What a busy few days I have had, the Senior Games finished today and I ended up officiating at 7 of the soccer games. I think the whole games were a great boost for the city and I tip my hat to all the volunteers, the events that I saw were so well handled and staffed, now if they could only issue us soccer refs with ear plugs!!!!!!!!What a bunch of whining old men they were!!!!! Today was a reality check for me and a good day. After doing the two games I was scheduled to ref a mens game on a local First Nations Stadium in Ladysmith. the first two photos are of their club house and fields. It is a huge complex and very well maintained on the reserve. As expected all the fans were First Nations and the men were very competative and played hard but I want to tell you what happened during the game, but first you need a little bit of a reffing lesson. The majority of games that I referee I have two assistants, they are the people with a flag at either side of the field that run up and down the line and help me with seeing if the ball is in or out, help judging off sides and general a second and third pair of eyes for me. These assistants are qualified and usually very competent. In this game this afternoon, the league they play in does not supply these assistants, so the protocol and instructions I give are to two volunteers, one from each team, to help run the line, because they are not qualified they are instructed to only indicate ball in and out of play and nothing else, especially not to signal for off sides. Well the First Nations team had a gentleman doing this on his side of the field and the game was tough and hard but not dirty. Anyway this gentleman doing the line was always raising his flag for off side and I asked him twice only to flag for ball and in and out of play. The next time the ball went down his side up went his flag again. When the ball was out of play I just shouted out to him again only to signal the ball out when the coach of that team, the First Nations team just cracked me and every else up when he shouted to me "You should let him signal off side after all he is an honest Injun!!!" Every one laughed and it was a great and funny comment which only a member of their band could make.
Sorry this was sooooo longgggg, have a great weekend.