It comes down to trusting the pictures.
When Jeremy Hanson discusses the fundamentals of his trade, the most valuable skill is being able to freeze-frame an instant in a swirl of constant motion.
That is the challenge for an assistant referee — AR in soccer parlance — whose main job is to make sure that attacking players don’t gain an advantage by moving into an offside position.
That Hanson, a 1995 Evergreen High School graduate who teaches physical education and leadership at Wy’East Middle School, is now making those decisions in Major League Soccer matches is testament to his focus. And it is not a surprise to those who watched his development.
“Jeremy has a unique blend of things. He has the right personality for being a referee,” said Jill Derry, a local soccer official and instructor. “He’s such a dynamic person. He has such a quick wit and a good sense of humor. And I think all of those things are really important for succeeding at the higher levels.”
Back in 2003, officiating professional soccer was not part of the picture that pushed Hanson to start officiating soccer games.
“The only reason I’m where I am now is we made the decision for me to stay home to raise our kids,” Hanson said. “I can’t emphasize enough how much my wife has supported this. She knows that if I’m going to do something, I need to give it everything. It can’t be halfway.”
Working the line of an MLS match is not a halfway assignment.
The movement is constant as the AR moves to stay in line with the last defender in order to accurately tell if a player is offside.
Hanson said the most challenging and important skill for assistant referees is “being able to take that mental picture the second the ball is played” to see if a part of an attacking player’s body is ahead of the last defender.
“That in and of itself is a very difficult skill to develop,” Hanson said.
Being close never cuts it.
One mistake that left an impression on Hanson happened in his second MLS season.
Eric Hurtado, then a Vancouver Whitecaps rookie, scored a goal that Hanson flagged offside. Hanson was not in perfect position, and trusted his gut more than his eyes. Replays showed Hurtado was onside by at least a yard. (The Whitecaps won the match, so at least the error did not impact the outcome).
“I learned a lot from that decision,” he said. The main lesson: Trust the picture you see more than your gut.
“It is extremely difficult (when you) screw up, especially if you know it,” Hanson said. “You’ve got to move on. If you dwell on that one mistake, you are going to make more.”
Erin Hanson, Jeremy’s wife, was not sure if Jeremy could make enough money as a soccer official to be a stay-at-home dad. So she accepted the family time lost as Jeremy took on as many assignments possible.
“I went to every single tournament I could in Washington and Oregon,” he said.
Hanson played soccer at Evergreen, Clark College and Concordia University. He coached the Columbia River High School boys team for several seasons and is now an assistant coach for the girls soccer team at Ridgefield High.
That background helped, but did not prepare him for the details required from officials.
Hanson credits mentoring from local soccer officials — including Jill Derry, Dave Derry, Fred Parrish and James Smith, who died in December — for his success. Parrish said Hanson’s humility and his interest in learning from criticism are traits that serve him well.
A conversation with Jill Derry after they worked a match together opened his eyes, Hanson said.
“He was saying after the game that he was a little bit bored,” Jill Derry said, laughing at the memory. “So I started listing off all the things that I could see that he could have done better to differently or in addition to what he was already doing. I think that kind of startled him.”
Hanson’s climb 10-year climb to the professional ranks started with Washington Youth Soccer state tournaments, and eventually the U.S. Youth Soccer nationals.
Though he enjoys being the referee (and still works games at the high school and college levels) Hanson said he chose the AR track in part because at his age it was his best chance to become internationally certified. That did not happen for Hanson.
At 38, he is already too old to be added to FIFA’s international pool.
That disappointment is tempered by the fact that Hanson is now an established member of the team that officiates MLS games. Hanson is one of 60 assistant referees in the Professional Referees Organization, which supplies officials for MLS matches. To make it as a PRO official requires passing annual rules and fitness tests.
Hanson worked his first MLS match on May 5, 2012. That it was in Portland (the Timbers hosted Columbus) was nice because it was a venue he’d worked in many times on his way up, officiating Timbers USL-level matches and the Timbers under-23 games. It was also nice that family and friends could be there for his debut in the top league in North America.
The physical demands of working the line require Hanson to work out six days a week, to eat right and to follow the workouts given him by the lead trainer for the Professional Referees Organization. Hanson also watches every MLS match online each week, paying special attention to the teams he will be calling next.
“We realize that these players are professionals and this is their livelihood,” Hanson said.
