As a former Soccer Referee and in response to some of the comments. The kids go to the cars too, they don’t huddle at the side of the field. If in High School or College and they are close to a building or locker room they go inside. I’ve had to point out to parents sitting in metal bleachers, attached to stadium lighting poles that they are sitting on the largest ever lightning rod in order to get them to move. And yes referees get paid, but at the youth level after paying for equipment, travel and food since you miss dinner at home, you are in the hole by the end of the night. Fees are on a sliding scale based on age (younger kids play shorter games). I’ve been paid as little as $8 for a U-6 game and as much as $150 for a college match. I did this as a “hobby” for 20 years and retired 6 years ago. You have to love the game and want to do it for the kids (someone did it for us when we were kids) in order to put up with the aches and pains both physically and from the fans and some coaches.
As a former Soccer Referee and in response to some of the comments. The kids go to the cars too, they don’t huddle at the side of the field. If in High School or College and they are close to a building or locker room they go inside. I’ve had to point out to parents sitting in metal bleachers, attached to stadium lighting poles that they are sitting on the largest ever lightning rod in order to get them to move. And yes referees get paid, but at the youth level after paying for equipment, travel and food since you miss dinner at home, you are in the hole by the end of the night. Fees are on a sliding scale based on age (younger kids play shorter games). I’ve been paid as little as $8 for a U-6 game and as much as $150 for a college match. I did this as a “hobby” for 20 years and retired 6 years ago. You have to love the game and want to do it for the kids (someone did it for us when we were kids) in order to put up with the aches and pains both physically and from the fans and some coaches.