It's about 10 minutes before match time. The refs are huddled in pre-game mode, off to the corner. During the conversations you look off to the side and notice a soccer ball, in what looks like an abandoned state. A quick scan for the owner reveals only a parent with a young child. "Is that your ball?" You ask. "No, it's been there for a while," is replied. What would you do next?

This is where good training in standard operational procedures (SOPs) pays off- the ref should pretend like he didn't see it.

...great touch Asman...no call...play on...

Option 2: attempt to determine, based on empirical evidence, if the ball belongs to the Texans' or not. If no determination can be made, give it to them anyway.

...postage stamped from just outside the box...gorgeous goal...what an effort by the winger...in stoppage time...chants and cheers ensue...complete madness....

Aswan wrote:

Like many calls a referee has to make, the decision is ultimately a subjective assessment based on complex situational contingencies. In a case such as the one at hand, the prevailing disposition in North Texas, is if, in the opinion of the referee, the answer was untruthful and that answer was an impediment to impending play, then the ten year old should be carded and the parent ejected from the complex. If substantial doubt exists regarding the veracity of the statement, the referee should at no time consult his linesmen but, rather, should issue the card perfunctorily in order to establish the referee's authority and set the tone for ensuing play.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfunctory
Certainly toward the yellow/green on the cynicismic idiom spectrograph.

Seriously, said keeper of pitch kindly walked to said lost property and dutifully reported it would soon be on its way to lost and found. btw-it was a black and white size 4 just to the side of Field 5 at RC this past Thursday at 7 pm. It had an 817 area code and a last name. Small acts of humanity makes sanity.

Well...he first should have called it a handball so the Solar parents would just shut up.

Here is another you make the call:
1. Player is taking a PK. Shoots and scores.
2. Their team is running back to their side of the field. High fiving and congratulating the player that scored.
3. I see the referee take the ball and set it down in the box and the other team starts advancing up the field.
4. I start yelling like the sky is falling and alert our players. Finally one of our players kicks the ball out. I'm shouting for at least an explanation to our coach. It takes maybe 5 minutes before the coach is told that we had a player enter the penalty area. If so, the kick should have been retaken.
Question: Why wasn't the entire team carded for dissent. Why wasn't the parent who kept asking for an explanation sent off? Should referees ever take the players emotions into account. For example, keeper grabs a player's ankle who is about to finish an uncontested shot. Cards for dissent? Or should dissent of any kind including hand gestures always be cautioned (card)?

Firstly, we need more information to make a reasonable determination. For instance, did the referee make any visual or audible signals before giving the ball back to the Texans?