Question Number: 22576

League Specific 11/23/2009

RE: High School

SHAZIL of COLOMBO, WEST SRI LANKA asks...

In Sri lanka Premier League soccer final they stoped the match for rain at 77 min with 1-0 score and now they want to go for re-match.. at the same time the score leading team got a red card for there playmaker.. how do you think this match should be re-play ?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi
This is not a referee question but one that should be posed to the Sri Lanka League Authorities. As a comment one can be sure that these type of eventualities are covered under League rules and it could be a rule that games that have not reached a certain elapsed time have to be replayed when the abandonment is say weather related. It could be a different outcome say for player indiscipline, crowd trouble etc.
As regards most replays they will be at the same venue and they will be 11 v 11 with a starting score of 0-0. The player that is sent off will be disciplined and he will serve the appropriate match ban/s. If he is eligible to play when the game is rescheduled that is a matter for his team whether he plays or not.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

If the game is suspended for weather conditions and cannot be resumed on that day, it is abandoned. Law 7 says, 'An abandoned match is replayed unless the competition rules provide otherwise.'

I have seen a variety of competition rules. Some state that the game will be considered complete if it has reached a certain point (for example, if half or 2/3 of the game was played). Once long ago, I even refereed only the last half of a game, because the recreational league decided that was how they wanted to resolve it.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

If a referee is forced by nature, the elements or the participants to abandon a match in the interest of the safety of those playing it will be up to the competition rules to decide if a result will stand as it is or the match will be replayed since an abandoned match is replayed unless the competition rules provide otherwise.
Referees simply apply the laws, choose a course of action based on the situation as the match crcumstances dictates, they do not decide results!

If a player in an abandon match under FIFA law received a red card sanction and was sent off that sanction could be applied even if the abandon game results do not count!

If a replay was the decision the league or association committee decides upon, the player sanctioned may not be permitted to play as the match ban is in effect for at least 1 more match! It is interesting to note that the league or association may have some bylaws to circumvent this ban in league play and apply the ban only to the next scheduled match instead of a make up match but again only those in charge of the Sri Lanka Premier League soccer make those decisions !
Cheers