Two girls fighting what is everyone's responsibility?

socalkdg said:
@baldref and @Surfref

Thanks to both of you for the lengthy answers. Really sounds like you both have great control of your games.

Based on everything you both said I believe the problem in our game was the AR on our side, who never let the CR know what was going on, let it continue, let the fight start on their side of the field, and didn't do anything once it started. Hopefully it will be a learning moment for them and games in the future will see an improvement on their part with regards to this.
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that's how we learn. experiencing and making errors. however, fact is, even if he did make mistakes and mishandled his duties, the AR didn't cause the girls to brawl, and the responsibility is squarely on them for choosing to go that direction.
 
This is interesting thread from the point of the refs in here.

IMHO, I think the main responsibility of the ref is to keep the players safe. Everything else comes after this.

I think it is also interesting that the refs won't physically engage the players. I'm not sure how I feel about this, honestly. I see the point of not touching kids, because of all the issues that can come up.

Having done some refereeing in the AYSO, I would probably make an attempt to physically separate 2 actively fighting players. If one kid is pummeling another kid, do you just stand there watching (or blowing your whistle?!). I think there must be a line where you intervene for the safety of players. But probably 99% of fights end quickly without you having to jump in there.

If you look at NFL, NBA games-- those refs will get between players and touch fighting players. Now, these are adults, so maybe that is a difference. But I don't think I could just watch 2 kids fighting without doing something beyond blowing a whistle.
 
zebrafish said:
This is interesting thread from the point of the refs in here.

IMHO, I think the main responsibility of the ref is to keep the players safe. Everything else comes after this.

I think it is also interesting that the refs won't physically engage the players. I'm not sure how I feel about this, honestly. I see the point of not touching kids, because of all the issues that can come up.

Having done some refereeing in the AYSO, I would probably make an attempt to physically separate 2 actively fighting players. If one kid is pummeling another kid, do you just stand there watching (or blowing your whistle?!). I think there must be a line where you intervene for the safety of players. But probably 99% of fights end quickly without you having to jump in there.

If you look at NFL, NBA games-- those refs will get between players and touch fighting players. Now, these are adults, so maybe that is a difference. But I don't think I could just watch 2 kids fighting without doing something beyond blowing a whistle.
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Years ago, I was doing a lower level U15 boys game. the worst games for testosterone driven crap. One young man took exception to a challenge, a fai8r challenge, and started going after the challenger. I was, as I often am, right on top of it. I was within arms distance of the player, who was going to go smack the other player upside the head. I knew it. I could tell. I gra1bbed him by the shoulder. Not violently, not forcefully, just enough to stop him from getting to the other player.

After the game......... Mom comes after me. You touched my boy! Goes to my association. Goes to Cal South. I acted in a way that protected both players, but... I touched the boy. I was not disciplined, but i was told in no uncertain terms:

DO NOT TOUCH PLAYERS


So, other than a friendly touch on the shoulder in conversation, or a tap on the back when a sub is going into a game, I don't touch players. It's just the way it is.
 
zebrafish said:
This is interesting thread from the point of the refs in here.

IMHO, I think the main responsibility of the ref is to keep the players safe. Everything else comes after this.

I think it is also interesting that the refs won't physically engage the players. I'm not sure how I feel about this, honestly. I see the point of not touching kids, because of all the issues that can come up.

Having done some refereeing in the AYSO, I would probably make an attempt to physically separate 2 actively fighting players. If one kid is pummeling another kid, do you just stand there watching (or blowing your whistle?!). I think there must be a line where you intervene for the safety of players. But probably 99% of fights end quickly without you having to jump in there.

If you look at NFL, NBA games-- those refs will get between players and touch fighting players. Now, these are adults, so maybe that is a difference. But I don't think I could just watch 2 kids fighting without doing something beyond blowing a whistle.
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As a referee, never ever touch a youth player except to shake their hand after the game. NFL, NBA, NHL are adult games and completely different
 
So Ref can't touch the players, parents can't come on the field. Does this mean the coaches have to separate the girls if they are smacking each other upside the head?
 
socalkdg said:
So Ref can't touch the players, parents can't come on the field. Does this mean the coaches have to separate the girls if they are smacking each other upside the head?
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In one of my games on Saturday, G2000, two girls started attempted to slap each other but didn't connect. Their teammates had them pulled apart immediately. The teammates knew that had the altercation continued that the players would be ejected. CR cautioned (yellow card) and talked to both girls. Game resumed with no further problems.

Teammates are usually closer than coaches and the majority of the time will pull their player away from an altercation.
 
Surfref said:
Teammates are usually closer than coaches and the majority of the time will pull their player away from an altercation.
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I'm fortunate in that I've only had a handful of fights in my 39 years and each time it was teammates that intervened with their player to break things up before things got too complicated.
 
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