The essential fairness of a single national test....

    During the late eighties, Bob Sumpter proposed the idea of having a single testing session for national referees.  At that time, the testing for nationals was dispersed all over the country and conducted by "Regional Referee Instructors".  Needless to say, but the testing sessions weren't always the same.  In the fitness testing, weather, inaccurate timing, soft-hearted examiners created frustration for the candidates.  Grading of written tests was variable.  And in the matter of assessments, we had suspicions that referees shopped around for "softies" who were so lenient they would pass the candidate's mother doing an under-6 contest.

    Bob resigned before he could bring his idea to fruition, and so the task was given to me as the new NDRI.  At the same time Keith Walker, the secretary-general of the federation, told me that another task I had was to prepare seven FIFA referees for the World Cup in 1994.  [At that time, the host country for the finals was allowed the privilege of having a referee and six linesmen; other countries had a referee, who would also serve as a linesman and fourth official throughout the contest.]  I assured him I could do that, provided I got support for setting high standards that applied to every national candidate.  No favors for friends; no slipping answers to special candidates; come back next year if the candidate failed the fitness and so on.  Those were the days . . . !

    In the twenty years since then, how far have we progressed ?  I could write an evaluation, based upon what I see on the field, but since I don't go to the testing myself, it's better that I leave it to someone who was there.  So here it is, straight from an e-mail from a participant in the first session.  (I did a little editing of typos, slips of the keyboard, etc., but I did not change a word of the content, except for clarity.  My insertions are identified.  The passion, the intensity, the outrage belong to the candidate.)  Red is the color of protest.

>begin<    
    It was a sad day for the US Soccer National Referee program as its second camp for 2008 got under way.  The weather was beautiful, sunny and 70 degrees, unlike the miserable, rainy, cold, and slick track conditions for the first National Camp that started on January 24th.  Everyone from camp 1 was anxious to hear about the written and fitness testing that would have taken place today.  BUT, NO testing at all took place.

     It must have been obvious from the first camp that the fitness levels to run the new FIFA Fitness Test had to be high, as 40 referees (31 percent) failed in camp one and were billed the appropriate fees for failure.  It is obvious in order to protect the referees they wanted to referee in the MLS this year, they chose not to have fitness testing (in the second camp - RE) for fear of massive failures, nor any testing of any kind for the first time I can ever remember.

    This was a huge slap in the face for every National Referee who was made to take the new FIFA Fitness Test with such little notice for training purposes in poor weather.  Many are questioning if this was a tactic to make money off the first camp and to reduce the number of National Referees as a whole.

    No one from "camp two" will be penalized, as they were at "camp one"!  It is obvious they had NO faith in their own program, or in the people they chose to be in it and run it.  A HUGE slap in the face for those who took the fitness test on that miserable day, and who should be refereeing, but will not due, to the "GOOD OL' BOY SYSTEM" solidly in place. 

    USSF should go back and refund the money it charged those people who took the tests administered at "camp one", because the two camps were not equally administered as was stated on the registration forms.  Instead they (camp two - RE) will be allowed an appropriate amount of time, unlike camp 1, to train and pass the fitness test, so they will be allowed to stay in the NRP as National Referees.

    This was a COWARDLY ACT by the USSF to keep the people who trained hard for the right to referee, and keep those who lazily pass every year (thanks to their changing of the rules when they deem necessary).  When the National Referee Camp was in Tucson over 50 referees failed a fairly-given written test.  Over half (the failures - RE) were MLS referees.  NO ONE was made to retake the test, again slapping in the face everyone who studied hard to pass, while merely slapping the hand of the failures, telling them not to do it again.

     What is wrong with this picture ?  NATIONAL CAMP is a competition of the best.  Those who step up, referee, and those who don't, try harder for the next go-around.  You don't GIVE people the right,  they need to EARN it.  And in the USSF National Program, that has not taken place since I have been there.
>end<

    It seems that by keeping in place the unfair system we tried to overturn, we are back where we were twenty years ago.

Comments

[Jeff Forward]

The US Soccer referee program has long been too over-populated with referees that don't deserve to be at the national level. Or, they at least have not earned it in the manner everyone else is supposed to.
I will give you two examples: one of our newest FIFA officials was promoted to national referee despite never having been assessed on a true professional game. Sure, Alfie and Esse will tell you she did some 17-year-old women's national team game in some weird "tournament" that was "equivalent" to a pro game, and that's supposedly cool with them. They know everything, you know?
Anyway, this official is a darn good referee and will be good at the FIFA level, but the truth is the requirements as they are for all others were not met by this person. How did they become a national then? You can figure it out...someone liked the person, a lot.
Now another example of this which we've seen a lot of in Cal-North is the "assign a candidate to a pro match, then assign an assessor that the LAC KNOWS will not show up"...hence, the candidate gets the pro game count for his/her 5 and 5, but there's no assessor there to flunk them if something goes wrong. These officials are then sent to the USASA regionals where they'll do some 10-0 women's select game and our LAC will call in a favor to some assessor/LAC from UTah or Nevada, whatever, to get the assessment to count so this person can go to camp. Voila, too many nationals.
This crap happens all over the USA, and it is a shame.
As for the written test - we in Cal-North, well those in a certain, special group - were routinely given answers, tips, clues, and even the questions to the national exam beforehand.
If you weren't in the group, no inside help. It was simple...and a shame.
Oh yeah, I've got a lot more to say and will be doing so. Anyone who wants to question or query me on anything I write, feel free to shoot me an e-mail.
Jeff Forward
USSF Referee-in-Limbo

[Jeff Forward]

Oh yeah, one more thing: if what Bob has posted on his site (the comments from the referee at camp) are indeed true, it's a sad, sad day for US Soccer Referee Program.
What we referees need is for everyone to stand up to favoritism and cronyism and corruption and just say no. We need to clean up our house. We've all seen it go on too long, and if you're like me, you begrudgingly looked the other way because you were getting the games and moving up the ladder.
So, here's an apology to all the referees out there who didn't even get that fair chance they deserved because of the bullshit favoritism played by most LACs and SRAs all over the country.

[Gary LeMay]

If even half of this is true, it is indeed a sad commentary on the USSF referee program. Can someone dig out Harry Baldwin's 1980's presentation on ethics?

[anon]

I think it's remarkable how each time Dr. Evans unearths another example of cronyism in the national program, one of the full-time referees makes a post in the USSF Referee's blog explaining how wonderful everything is...

[wallflower]

Regarding National Camps one and two: Interesting dynamics in motion all over the place.

Definitely a drag for those that did not seek and prepare for the new challenge of the interval test. (It has to be worked with to be able to tame it) From my understanding no one had many issues with the written test.

So here is another view, several, probably a majority of the members in the second camp appeared annoyed that they did not at least have the opportunity to take and complete the new interval test. Likely these are those that have a natural talent for any type of running or those that had made the effort to ready themselves and were prepared.

I had my own thoughts to all the possible reasons why the second camp was altered. Some of those remain still, but it was not obvious until it was announced from Dan Flynn that through his own investigations and interviewing of National Referees he had come to find that National Camp was a waste of time. Apart from the occasionally well run camp and a golden nugget here and there. Yeah, I'd have to agree.

So after evaluating the 3 to 4 days spent on camp I assessed the performance. I see that new things appear to be in motion and ideas that have been stuck on old cogs are now breaking free from worn out clockworks.

The additional time and focus was dedicated to a few more sessions where referees talked amongst themselves with a mentor/coach to guide the flow of conversation. This was an exceptional use of time and energy.

A slight shift in philosophy was discussed, observed, evaluated and re-discussed, re-observed and re-evaluated. Again, a very good use of time and energy.

So back to the idea of proving knowledge of the laws of the game and demonstrating physical fitness over an entire day out of the two full days provided. Given that the second camp "should" be an outfit of referees that are knowing of the laws of the game, maybe the open discussions of the application and interpretation of the laws was far more rewarding and beneficial. I saw hard-core book referees bend and become enlightened and I saw the more lenient referee support his approach using both spirit and interpretaion of the laws. if anything this allowed us to understand each other better and to tolerate different styles. Fitness test? Bottom line and message was "nobody gets away without doing it." In fact it is now proposed that camp two nominees will be taking the fitness test three time each season. Preseason, All-Star break, and near the end of the MLS season. Anyone that does not complete the test during preseason this year will not be re-certified.

So with all the doubt and skepticism that I created at the beginning of Camp two, I left far more hopeful that the National Referee Program may be heading in a good direction. Some unfamiliar territory for sure, however it does appear to be on a venture of new horizons and new discovery. With that we will sure to find both good and bad. Obviously I am hoping for more good.

[pat Smith]

I was a Regional Instructor in the 70s, and i can say that no one in Region two ever got a free ride from me on their way to the National Badge.And i know that no one got it easy from Harry Baldwin,I helped him one time in New Jersey and you earned your way to the badge

[just wondering]

In response to wallflower, I am curious if all the referees were given their national badge in their packets at the end of camp or just the half dozen or so that had already completed the physical? It seems that if they were being strict, they could not issue these badges until after someone passes the fitness test at preseason camp.

[Gary LeMay]

I think I will rename the USSF national testing session the referee Rorschach test. All of the people I have talked to who attended have different versions of what happened. I surmise that these opinoins have a lot to do with their relationship with some of the people involved in running camp.

I agree, Bob, that a single national testing session is the way to go. However, I don't agree that it will stop some of the favoritism described because I have seen it first-hand at the national testing sessions I attended. Favorite sons and daughters are viewed as having a bad day when they mess up; those held in lower esteem are viewed as getting lucky when they do something well. As human beings we are more willing to forgive errors from people we like than people we don't like.

Favoritism and politics is as a part of human nature as breathing. Twas was always thus, and always thus will be! Favoritism happens in medical school admissions, law school admissions, graduate school admissions, corporate promotions, government promotions and yes...the USSF referee program. What having a single national testing session does is minimize the number of opportunities for politics and favoritism to play a role in the selection process.

[Norman Williamson]

I resent Mr. Forward's response about getting a assesment in UTAH as easy and will gladly tell him it is no better in Cal North or where ever. We receintly sent a National canidate to S.F. for a assesment and where instead of saying the person failed they game the game a "Not Assessable Rating".The top referees say that for the good of the game they should not punish players who delay the taking of a kick, as not for the enjoyment for the game (almost all the Referees I see here at MLS level). So the Players do it and not just here but all over the country, and it has filtered into the lower levels of our game. National/MLS Referee's (USSF) get some stones and lets play the game as it was intended.

Norm Williamson SYRA Utah

[Jeff Forward]

Hey Norm, I did not mean getting an assessment in Utah was easy. I was using it as an example of a place where a select tournament takes place - with referees and assessors from all over Region 4 attending - and having an easy game end with a lop-sided score, making it less likely for counting as a challenging game or OK assessment. Then, the LACs or SRAs in various states with officials who are on the bubble will pull in/ask for favors such as getting a normally unassessable game to count as an assessment in exchange for giving someone a game in this state or that later in time, or exhanging assessment favors for specific referees. The process of sending candidates or nationals to cal-north to get their assessments on the "pro-equiv." league of cpsa was ripe for assessment shennanigans. I saw referees from as far away as florida be sent to can to do a game to get to camp and get a pass when it should have been a fail.
as for favoritism and cronyism, yes, it is wide spread...that doesn't make it right or acceptable.
when we went to spain to spent 18 days with their leading referee instructors and officials. we noticed everything was public - all referee scores on fitness, written tets, assessments, and etc....they also had a secret assessor program to
prevent assessment favors from happening.
we can do it, but there are too many people standing in the way. if esse and julie are Ghandi as Bob says, it's a good start.
So, Norm, don't take it as an insult...ask Gunther or some of the other referees in the state about me.

[comment]

To anon: keep in mind that comments in the other blog are censored as the author has to accept comments.

[anon]

To comment: Oh I have no doubt that it's highly censored. I simply find it interesting that it grows another puffed-up propaganda piece every time something critical of the program is posted here.

[whistleblowerusa]

I attended the first camp. I was also one of those 40 who "failed" the fitness test. I am fit and worked hard to train for the test just as I have always done in the past. We were not given any instruction as to how we should train for the test and the night before we were not even given any hint as to what to expect. just were each group was to start. The weather was a factor but not the first time at any camp. The biggest problem was that there was far too many people running at the same time and way too many with no experience in running the official version of the test. I was one of the many who was told to stop after being flagged twice. (you are allowed to miss reaching the end point of a 150 once, then after the second miss you are out). With so many and with the way the zones were set out those a step or two behind had trouble reaching the line. I was inches away from the line each time I was flagged. It became less of a fitness test and more of ones timing and skill predicting where to be to finish on time (much like a jockey in a horse race). It was not administered fairly. There were some that were not prepared, I was not one of those. I was not allowed to complete the test. Not sure whether I have been charged yet for the camp. It has not shown up on my credit card statement yet. We were not afford a retest. The second camp did not run. The requirements of attaining/ retaining the National badge are clearly stated in the documents sent to all of us. We all must attend and successfully complete a written exam and the FIFA fitness test. Some at the first camp did not ( and were given badges) all at the second did not (and all were given a badge). I smell a law suite coming. I would think very much about one if I am charged for not passing the test at camp.
I will now retake the fitness test and be successful at a regional clinic for my badge. I am not worried about that. However, I expect better treatment by those in Chicago and not to be lied to. The whole country knows went went on in LA at National Camps 1 and 2. There was no equity and no fairness.

[Mike K.]

I feel sorry for the Nationals who were not treated fairly. It just highlights the problems we have in this country's Referee Program.

Obviously, refereeing is a job. No matter if you area a Grade 8 who only does U10 and below, or if you're a Grade 7 or above who does the higher level matches. This is a profession. And the way things are administered at the top, and the way people (who have worked hard to attain their badge) are treated, is despicable and not in any way right. You would NEVER see this is any other career field. And if you did, there would be serious repercussions for the employer.

So why is there no accountability at the top?