Question Number: 22561

Mechanics 11/22/2009

RE: select Under 17

Tamara Robbins of Alachua, Florida Alachua asks...

If a referee issues a red card during a game, can he/she change the infraction after the game, and not include this in their game report? This has been done. The team or the player are not notified of this, and the player has served a suspension not knowing the referee has changed the call.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Tamara
This most definitely should not happen and the referee is out of order to do this. He breaches the instructions given to referees on these matters and it can result in disciplinary action being taken against the referee including suspension, that's how serious it is.
If the referee believes that the dismissal was incorrect then he should write in his match report why he has changed his decision and the circumstances surrounding that. He is entitled to do that.
An example could be that a player is dismissed say for denying a goal scoring opportunity. After reviewing that decision post match with his assistant referees he could decide that maybe he was incorrect and that it should have been a caution instead. He would then include that in his match report outlining the circumstances of his change of mind. The Authorities would then decide what action to take not the referee.

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Unfortunately this does happen at times, and for a variety of reasons - sometimes the referee simply forgets, though I know of referees who have done this as a deliberate decision.

The referee MUST report all sanctions. If the referee, after the sending off, decides he made the incorrect decision he should still report the send off, but also submit a report to state the he was incorrect and believes it should be rescinded.

Look on the bright side - your player would've had to sit that week out anyway even if the referee didn't stuff up, but not he has the benefit of not having the red card listed on his disciplinary record.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

The USSF Advice To Referees is explicit: the referee must report EVERY card shown, even those shown in error.

If the team gets a copy of the report and it doesn't show the red card, the wisest course may be to call the league for clarification before the next match. The league may punish the team (by forfeit), the player (by additional suspensions) and the coach (by suspension) more harshly for playing an ineligible player than it punishes the referee who fails to report the red card. Somebody always knows. This is an exception to the general rule that forgiveness is easier to receive than permission.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

If the referee decides after the game that the offense wasn't really at a red-card level, he can't change his mind then. The time for that was before the team started playing again with one less player. If the referee does not report the card, he has made the game protestable. If there was no send-off, they why were they playing short?

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

See Question: 22737