Titans, Lancers Fall In CIF Soccer Playoffs As Officials Blast Sport's Rogue Behavior

As two Lake Elsinore high schools battled it out in separate CIF soccer match-ups this week, the sport got a stern warning from officials: unless high school soccer addresses its poor sportsmanship it will be put on probationary status.

The CIF-Southern Section, which oversees 581 schools from San Luis Obispo to the Mexican border, issued the warning that could result in elimination of postseason play for a year.

The warning came during a CIF-playoffs week that saw the Temescal Canyon Titans girls soccer fall to the Cabrillo Conquistadores, 1-0, on Tuesday, and the Lakeside Lancers boys soccer lose to Baldwin Park in overtime, 4-3, on Wednesday.

Here’s what has CIF officials so upset:

• Soccer has garnered more ejections, red cards and incidents of inappropriate behavior than all other CIF-sanctioned sports combined;
• 787 ejection reports on student-athletes this season;
• 82 ejection reports on coaches;
• eight student-athletes banned from interscholastic competition for the remainder of their high school eligibility, all for assaulting an official.

And the CIF points the finger at everyone, from the student-athletes and the coaches to the parents and even the school administrators who don’t police the sport as aggressively as perhaps is warranted.

“We’re delighted so many students participate in a sport that is rigorous and demanding,” the CIF report states. “One would think that the sport is enjoying strong, positive support from our school administrators. That is not necessarily true.

“Soccer garners more ejections, red cards and incidents of inappropriate behavior than any other sport," the CIF report continued. "In fact, we’ve seen more ejections and red cards than all our sports combined!” 

Two years ago, the Southern Section implemented a system to track inappropriate conduct by teams. If a school team generates four red cards – red cards are handed out for overly aggressive play, like throwing a punch or any manner of fighting; foul language or extremely dangerous play -- that team will be placed on probation, which can ultimately affect entry into playoffs.

A number of factors contribute to the aggression, said Diamond Ranch girls soccer coach Victoria Hengtes, who is also a member of the CIF Coaches Advisory Committee. 

First and foremost, soccer is a contact sport. The combination of an aggressive sport with such close proximity of fans and parents to the action has made soccer games even more volatile, many coaches said. Hentges includes parents who taunt officials and opposing players, players who show no respect for officials, and coaches who do not control or discipline players who show overly aggressive behavior. 

“I definitely think something needs to be done about the parents,” Hengtes said. “I’ve had issues with parents yelling at other athletes on our team. When one parent started making very rude comments to other children, administration had to step in.

“The parenting aspect is getting worse and they are less and less respectful, which in turn, their kids see," Hengtes continued. "There are too many parents of this generation that don’t respect what the coaches are doing.”

In turn, the CIF has concerns for the safety and well-being of its officials. Eight assaults on officials is startling and not acceptable, CIF officials said.

“Our officials are a valuable resource: they work under difficult circumstances,” the CIF report stated. “Most officials work because they love the game and the student-athletes who play. They should not fear for their safety during the conduct of a game, no matter how important the outcome to the participants.”

Because officials are often subject to verbal abuse, they appear uncommunicative if they choose not to respond to coaches’ inquiries during a game. Hengtes also cites a language barrier, as some of the officials do not speak English. But blame for the inappropriate behavior falls on coaches as well.

“Coaches often become heated and sometimes berate the officials, which only serves to incite spectators,” the CIF report states. “Many times games are conducted on campus without administrative supervision. These factors contribute to a difficult situation for our sport managers and our officials.”

The sport was once placed on probationary status in the Section; we fear we may be headed in the same direction in the future, CIF officials said.

Despite its rogue reputation, high school soccer is thriving in Southern California. According to the CIF Southern Section, 80 percent of its member schools – more than 400 high schools – field boys and girls teams.