocative about this subject

Everyone wants to whine about the officiating, but few have the courage to do it, and fewer still can do it well.

Average Ratings

Recent Reviews from Users

Read More Comments

    K = Knowledgeability    C = Clarity of Response    T = Timeliness    P = Politeness
UserDateKCTPComments
John05/13/0910101010 
Jon09/29/0810101010Thank you for your prompt response. I .....
Abdi11/26/0710101010thanks
Jam11/05/07101010 
jule10/10/0710101010Thank you for your quick response. I .....

Recent Answers from John Cummings

2009-09-28 To PK or not PK:

The call would depend on the details and your perception of them. I would have to ask myself the following questions: - Did the keeper jump into the opponent? - Was the keeper playing the ball or

2009-09-28 Contact with gaolie after goalie has ball in control:

From your description, I would say you made a great call. It takes courage and fortitude to make such a call. If you felt that the player intentionally "kneed" the player, then red was the color of

2009-09-18 soccer:

First, I would suggest that you read Law 11 - piece by piece, section by section. Then consider the law to be an "anti-cherry picking" law. In other words, it is meant to stop people from sitting near

2009-09-13 Goalkeeper possession:

The current interpretation that I have gotten is that the "release" is a willful, voluntary action. It implies control of the ball and the keeper's actions in releasing the ball. Accidental dropping

2009-08-11 Questionable foul call:

It all depends. Under what rules were you playing? Under FIFA or USSF, dangerous play, as you noted, is committed against an opponent. It can not be committed against a teammate. However, under

 

Ask A Question

All Answers

Answers by Expert:


Ask Experts

Volunteer


©2009 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.