Game Management?

10 minutes into a high school match and my left calf let me know the lack of bananas in my diet was deeply troubling. Two days later I am still attempting to explain to my calf (with the help of a heating pad, electro stim and stinky rub), how sorry I am. It hasn't, as of yet, accepted my apology.

The game, which I was expecting to be relatively close, turned into a route by the end. The center midfielder for the team which was behind throughout the match, had been using his arms to push opponents off the ball. I'd called a few fouls on him (and others on his team for the same tactics) and things had settled down in the beginning of the second half. When the score had reached 6-0, the central midfielder, obviously frustrated (yelling at his team, aggressively moving to the ball, etc.), recklessly tackled an opponent. This resulted in a caution for him, after which he thought it wise to yell at another opponent in Spanish as he was leaving the field (a requirement in high school matches).

As I was attempting to bring the temperature of the match down and let the central midfielder know he would do better to quit talking in any language, I casually moved to the team's bench area. I heard something of a commotion behind me but didn't hear any specific words or phrases. After I'd verbally warned the player to keep quiet, I saw my assistant referee beckoning me and stepping on the field. He informed me a member of the losing team had dropped the f-bomb loud enough for him to hear from the touchline. I called the player over and issued another caution (another requirement of high school, no naughty language you kiddies).

Just before we were about to restart play, I overheard a couple of players discussing the second caution. Player 1, "What was that for?" Player 2, "He shouted, 'Can't we start the f'n game already?'"

Perhaps players, coaches and fans don't understand something. When a team is being thoroughly dominated, the losing team often can only stay in the match by committing fouls against the better squad. This then leads to an uneven amount of fouls called against the losing team, thus making it increasingly difficult to, "Call it both ways." I have found in these situations, I am more likely to favor the losing team as much as I reasonably can with fouls FOR them. Admittedly however, the dominant team usually doesn't commit many fouls once they are in obvious control of the match.

I'd think this little nugget of life would be apparent to the rest of the world, but it seems as if the referee community is the only one that realizes this happens. Pity.