Chapter 19 — Across the Six Meter Line

The technical meeting did not take place in the hotel's VIP room as initially announced. That room had air conditioning but didn't have enough sockets for a projector, so the organizers moved to an old classroom behind the gym. On the wall there is a blackboard, the corner of which has a faded geometry problem written on it. In the middle of the table is a mechanical watch placed in a clear plastic box.

There were representatives of the organizing committee, two referees, Hanh, Luan, Manh, Diep, Vy and Ha Lam. Chi was invited as the person in charge of checking Lightning's conditions. She sat next to Luan, not at the head of the table.

Before starting, Ha Lam asked for one thing: "We suggest that the meeting not only watch the final phase. If we only watch the seven-meter ball, we will repeat the same old problem: whoever is louder will take over the entire story."

The coordinator is Ms. Bich, head of the professional department. She nodded and opened the file. “We will go in chronological order.”

Luan was called up first. He connected the computer to the projector, but did not open the video. He presented a diagram of the time sources: Hanh's stopwatch, the mechanical clock on the desk, the electronic board control signal and the whistle recording. He explains at 17:32 that the table is a beat behind but has not been removed from reference because the deviation may be due to manipulation. At 00:06 at the end of the match, the board jumped from 00:05 to 00:06 and then stood still, while the control signal did not respond.

“So did the board run an extra second or stand a second early?” Mrs. Bich asked.

“It's impossible to conclude just from the table,” Luan replied. "Because it did not record the final stop command. But Hanh's independent clock and the mechanical clock coincided. The recording had the whistle confirming the stoppage before the display changed."

“Are you sure the recording wasn't cut?”

"Yes. The recorder recorded continuously from before the first serve until after everyone left the court. I saved the originals on two devices."

After Luan finished speaking, he looked down. Ha Lam asked: "If it weren't for you, would we know about it?"

"It's possible to know the table is wrong. Not sure when it was wrong."

“Thank you,” Lam said.

Hanh goes to the next board. She did not defend herself with the words "I did my best". She read each milestone: 00:48 at the beginning of the last attack, 00:31 when Vi changed position, 00:15 when Tram blocked, 00:05 after the whistle. She clearly indicates which point is the running time of the match, and which point is the stop time according to the whistle.

"I confirm that when the seven-meter ball was awarded, my stopwatch had five seconds remaining according to the agreed upon rule. I also confirm that the electronic board could not be used as the sole source at that time."

Ms. Bich asked: "Are you under pressure because you sit with the Lightning team?"

Hanh straightened her back. "There was pressure because it was the final. But there were no instructions from the Lightning team. Chi sat out and didn't touch the table."

Chi heard her name but didn't say it. She remembers the moment when she wanted to step forward, wanted to take the pen, wanted to say everything. Not doing so is a small achievement, perhaps only she knows.

The main referee presented the six-meter situation. He reviewed a video taken by a parent from the stands. The camera angle is not enough to determine the position of Vi's shoe tip, but we can see defender Sao Mai's foot cutting into the running direction before Vi kicks the ball. He maintained the seven-meter decision was based on direct observation, not video.

Ha Lam would like to speak. “I'm not saying he looks wrong. I'm saying his perspective might be wrong partially covered by the rear defender. I want that to be recognized.”

The referee nodded. “Okay.”

“And I want to acknowledge the team I agreed to play on after the time was confirmed. We don't leave the field.”

Ms. Bich recorded it. Ha Lam didn't look at Manh, but that statement made the room less like a trial. No one needs to turn the losing team into a troublemaker for the winning team to become legitimate.

Diep opened the yard background file. She placed on the table the pre-solution inspection copy, the temporary correction report, and a photo of the seam. “I am responsible for getting the field into use with track conditions. I know the area near the six-meter line needs to be completely treated, but the funding has not been approved. I think taping and grinding the edges is enough for a short tournament.”

“Did someone force you to sign?” Mrs. Bich asked.

“No.”

“Did anyone ask you to hide the yard condition?”

"Are not."

“So why did the original inspection report say ‘pass’?”

Diep looked at Manh. “Because I used too broad a word. A stadium that is suitable for organization does not mean that the stadium meets all safety standards.”

Manh closed the file. “I signed the team's confirmation. I didn't read the conditions carefully, because I thought it was the organizers' job. I don't blame anyone.”

Chi looked at the coach. There are words accepting responsibility that sound very beautiful, but Manh's words are not beautiful. It caused him to lose a layer of prestige that he had used for many years. In return, it does not push the blame onto the absent person.

The organizers discussed for nearly an hour. They asked about the budget, the foundation repair schedule, and the possibility of moving the tournament to another stadium. Ha Lam proposed to include athlete representatives in the pre-tournament inspection group. Vy suggested that every women's team be given a copy of the playing conditions at least two days before the ball kicks off. Hanh recommends having a trained timekeeper for each match, not just assigning a random employee. Luan proposed that the electronic board be required to have backup power lines and a mechanical clock visible from the technical area.

No idea can immediately solve the funding issue. But for the first time, money is not used as an ending sentence. Each shortage must be accompanied by a temporary solution, a responsible person and a time limit for inspection.

At the end of the meeting, Ms. Bich read the conclusion:

One, the result of Lightning defeating Sao Mai Dak Nia with a score of 23-22 is recognized.

Two, the seven-meter throw in the final situation was determined to take place within the remaining playing time according to two independent clock sources; The referee's decision is upheld.

Third, the condition of the electronic board and field floor is recorded as an organizational condition error, which does not change the match result but must have corrective measures before the next tournament.

Fourth, the organizing committee awarded fair play certificates to both teams: Lightning for requesting to re-check the semi-finals and comply with the end-of-match procedures; Sao Mai for reserving official opinions instead of leaving the field or putting pressure off the record.

Ha Lam did not clap. She exhaled, then signed the minutes.

Vy signed after her. Manh signed. Diep Ky. Hanh and Luan signed in the secretarial work section. Chi holds a pen longer than everyone else.

“What status do you sign?” Vy asked softly.

“Appendix checker.”

“Then sign it.”

Please sign below that line. Her handwriting is shaky in the first stroke, but the last stroke is straight.

After the meeting, the organizers asked Chi and Hanh to stay to discuss a new program. They want to open a class to train secretaries for provincial-level women's tournaments. There is no big remuneration, only travel allowance return and certify. Hanh immediately asked for the schedule. Only ask for standards.

“Can you two help develop a practical curriculum?” Mrs. Bich asked. "Not just the rules. Also how to stop the game, make mistakes, tell the team when there's a problem."

Chi remembers thinking that secretarial work was about sitting on the sidelines. Now she understands that people sitting on the sidelines can keep the game from being monopolized by anyone.

“I can join,” she said. “But the curriculum must have a section where athletes have the right to ask questions.”

Hanh added: "And we have to practice when the timekeeper makes a mistake. We can't pretend the person doing the process is a machine."

Mrs. Bich wrote it in the book.

In the afternoon, the Lightning team returned to the yard to clean up. The trophy was placed in a cloth bag, no one brought it out to take more photos. Vi must return to the bakery. Ngan went to get the certificate. Tram held the yellow tape and asked Diep if he could help peel it off the background.

“Leave it alone until repaired,” Diep said.

“Looks a bit ugly.”

"The warning mark doesn't need to be pretty. It needs to be seen."

Tram nodded and put down the tape. She looked past the six-meter line, then turned to Vy.

"Miss Vy, if I get pushed in the future, can I call the referee myself?"

"Have."

“What if the referee doesn't listen?”

"I call again. If I still don't hear, I'll report to the desk. If it still doesn't work, I'll write it down. Don't use my shoulder to prove they didn't listen."

Tram pondered. “So I have to learn more than throwing the ball.”

“Who said being an athlete is all about throwing the ball?”

Chi stood a few steps away. She heard Tram laugh, then heard Vi run into the door with a panicked voice because she was about to be late for the evening shift. Manh held back for a second and told her to bring the scholarship recommendation letter. Vi accepted and said thank you without bowing.

The yard gradually empties. Diep turned off the lights. Luan removed the electronic control board and labeled it "awaiting inspection". Hanh put the mechanical watch back in the box, but this time she stopped the second hand before closing the lid.

Only go last. At the door, she turned back to look at the six-meter line. On paper, it's just a number. During the game, it is where a player must know how to stop so as not to turn fear into injury, where a goalkeeper must trust the referee, where the scorer must know the time is not on a screen, and where the loser can still ask questions without losing their dignity.

Vy stood outside and called: "Miss Chi, let's go."

Chi locked the door. "YES."

They walked out into the light rain. Behind, Tan Lap gymnasium is no longer as bright as during the match. But at the secretary's desk, the mechanical watch was placed next to a calendar with the date and name of the person in charge.

For the first time, the promise had a concrete place on paper.