George Noujaim, Director, NISOA National Referee Academy Program

Moving forward with our mission and vision to serve the collegiate game, the NISOA National Referee Academy certification, and recertification has taken a monumental step forward to serve our customers.  We are looking at multiple sites in the country to minimize travel, and expenses to participating referees, and instructors. The program will consist of a one day yearly program aimed at the qualified referees according to policy.  Qualified referees will earn a national “current year badge” at the conclusion of the session when all the requirements listed in the National policy are met.  I am looking forward to your participation.

Best regards,

George Noujaim, Director

NISOA National Referee Academy Program

2012 National Referee Academy Program Highlights

• One day clinics located throughout the country between June 2, 2012 and August 5, 2012 at central locations
• Clinic Fee reduced to $50
• Applicant Fee $75;
• Program Renewal Fee-$40.
• Assessments reduced to 1 as a Referee, and 1 as an AR, annually
• Online testing & registration
• PPT test prior to clinic if possible
• Deleted Candidate status
• Instruction aimed at National Referees primarily thru video clips

Field Training at the NISOA Referee Training Camp

NISOA is now accepting online applications for the 2012 Referee Training Camp in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania from July 8, 2012 through July 12, 2012. Various scholarships and grants are available for applicants as indicated on the application form.

The NISOA Referee Training Camp is a unique, four day residential training program that focuses on improving soccer referees at the interscholastic and intercollegiate levels.

Please follow the following guidelines before you post your question:

• Read the current NCAA Soccer Rules book (available on the Forms page of our site).
• Do not post questions regarding issues of referee judgement.
• Do not post specific game details ( i.e. home team, match date, etc.) with your question, if your question happens to be about something you saw during an intercollegiate soccer game.

C. Cliff McCrath - NISOA Executive Director

Ladies and Gentlemen of NISOA, greetings from the Emerald City – Seattle – where the sun has been shining for more than seven days this summer. (Summer was on a Tuesday last year!) Unfortunately, I haven’t been there much to enjoy it. But I have enjoyed getting to know an ever-expanding number of you as I have traveled near and far to meet with various chapters and regions. In addition, I have been encouraged by the developments taking place within the administrative sectors of NISOA particularly the massive undertaking by Todd Abraham, our Director of Instruction, Legal Counsel – and soon-to-be NCAA Men’s and Women’s Secretary-Rules Editor, Ken Andres and President Manny Ortiz. These three, together with Don Wilbur, NCAA National Assignor Coordinator, have been setting a rapid pace in the restructuring of NISOA, the preparation and posting of the refresher test and further consolidation of our relationship with ArbiterSports. More about that in future blogs. But, for now, the primary message is the one you most might like to hear.

The 2011 collegiate soccer season is upon us and many of you have already had initial assignments in preseason games. Hundreds of you have logged on to Arbiter and taken the refresher test the results, of which, I won’t address at this time other than to say that some of the questions seem to be posing the greatest challenges. One, in particular, albeit now removed from the test, has to do with the restart after play has been suspended in the goal area. The specific rule in question is Rule 2.3. Oddly, the section is entitled Defective Ball. The restart, for which, is a drop ball. Even more oddly, is the Exception which calls for an Indirect Free Kick by his or her team IF the goalkeeper has possession. ENTER RULE 9.3.2. and A.R.9.3.2.a. 

The ruling and decision in this situation is clear and there should not be any confusion. What will be changed and crystal clear in the 2012-13 Rules and Interpretations book IS NOT SO CLEAR IN THE CURRENT 2010-11 edition which determines what happens when the injury occurs to players other than the goalkeeper.

I hasten to say that when a rule is not clear, the applicable rule is provided by Secretary-Rules Editors on behalf of the rules committee for each sport. To wit, the interpretation for this situation is as follows:

The restart, for all injuries in the penalty area, is an INDIRECT FREE KICK by the goalkeeper’s team IF THE GOALKEEPER HAS POSSESSION!!!

Further comment: When the rule was written, the committee felt that injuries to a goalkeeper – more vulnerable than others – should not result in even further disadvantage such as a drop ball in close proximity to the goal – hence, the IFK. Since the rule has been in effect, incidences of fake injuries – to gain advantage, led the committee to apply the same rule regardless of who sustained the injury as long as the goalkeeper has POSSESSION!

Hopefully, this will clear up any further confusion. Have a great year!

Cliff

Individuals desiring credit are responsible for paying all fees and meeting the University’s registration requirements. Special thanks to Brian Glach at UCCS, Jay Engeln at NSCAA and NISOA’s Bob Jones for making this continuing and unique partnership work for NISOA members.

The camp starts on July 10, 2011 and runs through July 14, 2011. There are a few slots still available for this year’s camp so apply soon if you are interested in attending this unique experience.

Field Training at the NISOA Referee Training Camp

NISOA is now accepting online applications for the 2011 Referee Training Camp in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania from July 10, 2011 through July 14, 2011. Various scholarships and grants are available for applicants as indicated on the application form.

The NISOA Referee Training Camp is a unique, four day residential training program that focuses on improving soccer referees at the interscholastic and intercollegiate levels.

Intercollegiate Referees

This seventeenth issue of our monthly NISOA column presents additional continuing education articles intended to help our NISOA Intercollegiate Referee members develop the skills, information and techniques needed to improve their refereeing for the nation’s Intercollegiate soccer game.

All articles are authored by Intercollegiate Soccer Referee-oriented colleagues from around the country who share their experience and expertise in this specialized skill, or by other writers considered to put forth reliable soccer referee continuing education subject matter. The aim of NISOA is to create a continually growing base of personal development resources to help all Intercollegiate Soccer Referees reach the level of personal excellence they have set for themselves.

As with all of our publications, we encourage readers to submit their comments and suggestions for improvement to the Editor via email to me. Anyone wishing to submit an original article for consideration in a future column should submit it to the Editor.

Our authors this month are:

1.  Rodney Kenney, NISOA National Instructor and Assessor, Florida, whose article “In Search of the Perfect Game“ puts in perspective the relationship of perfection and Referee performance.

2.  Bill Wagner, NISOA National Assessor, Florida, whose article “Decisions, Decisions“ discusses the implications of Referee decisions on the outcome of a game.

3.  Georges-Frantz Louis, NISOA National Assessor, North Carolina and Arkansas, whose article “Why Do We Have Referees?“ discusses the types of abilities and skills that lead to successful refereeing.

Interscholastic Referees

This eighteenth issue of our monthly column contains an article designed to serve as part of the expanding reference resource of continuing education materials to help the Interscholastic Soccer Referee improve field performance and development as a qualified NISOA Interscholastic Official. All articles are authored by Interscholastic Soccer Referees and selected writers who have experience in high school officiating, instruction, assessment, and administration.

This month all three articles consider the effect of the offside trap team tactic on the three Systems of Control allowed by NFHS Soccer Rules: the Dual System, the Diagonal System, and the Double Dual System:

1.  “The Traps of Offside and the Dual System on Control”,

2.  ”The Traps of Offside and the Diagonal System, of Control”, and

3.  ”The Traps of Offside and the Double Dual System of Control“.