December 23, 2000
Guest Editorial by Hank Leung
Lack of Female Officials Doing the NCAA Finals

Interesting commentary, especially after all the scrutiny given the female officials "force fed" into the system for the women's national team matches, the Women's World Cup and the Olympics. As I recall there has even been some commentrary about the level of female officiating, at this website, from time to time.

Regardless of whether an official is male or female, only the best should be featured at the highest levels of competition.

Why?

THE BEST FEMALE SOCCER PLAYERS DESERVE THE BEST OFFICIALS! These players have had to compete to get to the world class level. They have been scrutinized, tested and evaluated a zillion times. Why should we entrust their safety and the game, itself, to officials selected predominately because of their gender. MORE

Presupposing the officiating world at least mirrors the real world to some degree, then the best officials, male or female, are recognized as such because they too have had to compete and work to get there. In other words, they have followed the same path as the top notch soccer players. They have worked their way through the ranks and have earned "their stripes."

Creating opportunity is fine. But not at the expense of the top notch female players. And not at the expense of the game. And not when creating that opportunity creates a mockery of the very situation it is attempting to rectify.

I can still see Mia Hamm being kicked in the chest with the studs of a Nigerian player in WWC '99. And I still remember only a foul was called.

As FIFA and the players worldwide have recognized, the game has surpassed the level of officiating in quite a number of instances. In fact, too many. It was a breath of fresh air to see FIFA hold officals accountable during men's World Cup play over the past few years. Sending the incompetents home from the Finals early certainly sent a message. And though they should have at the Women's World Cup, as well, I'm sure they felt their hands were tied as they wanted to be politically correct. But since FIFA wouldn't or couldn't do it, the powers to be in the female game should have done it by making sure the best officials handled the games, regardless of sex.

This we owe to the game. This we owe to the top notch female soccer players. For they are the ones who create the magic and attract us to the games.

A socccer career is short enough as it is. One at the highest level is even shorter. To allow it to be threatened or shortened even further by incompetent officiating is unforgivable because that is something the powers to be have some control over.

Here's a rather novel idea. How about we pick our best officials for games the way we pick our best team for a game? We base it on ability.

Yours in soccer,

Hank Leung

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