Question Number: 14423

Law 5 - The Referee 11/13/2006

Robert of Old Saybrook, CT USA asks...

Law 5 directs that a Referee can take action against a team official who does not conduct themself in a responsible manner. Is "reponsible manner" defined anywhere?

At a recent match, I sent a coach to an early exit for repeatedly questioning my judgement. He then got offensive and insulting; all of which I wrote in the match report. All fine and good. Then I get a call from our State Ref Coordinator who while "100% supportive" states that "We can only ask a coach to leave for a violation of Law 12." OK, I say that the coach desented. But I'm thinking that Law 12 applies only to players and substitutes.

I'm confident that I did the right thing in sending this coach off but does my justification have to be a specific violation of Law, 12 or other? Or is my opinion that he's not conducting himself "responsibly" sufficient?

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

It is mentioned that coaches may give tactical instructions in their technical area. Anything else is not responsible. Leaving this area is not responsible. Yelling at the referee is not responsible. This coach was acting irresponsible by questioning your judgement and therfor you had the right to ask him to leave. Law 12 deals with fouls and misconduct. This ref coordinator was incorrect for his statement to you.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Your State referee Co-ordinator has his head in place it shouldn't be. It is IMPOSSIBLE for a coach to breach Law 12, because, as you state, Law 12 deals with fouls and misconduct that can only be committed by players and substitutes. Read Law 12, there's no mention of coaches. Law 3 states team officials must behave in a reasonsible manner. Law 5 states "takes action against team officials who fail to conduct themselves in a responsible manner and may, at his discretion, expel them from the field of play and its immediate surrounds". I have checked and tried to find a State Referee Co-Ordinator. According to US -Soccer, such title does not exist. You should contact your State Director of Instruction and complain about this

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Your State Referee Coordinator is unfamiliar with the policy of US Soccer regarding occupants of the technical area. That is stated in Advice to Referees as:

5.10 BEHAVIOR OF COACH AND BENCH PERSONNEL

Coaches or other team officials, one at a time, may provide tactical advice to their players, including positive remarks and encouragement. The referee should only take action against coaches or other team officials for irresponsible behavior or for actions that bring the game into disrepute. A coach or other team official may not be cautioned or sent off nor shown any card; however, at the discretion of the referee, such persons may be warned regarding their behavior or expelled from the field of play and its immediate area. When a coach or other team official is expelled, the referee must include detailed information about such incidents in the match report.

This says they are there at the pleasure of the referee. If the referee thinks a coach picking his nose with his right pinkie is offensive he is within the Law to ask him to leave. Any assignor or coordinator not supporting the referees decision to expel an occupant of the technical area does not desire the referees services in future matches. If the referee has the courage to inform a coach he needs to tend to his personal hygiene with an early bath EVERY member of the disciplinary committee HAD BETTER support this decision or they risk not having referees at their matches. Me, I don't need the money bad enough to put up with an idiot who chooses to scream and yell at me because that is how he thinks a coach should act.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Law 12 is not the reason, a coach is not a player/sub so committing fouls is an impossibility the coach creates misconduct situations that could apply to some of the law 12 conditions is a matter of coincidence . In your opinion if the action is sufficent, you eject a coach because in YOUR opinion his presense is a detriment to the match proceeding.

law 3 states Decision 2
A team official may convey tactical instructions to the players during the match and he must return to his position after giving these instructions. All officials must remain within the confines of the technical area, where such an area is provided, and they must behave in a responsible manner.

It is a tremendous power to weld and as my colleagues alluded too a referee who decides to remove a coach would have to adequately explain to a board his reasons. He had picked his nose and placed in in his mouth and spit it out while gross is insufficent unless he did it on you!

FAIR PLAY applies across the board to all participants

I would hesitate to only state the dissenting part, while certainly notable is a tad minor to be sent off unless it is continual after being asked to desist. Abusive and insulting has much greater impact but when recording a coaches action within a report you state failed to conduct himself appropriately by
continually arguing calls with myself and my ARs
was rude and vulgar in the language he used
left the technical area on several occassions
repeatedly distracting my AR during ongoing play
entered the field and held up play on several occassions
not really law 12 specifically but generally as all idiotic actions have similar background!

Law 5 states under Powers and Duties A REFEREE

takes action against team officials who fail to conduct themselves in a responsible manner and may, at his discretion, expel them from the field of play and its immediate surrounds;

MISCONDUCT under law 12 covers just anything you can imagine but it is law 5 where the power to remove the coach is given law 12 is only for the players and subs.

If you wish to use the nature of the sending off items as rational
2. is guilty of violent conduct
3. spits at any person
6. uses offensive or insulting or abusive language and/or gestures
7. receives a second caution in the same match

or a continuation of the cautionable items if repetative
1. is guilty of unsporting behaviour
2. shows dissent by word or action

Just because the unfair, unsporting and useless confrontational items are listed for a player/sub's cardable conduct coincide with similar actions by the coach does not mean the coach recieves a card when he duplicates those irresponsible actions .
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Debbie Hoelscher

In addition to all of the information above, USSF has been sending out memos addressing this subject. This link: http://images.ussoccer.com/Documents/cms/ussf/Technical_Area_Behavior_Pro_Matches.pdf should take you to USSF's position paper on such activity. You may want to forward it to your State Ref Coordinator. It should be noted that this isn't new information, nor is it just for National or Regional play....For your local league, you should check with your association's handbook. There is invariably a policy regarding adult behavior.

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 15413