Category: Uncategorized
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39 or 19, 10 or 19, Barca
The numbers are completely different. One plays a true 9, the other more of a false 6. One is 20 years older than the other. This may be the last world tournament for Lionel. This is the first world tournament for Lamine. Do these players truly impact the game today like no other players in…
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Ref Life: Understanding player roles-Goalkeepers
Before becoming a member of the so-called Third Team, or as FIFA has called “Team One” during this summer’s tournament, my main place on the pitch was protecting the posts. I also could step i to fill the role of a center back, wing back, outside midfielder or even an eleven. By learning these different…
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Do you know how to check your coaches credentials and clarances?
https://learning.ussoccer.com/directory Click here! Make sure you are working with properly cleared and trained coaches. Control the controllable.
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Jr. High: What should I do this offseason to get physically stronger?
How should I spend my summer training? Should I play more? Should I start going to the gym everyday? Do I need a personal trainer? Do I need a soccer specialty trainer? Where do I start? Start here with this quick look into what the UNC Women’s team does in the gym. Soccer is an…
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Ref Life: Spring 2026 in Western Pennsylvania.
The transition from indoor to outdoor is aways a good time of year for me. Instead of 10 yard sprints, we now have 40 yards. March is typically “competitive” youth games from U19 to U12. Let me remind you it is much easier to officiate an open men’s game that it is an U10 game.…
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Ref Life: Dissent, positioning and developing young referees.
Every night during high school season in the commonwealth I’m a member of that game’s referee team. I typically also have 2-3 young referees on the field playing the game who I have worked with in the past year. When I work with young referees I always ask them to use their player brains as…
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Ref Life: Developing new refs and the IFAB’s Footballrules.com
This is part 3 of a 5 part series. After recertifying for US Soccer officiating in 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 the US Soccer Referee Program has made changes in how to handle situations. In 2022 coaches and bench personell were typically not issued cards. There was a training method that believed handling situations…
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Ref Life: Doing the Work
My US Soccer Mentor journey 2026. My journey in football started when I was only 8 years old, the game has been with me for the last four decades. As a player I learned that the game is the best teacher. I’ve been playing the game through most of those four decades. I’ve been coaching…
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Healthy kids, healthy communities. Support soccer for free.
I’m revisiting this two years after my initial publication. I’m not seeing a change. I still see a situation where children are for profit in soccer clubs. I’m looking for ways to change the current status. We need to find more ways to make soccer for children. Me- Dec 2025 Writers note- Phoebe has started…
FCArmstrong 