So I just got back from my first refereeing assignment of 2008 for Church ball, and I didn’t totally suck — which is good.
It was actually my first real physical activity in six weeks since breaking my elbow and tearing some ligaments in my right arm. (Actually, it was a non-displaced radial head fracture, which means I cracked the head of the radius bone where it comes together into the elbow.)
It broke when I fell off a ladder the Saturday after Thanksgiving while putting up Christmas lights on our home. I landed with my arm fully extended, then rolled to my elbow and then my shoulder. Not fun!
But I did fare better than the other guy who ended up in the Emergency Room at Alta View Hospital earlier in the day. He broke his back. UGH!
Anyway, it took me about a quarter and a half to get back into the swing of reffing once again, which is about what it normally takes. It’s like your eyes and head have to get used to watching the bodies and not the ball before you start to see the fouls and plays actually unfold — particularly when you’re responsible for the off-side play.
Anyway . . . only one person fouled out and no one got “T-ed” up, so that was good too. Generally, technical fouls mean the referees have lost control of the game.