Please remember your pre-match communication requirements. The recommended procedure is:
- At least 72 hours before the match, the assigned referee will contact both of the assigned assistant referees to confirm the assignment and coordinate specific details. If you use email or leave a voice message, you must make sure you get confirmation that the message was received.
- 48 hours before the match, the assigned referee must make sure both assistant referees have confirmed the assignment or attempt to contact them again. If an assistant referee has not been contacted by the referee, the assistant referee must contact the referee and the other assistant referee to confirm the assignment. At this point, telephone contact is preferred to email.
- 24 hours before the match, if all three officials have not been in contact with each other, we strongly recommend the referee and the assistant referee contact the match assignor and advise them of the situation while continuing attempts to contact the unresponsive official.
This procedure will only break down if ALL 3 officials do not do their job.
The Executive Board is pleased to announce Klaus Mueller has agreed to manage our chapter’s assessment program. All new members must be assessed within the first two years of their membership so please provide Klaus with your assignments so he can arrange an assessment for you. These initial assessments are provided free of charge to our new members. All other members including those who may be interested in the National Referee program should also contact Klaus for assessments and the current assessment fee structure.
At the August 23, 2008 mandatory rules clinic, Alan Wharton presented two separate, proposed constitutional amendments regarding business meetings. They are:
1. An official who is assigned to work a Collegiate Soccer game on the night of a scheduled business meeting shall be excused from that meeting and be given credit for that meeting.
2. The annual dinner will be considered a business meeting.
In addition to these two proposals, the Executive Board will request discussion of the following administrative constitutional amendment:
Change Article 4, paragraph 1: “Elections shall take place with nominations brought to the floor at the fourth business meeting of that year.”
to:
“Elections shall take place at a scheduled business meeting. Nominations shall be brought to the floor at the business meeting immediately prior to the elections.”
This notice satisfies the requirement for written notification to the membership. These proposals will be discussed at the September 10, 2008 business meeting and, if approved, voted upon at the September 23, 2008.
The 2008 NISOA Preseason Guide contains an error regarding the display of cards for an ejection when a player receives a second caution in the same match. From Ken Andres, Jr., NISOA National Rules Interpreter:
The NISOA 2008 Preseason Guide contains an article on Page 1 entitled “Second Card is Always Red,” which sets forth an incorrect officiating mechanic with regard to NCAA Men’s and Women’s Soccer Rule 5.5.3. The Preseason Guide article incorrectly states that the referee should not display a yellow card when issuing a second caution to a player. This is not correct and wrongfully interprets a 2008-2009 clarification of R.5.5.3, which addresses the issue of a second caution for Accumulated Cautions and Game Suspensions purposes pursuant to Rule 12.18.1. A player cannot be “charged” with a second caution in the same game for card accumulation purposes within R.12.18.1, but this clarification does not change the NISOA officiating mechanic when a player commits a second cautionable offense. The proper officiating mechanic when a player commits a second cautionable offense is as follows: The referee shall display a yellow card, followed immediately by a red card. See R.5.5.3.
As I finish my second term as chapter president and a new college soccer season approaches, I get to deal with many issues affecting our members and their responsibilities to maintain good standing status. Typically, these issues concern preparing for and taking the fitness test, taking the refresher test and attending the rules interpretation and requisite number of business meetings. The other day I received a copy of an email from a friend who happens to be a National Referee which made me think of what it is to be professional. Read the rest of this article »
Thanks to John Leavy for providing the following nearby NISOA chapter testing schedule for 2008:
- NJ Metro ISOA – August 9, Saturday – Drew University, Madison, NJ – Physical fitness test and Interpretation meeting – 8:00 am registration, 8:30 start.
- ISOA-NJ – August 9 – Mercer County College – Fitness test at 8:00 am. Interpretation meeting follows the fitness test.
- Eastern PA and Delaware – Saturday, August 16, Saturday – Villanova University – 7:30 am start for the fitness test. Interpretation meeting follows the fitness test.
- Westchester/Rockland ISOA – Rules Interpretation information is here.
NY Metro ISOA members who attend these (or any other non-NY Metro ISOA) rules interpretation meeting are required to attend three of the four scheduled business meetings to meet the NISOA requirement to attend 3 business meetings.
The 2008 NISOA Refresher Test is now available for download. This year, members will submit their answer sheet online. Answer sheets must be submitted before the annual rules interpretation meeting on August 23, 2008. All active members (including new members) are required to submit an answer sheet to maintain their good standing status. The procedure for taking the refresher test is:
- Download the test from our website. We recommend printing the test and writing your answers on the test itself.
- Log on to the web site and fill out your answer sheet. You do not have to fill out the entire answer sheet in one session. When you click on the ‘save and submit’ button, your answers will be saved. You may come back and finish at any time before August 23, 2008.
As always, you may use the NCAA Soccer Rules Book as a reference when you take the test. Please post any questions in the comments section.
