Peter Guthrie signals a teen soccer referee for making a good call during a youth soccer match at Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, Md. Guthrie is an instructor with the U.S. Soccer Federation Referee Program. (Eric Lee for NPR)
Coaches and parents berate the refs and yell at their kids and each other. Physical assaults have broken out. Adults' sideline behavior at youth sports events has gotten so bad, there's a national referee shortage, not to mention it's taken the fun out of the game.
Brian Barlow is a longtime collegiate soccer referee. He says becoming a referee these days is a tough sell. (Brian Barlow)
Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
