Question Number: 20375

League Specific 10/27/2008

RE: Under 19

Vin of Sparta, NJ USA asks...

Can you appeal a red card in order to lessen the penalty of missing two games for high school? The ref claimed that the player jumped to win a header with the goalie and led with his elbow intentionally, but video and photographic evidence proves otherwise. Is there any way to appeal this penalty? (This was a high school game in the state of New Jersey)

Answer provided by Referee Steve Montanino

You can appeal anything you wish.

I am from the Garden State, though I live in the Empire State now... but it will be up to the NJHSAA to decide whether they will hear your appeal and if they will, they must decide how to take action.

But go ahead and try, there might be a fee associated with this though.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Well if you were in the ENGLISH premier league apparently one can. I was always a stickler for in the opinion of the referee as a fact of play was a sacred trust and right or even if wrong it was part of the game.
It is obvious to me given the impact such things have at the professional level technology is being used to fight this assumption.

The coach in me says pay the protest fee and submit the evidence to the disciplinary authority it can not change the fact of the match day suspension or the outcome but it might limit the follow up suspensions. They may ignore it afraid of what we here are afraid of is the authority of the referee is diminished to the point of no opinions are worth much and only video evidence will be supported.

The referee in me resists this but the coach in me who watches from the touchlines and sees it different understands the rational to do so. If only the suspension is affected as in the professional ranks where referees themselves could admit to an error after watching a video I might be ok with it. Grassroots soccer the time and circumstances do not lend themselves well to the review process as do the elite level where it is an occupation not a recreation.

If the match is protested and the results do not stand or is replayed because of it then we have indeed come to the point where we are afraid of as referees is where such things are headed to and the game will no longer be the same.

Concerning a protest, as indicated in Rule 5-1-2 ? Protests of NFHS rules are not recognized. The officials can only correct a decision so long as the game has not been started (or until their jurisdiction ends ? we need to add this). The jurisdiction of the officials ends with their leaving the field of play and its immediate surroundings. Once the officials left the playing area and its immediate surroundings, no protest of the decision made by the referee is possible.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Gene Nagy

Vin, you have to walk a mile in the referees shoes. The referee makes thousands of decisions as he works a game. Most are routine ones like what position he should be in, where he should be looking and what signals he should use. Every now and then he makes important decisions like a PK, Caution or Send Off. But all these decisions are made on the spot without hesitation.
Now amongst all these decisions and given the time he is to make them, he is bound to make a "mistake". In the example you give I would be horrified if his decision was overturned by the authorities EVEN IF HE WAS WRONG. If that is going to be case I predict that ther will be huge attrition in referees. As a referee I would say, OK, you don't need me, just get your videos out there to run the game.
FIFA has steadfastly refused video replay. In English Premier League they do appeal and rescind red cards but for different reasons than your example.
In spite of all this, it is the league that seems to have the authority to dispute referee's decision. FIFA does not condone it, but the league's decision still stands.