FCArmstrong

It is winter in the Northeastern United States. Outdoor soccer does not happen unless your club has access to an indoor field or bubble. When I was growing up we either played on a basketball court (futsal/five-a-side) or inside hockey dasher boards (indoor soccer). I have been playing a form of indoor soccer, five-a-side since I was 10 years old. We’ve used low bounce futsal balls, felt covered soccer balls and regular soccer balls on gym floors, plastic decking, the old carpet astroturf and now the infilled field turf. I’ve coached U8s to high school players through the various forms of indoor. I always look at this game as a teacher to reinforce the bigger outdoor game. This is a training tool that promotes 1v1 play, risk/reward situations, combination play, defending by getting compact and behind the ball. Positionally I’m able to take the outdoor 6, 8 and 10’s and find roles for them in a futsal diamond that may not seem natural to an outside observer.

Why do I share all this information? It helps me explain how I’m able to slow this fast pace game down to simplify the decision making process as a referee. It allows me to understand when a player is still learning the physical differences between the outdoor and indoor games.

Moving like a hockey official with the eyes always on all 10 or 12 players by mastering the moon walk.

Using your player brain when officiating to understand if the player was putting themself at risk before a possible foul or contact was made.

Talking to coaches to let them know you saw something but may not have seen what they were seeing from your angle.

Making time for warm ups, cool downs and finding active release in the gym between games.

Managing artrhitis with cold weather, many games, hardwood floors and finding time for hydration.

A former national referee used to tell me that he loved using indoor soccer to develop new referees. He believed that the indoor games forced referees to make more decisions per match at a 3:1 ratio compared to the outdoor game. If you compare futsal to the out door game that ratio goes to almost 6:1 due to the number of shots on goals and times the ball will go over the touchline.

As a referee this large number of decisions means there is going to be a few mistakes made by the referee team.

Listening to the Howard Stern Show on Monday morning I was reminded of all the different ways people celebrate their birthdays. Howard was noting how happy he was that Beth, his wife decided to stay home with him on his birthday instead of joining her friends in the city. Apparently it’s really important for Howard to celebrate his birthday on his birthday.

In our house we’ve learned that sometimes you can make any day the celebration day, even if it isn’t that specific date. Since my other half has a birthday a few days after mine, we’ve been finding special ways to celebrate our Capricorn status together. This decision allowed me to work a futsal tournament in Lancaster PA on my birthday. In checking boxes it allowed me live according to the family card calendar that we sent out a few years ago by following the song, You Might Die Trying–“When You Give, You beging to live.” I normally choose to work tournaments for the opportunity to create a positive environment for the players and developing referees.