ASSIGNMENTS
Assignments are made by Leon Feigenbaum, westnor50@gmail.com 914 681-6075 for Scarsdale Recreation League, Indoor leagues and tournaments.
Bruce Mandel assigns the WYSL travel league, State Cup, Premier League and Y-League: bmandel4@verizon.net 914-693-1411
Pre-season: submit your availability (form available on web site).
If during the season, you know you are not going to be
available, please let the assignor know before he contacts you for work, by
email or phone; do not update the online form.
Bruce’s Process (for WYSL):
Starting Sunday evening, Bruce will utilize e-mail primarily, the WSRO website and telephone if absolutely necessary. The most important thing, besides accepting your weekly assignments, is to respond to the assignor’s e-mail either accepting your assignment or to provide an update as to your availability.
Uncovered games list (those where nor ref has been assigned) will be e-mailed to all members and posted on the announcements page of our web site on Friday afternoons, even while we are trying to fill those games. If you can pick up a game or two from the uncovered games list, you will e-mail Bruce or call him at 914 693-1411; he will confirm with you and then delete the game from the web site posting.
Leon’s Process (for Scarsdale Rec):
Monday or Tuesday of each week: Call Leon and leave a message that you wish to ref this coming weekend, specify day(s) available, time, number of games, preferred age group(s) and leave your phone number.
Wednesday or Thursday: Leon will call you with your assignment; keep your phone line open! Make sure you are clear on the assigned field and time(s). Field directions for Westchester league games can be found by going to our announcements page and clicking on the link
If you do not call Leon, but had indicated your availability, Leon may call you if he is short refs…but at that time, choices may be limited, so do not wait!
If all WYSL games are cancelled, it will be announced on 914 693-1411 and 914 472-3196 by 9 am Sunday and placed on the announcements page of this web site. If only some games are cancelled, we will do our best to put the announcements up as well as call the effected referee. You must check any message on your own phone as well.
It is the ref’s responsibility to learn if the assigned game has been called off. If there is a chance of rain/cancellation due to wet grounds, you must call 914 693-1411 for WYSL games and/or check this web site’s announcement page (before you leave to your game) to see if the game is still on. Messages will be posted as early as 8 am regarding municipalities/fields which are “pulled.”
You also need to check your own
phone messages for word from the Assignor or his designee about your game or
your field---before you leave your house. We will not advise you by e-mail. You might hear from the coach or a local league
administrator. In this case, be sure
that you inquire whether just the particular game is called off or the entire
slate of games for that field.
The WYSL will cancel the entire slate of games, if by 9 a.m. on Sunday morning, 50% of the games are called off by the local leagues. If you do not learn about your game, you are to go to it. If you arrive at your game and it is not played or otherwise called off, you will get paid for your first game. In this case, submit to the WYSL the date, game assigned (teams and time), your name and address and note that the game was not played and you were not notified.
FIELD CHANGES
If the field is switched to one nearby, the ref should go to the new field; if the ref has a subsequent game on the first field, a representative of the home team must be present at the first field to advise the teams that the ref will be coming back…and that extra time may be required.
FORFEITS
If the game is a forfeit, the referee gets paid for at least one game (forfeit procedures should apply); the referee must wait for his subsequent assignments on the field. Referee should not declare a forfeit; simply report the situation to the League.
NO GAME
If the ref goes to a field and there is no game as a result of an error by the WYSL, the referee gets paid from the WYSL; if it is a WSRO error, the WSRO will compensate the referee. Please advise the Assignor who will confirm the error and indicate how to proceed to get paid.
PLAYER PASSES
In Westchester League games, players may not play without a pass.
In the absence of a player pass, if the coach presents a letter from the WYSL signed by the WYSL President or Lee D’Argenio, you should let the player play the game. You must submit the letter with your game report. Under this procedure, the WYSL is taking the responsibility for any liability for a player without a pass. Should there be a problem later (e.g., phony letter), the league will punish the coach. You as the ref will bear no responsibility.
RULES GOVERNING ASSIGMENTS IN THE AREAS SERVICED BY THE WSRO
All Westchester Youth Soccer League (WYSL) games including scrimmages, and State Cup games must have referees assigned by the WSRO. If you are asked directly by a team, club or an outside party to ref a game, call the Assignor or the President for guidance.
If you happen to be at a particular location where no assigned referee is present for a WYSL game and if you feel qualified to handle the game competently and professionally, you may officiate. However, later in the day, you must notify the Assignor.
Do not agree to officiate any game where you do not know the teams and/or the affiliation is unclear.
If you have any doubt about accepting an assignment, please contact the President or an executive board member.
As determined by the WSRO
Arbitration Board, September 2005:
● Turnbacks: A “turnback” occurs when a referee accepts an assignment but later must turn back that game to Bruce or Leon. We understand that, despite everyone’s best intentions, sometimes things do come up after an assignment is accepted. It is important that you either (a) alert the assignor when accepting an assignment or (b) decline the assignment altogether, if you think there is a real chance you won’t actually be able to work the game. If things look fine when you accept the assignment but something comes up later on that makes it impossible for you to cover the game, you must alert the assignor immediately. If you alert him early enough and he is able to arrange alternate coverage for the game, then he will “release” you from that assignment. However, because even ordinary turnbacks are an administrative nuisance (given that Bruce and Leon typically assign 200 or so games every week), we still may assess you a standard “turnback fee” ($5 or $10 per game turned back). If turnbacks become a recurring theme for a particular referee, more severe sanctions may become appropriate.
● Late Turnbacks: “Late turnbacks” are just like regular turnbacks, except that they take place within the last few days before the scheduled game is to be played. Late turnbacks strain the assigning system and sometimes don’t give the assignor enough time to arrange alternate coverage. Sometimes late turnbacks arise from last minute conflicts that are unanticipated and unavoidable, and sometimes they don’t. Either way, even if the assignor is able to arrange for alternate coverage so he can “release” you from the assignment, we still may assess you a “late turnback” fine (the amount of the fine will depend on the circumstances). Again, recurring problems may require more severe sanctions.
● Failed Turnbacks: “Failed turnbacks” are just like regular turnbacks, except that the assignor was not able to arrange for alternate coverage. If this happens, you are not released from the assignment. If you cover the game, then Arbitration Board action for the attempted turnback ordinarily is not required (except where a pattern of turnbacks develops). If you don’t cover the game even though you haven’t been released, then we will handle the matter almost like it was a no-show (except that we’ll take into account that you acted responsibly in trying to turn back the assignment).
● No-Shows: “No-Shows” occur when a referee who’s accepted an assignment fails to appear and referee the assigned game. No-shows are extremely serious situations. Absent a compelling excuse, a no-show is likely to result in a fine (as much as a full game fee) and may result in other types of sanctions (including suspension) as well. In rare cases, intervention by the sponsoring league or another appropriate authority also may be warranted.
● You MUST Follow Up: Do not assume that leaving a phone message for the assignor, or sending an e-mail to him, is sufficient. It is not! Unless you actually reach the assignor, or hear back from him, you must assume that he didn’t get your message. You must follow up! Contact Bruce if you can’t reach Leon, or Leon if you can’t reach Bruce. If you can’t reach either of them, contact another member of the WSRO Executive Board (their contact info is on the WSRO’s website, at www.wsroref.com). Once you’ve accepted assignment to a game, it is your responsibility to honor that assignment unless the assignor (or another WSRO Executive Board member) releases you from it.
In addition to turnbacks and no-shows, everyone should be aware of a couple of other problems that arise with some regularity:
l Improper Referee Uniforms: Please see the WSRO website (under the “assignments” heading) for the proper referee uniform. Also, please don’t wear a referee jersey that’s the same color as one of the teams is wearing!
l Improper Check-In of Players and Coaches: The leagues, and the players, depend on us to really check passes.
Refereeing is an exciting, but challenging, endeavor. Our hope is that each WSRO referee will work professionally and responsibly to help make everyone’s experience as enjoyable and professionally rewarding as possible.