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[winterbadger]

This morning was very exciting! I saw a wee woodpecker on one of the trees right near my bedroom window, and while I was getting the camera (very slowly, so as not to scare him off), I saw a fox! This was broad daylight, about 7.30, but he didn't look much the worse for wear, just careful. He was long gone before I could get the camera turned on. The only drawback of digital cameras!

Packed eight bags full of clothes and shoes for the Vietnam Vets donation pickup tomorrow. I saved a few things I had been thinking of getting rid of, but there are a lot of things, especially good-as-new sweaters and sweatshirts that I just have very little call for, that I hope will serve someone in good stead.

I attended the first of four soccer refereeing classes tonight, after which (if I pass the exam) I will be licensed to grade 8 (the basic level for youth and lower-level adult amateur officiating). The instructor seems like a nice fellow; older, very experienced, retired from officiating now, it sounds like, but with a wealth of stories. I was chatting with him beforehand about working with a partner, and he said he and his wife had reffed together on and off for 30 years. I mentioned that to Neta when we talked, and she thought that sounded rather nice. :-) The classes are notionally four hours each, but we got off after three tonight, as the instructor felt we had covered the material sufficiently. The next class is Wenesday night.

Time to clean catboxes, and then to bed. Oh, there seems to be a cat closed in one of the closests I was emptying. Oh dear! :-) Ah! He's got the door open...

Comments

[histoire68.livejournal.com]

As long as you pay attention in class and stuff, the tests are pretty easy.

I am envious; I wish I had the time to give reffing another try. I don't think I would be nearly as intimidate by six-foot men with beer guts screaming at me over their ten year old's soccer game. I shouldn't have been, last time around, but I was twelve.

[winterbadger]

I'm already learning stuff. I hadn't ever realised the four limitations on fouls (player, on opponent, on field, during play); that misconduct only applies to players, subs, and substituted players; and that fouls may be misconduct but that misconduct is not necessarily a foul. And the whole idea of the ref moving off the field after signalling a PK (thus forcing the players to stand some distance away or risk getting cautioned for leaving the field of play without permission *and* gettting cautioend again for dissent)--that's pretty sly. :-)

But, yes, the far more difficult lessons are just OJT--keeping your adrenaline flow from causing you to lose your cool or your powers of perception...

[histoire68.livejournal.com]

What I love about it is that it's not memorizing fifty bazillion rules: there is a basic set of general principles, and you just learn them, and then learn to apply them to any of the eighty bazillion individual situations that could occur. The laws of the game are really beautifully simple!

[winterbadger]

The LOTG are deceptively simple. :-) They are really very, very complex, but couched in what are sometimes very broad terms. :-) Which iis intended to give the referee latitude.

But then people insist on having the very broad terms spelled out, so you get the Instructions, the Memoranda, the Advice, the Guides, the Q&A...

It's really a lot like Torah. Which is very clear and specific. But then people want this bit explained, or that bit further defined, or this other thing expanded on. And you get the Mishnah, and the Gemara, and the Shulchan Aruch, and minhagim, and the midrashim, and the gezierah, and the hakkanah...

[histoire68.livejournal.com]

That's a good analogy.

You could argue that everything is complex, because life is complex. I think it is! So you can have two different approaches, really: try to make up a rule for every conceivable situation that could exist. Or just make up some broad, general rules, and then send everybody out to do their thing. I much prefer the latter approach.

And that is but one of the many reasons why soccer kicks so much ass.