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Ryan Rumfallo |
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August 19 |
Shawn Netjes |
During the junior varsity match, varsity coach Ryan Rumfallo stated the referees were racist. Referring to player Beverly Amoah, he said “Because you gave her a yellow, you're not going to give her a call, because you don't like her [race]!” Later, he said “Your giving a dark-skinned player a yellow is going to be called into question!”
Early in the first half, Amoah delayed a Weber free kick by running from 15 yards behind the direction of the kick, stopping immediately in front of the ball, and “adjusting” her socks for 20 seconds. She made no changes to the condition of her socks. She simply repeatedly moved the top of each sock slightly up and down. Referees allow illegal—some trifling, some not-so-trifling—delays to a restart. In this competition, in the entirety of both matches, no delaying tactics were used by either side, other than Amoah. The act was blatant, overt, and, to emphasize, unique. This is failing to respect a distance, but I issued a verbal warning.
Later in the first half, Amoah was cautioned for unsporting behavior. (See separate entry.)
Up to this point in the match, Amoah was issued a verbal warning for a cautionable offense, and a caution for a dismissable offense.
Early in the second half, Amoah, as left forward, was possessing the ball and moving into the attacking third, approximately halfway between the touchline and the center line. At the 20 yard line, she cut right, toward the goal, and was met by a Weber defender in a fair challenge. Amoah lost possession and fell to the ground.
We were refereeing in a two-man system. I was at the half line, 30 yards from the play, watching on the north-south axis. My partner Karen Grant was at the 18 yard line, 20 yards from the play, watching on the east-west axis. We were in ideal positions to make a call. As Amoah cut right, she was moving toward Karen. Since the play was in Karen's half—and she was closer and had a clear look—it was “her call.” However, I could call it too. Neither of us saw a foul by Weber.
Rumfallo yelled at me, “You're not going to call that?”
I replied, “Coach, there was no foul.”
Rumfallo gestured wildly and screamed, “Because you gave her a yellow, you're not going to give her a call, because you don't like her [race]!”
I stopped play and dismissed Rumfallo. He said “I'm not leaving! I'm calling my principal! You're leaving!” He did not leave.
I crossed the field to confer with Karen. I asked Karen if Amoah was fouled. Karen was adamant Amoah was not fouled. I asked Karen if she was racist, and if bias or bigotry influenced her judgement. Again, Karen was adamant Amoah was not fouled. I told Karen I dismissed Rumfallo for accusing us of racism, and we would leave if he did not. She agreed.
I re-crossed the field to again dismiss Rumfallo. He asked, “We can't talk about a call? You're going to make me leave without giving me a warning first?”
I replied, “Coach, we're happy to talk about calls, and we're happy to give warnings. This is not that. This is bringing the game into disrepute. This is a personal attack. You have called our professionalism into question.”
He responded, “Your giving a dark-skinned player a yellow is going to be called into question!”
Eventually he left the immediate area of the field, and play was restarted. |
