Question Number: 19843

League Specific 8/29/2008

RE: competetive Adult

amanda rossall of tumbulgum, nsw australia asks...

Can a player from one age group play up a grade in a semi-final game when he has just played a semi-final game for his own team. The older team was not short of players and also had substitutes besides him. Also can a player who has received 2 cautions (and NOT been sent off) play up a grade in the following game. this happened recently where a player in the 14's age group was cautioned twice and then allowed to play in the 15's team in the game directly following. The ref and AR's officiated both games. Something seems amiss. what do you think? thanks

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

That depends on your league rules. The regional competitive league in my area allows what they call 'club passcards', which allows a player from a lower division to play in an upper division for the same club.

I'm not sure why the player would have gotten two cautions (I presume you mean in the same game) and not be sent off. Referees do lose track from time to time; there was an unfortunate example of such in the past World Cup. Since the player had not been sent off, he would not have been suspended, unless an appeals committee meeting could be held. And again, league or tournament rules would determine whether the suspension applied only to his regular team or to any team for which he might wish to play.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Hello again Amanda. The answer to your first question depends on the rules for the tournament in question. If a player received 2 cautions in one game and did not get sent off, I would agree with you that something is definitely amiss. As this is a clear misapplication of the Laws, the result of the game would be protestable under normal circumstances. However, in many tournaments, it is written in the rules that no protests of any kind will be considered regardless of the reason

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Competition bylaws and league policy dictate who can or cannot play up or for more than one team so your association is the one with the answers on that one.

As to receiving two cautions and being shown the yellow card twice in the same match is in fact a suspension of the rest of that match and the missing of the next as the least discipline applied. The referee who fails to show the red card at the time of the second yellow card and permits that player to remain on the pitch could well have the match protested and replayed.

Again if a red carded player from one team could play on another will depend on the league policies in place as to how suspensions are enforced. . For example if there was a policy that allowed the two different leagues to swap players recreational town league players might not be banned from travel play and vice a versa . Likely roster regulations might permit the addition of some and not others . Picture id passes might be required and if a players pass is suspended elsewhere he might be barred from other play as well?. Tournaments often are independent of league play and discipline is not carried through past the weekend unless an ongoing year round play off type venture.
Cheers