Question Number: 22362

Mechanics 10/26/2009

RE: Select Under 16

Roger Stone of Kirkland, Washington USA asks...

At a recent game the center showed 2 yellows to our team. On his game card, he showed none, saying he was not going to write them up. Our opponent reported the yellows to the league. Can our team officials email the ref to give him a 'head's up', so we can avoid a big flap and get things corrected? Another ref is telling me there is a rule against contacting the ref, but I can't find one, and doubt there is any problem contacting him to write agaisnt our own team.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Lazy ref. While your sentiments are good, why protect him from himself? If misconduct was worthy enough cautioning and showing cards during the game, it's required to report. That is part of the ref's duties.

Now if you want to do this as a help to a fellow referee, I'd suggest talking to the assignor. It still alerts someone that the ref isn't completing his job, but would possibly give him a chance to correct his 'mistake' of 'forgetting' to report.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi
As you know one of the tasks all referees must do is complete the match report which includes reporting all cautions or dismissals. The referee that does not report properly is totally out of order and it is viewed very poorly by administrators. However it is his decision and I would not bother giving him the 'heads up' on this. He may contest that he did not issue any cautions.
There is an unwritten rule about contacting officials outside of games as it usually has to do with complaints or an irate follow on from the game. Referees will report any abuse that they get from players, officials etc in these situations but never have any problem with a helpful contact.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

The referee showed two yellow cards to two different players on your team during the match but did not record them in the game report?
He TOLD you that he was not going to write them up??
I wonder if that was what he told the other team and they reported him to the league???

The referee in this match is quite simply a bona fide idiot for creating a controversial set of circumstances out of nothing but dare I say it, laziness or a very misguided attempt to do your team a favour. As a NEUTRAL official if he felt the cards were justified to be shown they must be included in the match report.

The boundaries of proper conduct were stepped on here and there is little to be said or done except the referee assignor will be having a word with the match referee as to the difference between helping out as a volunteer in a paid position then compromising the efforts by not doing what was required! Being desperate for officials is no excuse to allow this behaviour to go unsanctioned. In some leagues failure to do the paper work means you are not paid and possibly excluded or banned from additional matches temporarily or permanently as the situation dictates!

If you decide to phone the guy and say, 'Hey you better follow through with the paper work as it is the right thing to do', I can not fault you for doing so but that fact you need to do it will not shine the tarnish he has already managed to glue to his referee badge.

Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

I hate it when referees do this.

The job requires that the referee accurately report every card that it shown. Even if the referee is convinced after the match that the card was given in error, the card should be reported AND the referee should explain the error. Referee who are unwilling to submit the paperwork on time should stop taking assignments.

Someone assigns the referee, and they usually are the best person to make the referee provide the correct information. Better to call the assignor than the one who has already proven unreliable.