I read a comment by someone else on this forum that got me thinking. (unusually)
Once you get below the top level (where I think they are fair game like the rest) everyone is going to whinge about refs. Its just a sh*t job and people whinge if they haven't got one and then whinge when they do. Its no wonder all the refs are old because you'd need to have some thick skin. What kid would want to take that kind of abuse unless they have some sort of social retardation. I mean who at 18 would chose to referee unless there is something a little a miss with them?
In this thread, we are talking about kids football which appears to be refereed by kids... Do we really expect them to be the best available, or perhaps they are just the best kids available... I notice on TV that its almost a horses for courses. Women are refereeing womens football, men are refereeing men and kids are dong kids (I use the term kids loosely). In some respects, understanding that they are kids, there is a strong chance they have never played the game at a reasonable level (or still would be playing) so how are they really expected to be a very good referee if they have no understanding of the game? If they were good, it likely they would be higher up the grades considering there are not many refs around. So essentially you are always going to have people who by and large are not going to have a clue. In this case, I actually feel for them and wonder why NZF don't use their top guys on the NYL if its a competition they are serious about? They've already downgraded womens footbal to youth status so any adult women footballer has really got to make it overseas or take the summer off. I just don't think they care about their competitions seriously enough.
I'm not one for really defending referees but I think its hard to have a crack at the kids when they are essentially on a hiding to nothing to begin with.
