Question Number: 19243

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 6/1/2008

RE: Grade 2

R Valenti of Lancaster, Ca usa asks...

This question is a follow up to question 19235

Thanks for the replys.

Inthe questions submitted 19092 and 19235, the fact are "both player and ref were still on the pitch, after the match" the resultan conclusion is player should have shown the card...that was "why they were invented"
As a player, manager and referee, I do not condone abuse: however, the Laws of the Game, should be adhere to, for uniformity of discipline and elimation of uncertainty.
Chuck Fliesche, re: "lack of chaos if your player had chosen not to let his alligator mouth override his humming bird brain"...people skills, Chuck. Gary Voshol: Brillantly reasoned answer, kudos. Richard Dawson, errr check what you refer to as facts. right. Keith C. Yes, as a grade 2 referee with 20 plus years with the beautiful game, I consider myself an expert..cheers!

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Yup, people skills have always been an asset I value. Thanks for the compliment. BTW, I had a look through the US Soccer version of the Laws of the Game and missed your name on the FIFA Assistant Referee Lists. Perhaps your name is not as listed here, perhaps my people skills have missed something between the referee and player were on the field and I'm a grade 2. One wonders one does...

Again, I am no expert; have never claimed to be. I just fill a niche and help out where and who I can.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Perhaps you can send Chuck your bio and you can assist us

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

FIrst off the player does not show the card the referee does although you mean the player should have been shown the card.
Secondly cards were invented for communication DURING a match to indicate a SEND OFF.

I can not disagree that if there was opportunity to show the card it certainly could be done for clarity given the fact the player passes were not yet returned and certainly not to do so is sloppy procedure but as an expert if you read the question it asked MUST it be and it implied if it was not does the misconduct go away?

Simply put it is NOT mandatory to show a card to a player AFTER the conclusion of the match!
Failure to do so does NOT wash away any misconduct that occurred as noted by the referee in the match report. The league administers discipline on what the player did NOT on the fact he was shown or not shown a red card.
For you to assert otherwise is simply wrong.
Not wrong in the fact he could have shown the card or you think he should show the card but wrong in the implication the disciplinary committee does not have to act because it was not shown in this incident!
This was not a (how should) but a (what if) situation where the coach wanted the discipline to vanish because the card failed to appear.

Even in a match if a player is cautioned twice and no red card was shown but the information comes to light of a referee error in failing to send that player off the discipline committee can act on the match report misconduct.

You mention *should *I felt I addressed that fact, however, the question asked "MUST" I also addressed that fact because the false impression is without the card then no discipline could follow.
After the match is completed the player is not being sent off as the game is over he is being brought to task for his actions.

I have refereed for almost 35 years so experience wise you lag a bit still I urge you to submit a bio and declare your self to answer questions with the rest of us so we can glean the wisdom you claim to have. Then you can point out in law where it says the red card MUST be displayed AFTER a match is over?

So to summarise I see no err in fact but I agree that could and should are closer to what was needed as opposed to what occurred regardless of why a referee might forget or choose not to cross the field to do what is essentially a useless gesture in this case confronting an idiot to inflame an already crap situation, that is in my opinion.

While I can not disagree it might be better to at least inform the coach but if the match was an ugly affair or the referee felt intimidated, as you can tell certainly not a problem you or I have eh? LOL! that might account for it not being done. The fact the player card was not returned certainly is a clue something was wrong. But do not forget even if the incident occurred off the field say on the parking lot it can be included and the committee can find it reason to discipline the misconduct.
Cheers

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

See Question: 21053