Rocco Knows Best

Under the tutelage of Rocco the Assessor . . . The Assessor of Soccer Refs, I worked my first center, which I found quite enjoyable: the time goes fast, you have to really lock in and focus, you get plenty of cardio, and you have to realize that ten-year-olds fall down a lot, even when there is no foul . . . this was also my first time dealing with a build-out line, which is an excellent rule but does require a lot of reminding the offensive team to retreat on goal kicks and goalie possessions-- but it does encourage some passing and possession . . . and I got the hang of it, and the parents were well behaved, perhaps because I was in Metuchen, not North Brunswick.