Youth Soccer Refs Don't Care

by Adrian
(Arizona, USA)

I have so many bad officiating stories that it would take me forever to share them with you.

I just want to express the conclusion of my observations I've made over the years watching youth soccer games.

Referees mistakes or bad calls have occurred, occur and will occur on every level of play. It's part of the game. We all understand it and have to learn living with it.

Regrettably, most of the time, bad officiating on the youth level is the result of incompetence, inexperience and do-not-care attitude of referees.

Why are they incompetent?
Because they are inexperience and do not really care.

Why are they inexperienced?
Because of the system assigning complete beginners to refereeing youth games. Of course this is understandable; they have to start somewhere.
But why most of referees, after years of being involved in soccer, are still inexperienced?
Because they are incompetent and do not care, so no matter how long they ref soccer games, they will never learn anything.

Why do they not care?
Because they are incompetent and inexperienced. Also nobody really evaluate and verify their performance, simply because there are not enough people willing to officiate games played by little kids anyway.

Now just imagine: The incompetent, inexperienced with I-do-not-care attitude person that is "awarded" the power of authority over everybody on and around the field.

Scary, isn't it?

It wouldn't be fair on my part, if I didn't add that there are some experienced and competent youth soccer officials out there, and that they...
...do care.