Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-01-27

r.orb Of University OF PENNSYLVANIA Soccer
CRITICISM of the referee is one of
" thc commonest occurrences at a
.or,c or soccer. Seldom does one hear
him praised, no matter how earnest
oo,obIc and conscientious he may be.
PLAYERS are praised, teams are praised,
brt II is only where one or the other Is
manifcstly bad or. rough that anything
in Tho nature of criticism Is heard.
Normally, one would think that the play
rould be- occupying the whole attention
nf thc spcctators, bit II never seems to
10 sufficiently occupied for them not to
30 anpnrcntly watching the referee very
oIosnlv The unfortunate part of 1t Is
,bot i is seldom the criticism is just.
Those who, as n rule, are most vocif-
crous in their criticism are those who
corld not referee a game under any
,onditions If they were called upon.
II does not occur to them, particularly
n oTsidr play. that their angle of
risionl is quite different from that of
tbc roforrc. and that probably If they
wcrc in the same position under the
same conditions they would probably
do exactly the same or ms near 1t as
tbey could. They concentrate their at
tontion on tho referee and only Incl
dcntallv on the player. while the ref
crcc has to concentrate absolutely on the
nIavcrs. the ball and the game. and very
Incidentally on the spectators:
II is n fact. however, that in the
average game very little effort is made
br thr ;,lHh officials toward making 1t
"osic,. for the referee TO handle the
game, and this is particularly notice
able in recent years.
Officials unlampcred
II used 10 be the case that whenever
rcn an ordinary game was played adc-
ouatc steps were taken by the club Of
friol, TO give the players and game or :
Goiui. perfect freedom in playing and
handling the game. The CLUBS used u"
provide ropes set back from the touch
ond roal lines n sufficient distance to
ionrc thc fed and the lines perfectly
r,cor for the players and linesmen. The
ronns were used and not less than two
,miforrupd policemen We're there to see
Thar unauthorized persons were kept
or,si,lr of the ropes. If the crowd was
large one and the game one OF con :
,idrrnblc interest there were additional
nolircucu to restrain the ardent en-
tLuyiastS from encrOach;ng on the
frd The result was that the games
ore played hard and clean. because
tbc officials we're not hampcrcd or inter
fcrod with in tho execution of their
Duties by the cncroachmcnt Of specta-
tors
Today there is differences. Only in
occasional games are the necessary pre-
cautious taken to keep the spectators
of the field. and sometimes not even IN
very important games are adequate
steps taken to guard against cncroach-
mcnt -.
Not only is tho game and its handling
inrrrfcrcd with bur the orderly sptcta .
for has his view of the game interfered
with. There is no excuse FOR this. it
/. duo TO rarclcssrcSS solely. Aside
from tho discomfort it gives the orderly
spectator il interfcrcA with tn" game.
mndicappiug the linesmen. the players
and the referee.
Interfere with Lincsmcn
The lincsmcu cannot perform lhelr
duties off the field ~ the law requires
them to do. they cannot travel except
inside the field at varying distances