I set this blog up a while ago and it's purpose is to comment on funny stories or lighter moments of youth soccer matches as they unfold. I will take this first post to write a story about a U9 boys game I had a couple of years ago that still brings a smile to my face!
While officiating in the center referee spot, (working a one-man game, I may add), a forward player received the ball from his defender (short-sided too), and started running down the field. I was in a good position to run right with him toward the goal when the coach and all the parents were screaming towards him, "time!, time!, TIME!" With no other player in sight, and in full stride, he immediately stopped, put his foot on the ball, and gave me the the hand signal for time out! He was indeed listening to all the yelling, and decided to call time out since that was what he heard. I tried not to laugh, and politely commented to him that there is no time out in soccer. Since play had stopped, I needed to do a drop ball for restart of play. Within seconds the coaches and all the parents started laughing, realizing what they had just done to their player. They were trying to tell him that he had "all the time in the world" to run down the field and score (hopefully), and he thought he needed to call time out. It was a precious moment in time on that small sided field on a sunny Sunday afternoon!
See you on the pitch!
The Lady in the Soccer Suit
