Question Number: 24407

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 12/6/2010

RE: AYSO, BU14 Under 14

Dave of Santa Monica, CA United States asks...

I was centering a BU14 playoff game in AYSO. Gray team is playing Purple, Gray is on the attack in Purple's half.

After a sudden change of possession, Purple kicks to a forward in Gray's half. This Purple forward is very close to the defender.

Purple forward collects ball maybe ten yards past the midway line. By the time he collects it, he's definitely ahead of the defender.

My AR on that side is fairly inexperienced, doesn't make an offiside call, doesn't give an unofficial 'play on' signal, just runs with the play.

As CR, I know it's close to being offside. But I have doubt about it, and AR didn't call it. I don't call it.

Purple forward makes some good moves, a nice kick, and scores.

Gray team starts full-scale whining and dissenting.

Gray #9 runs up to me and yells, 'Ref, it was offside! It was Off-FUCKING-Side!'

I showed the red card and sent Gray #9 off. The Gray coach was incensed. Claims I should have verbally warned him, and at most, AT MOST, it'd be a caution.

I disagreed.

Later, in discussing this with a couple of U19 players and high school refs, an experienced U19 player and a high school ref expressed surprise that I red-carded the player. They said they would think a yellow card would have been the right response for that age group; that it wasn't realistic to think teenage boys wouldn't swear a lot during a game.

They said you could only give a red for language if the player said, 'F#*k you' to a ref or an opponent. But using the f-word as a modifier (as Gray #9 did) did not rate a send-off in their minds.

I do a lot of U14, U16, and U19 games. I hear a lot of swear words muttered by players, or directed at themselves when they make a mistake. I don't card for those, I just tell them to clean up their language.

But since this was foul language directed at me, plus blatant dissent, I didn't hesitate to send off the player.

Did I go too far?
-ds

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

The laws no longer use the phrase 'foul language.' Dissent, even blatant dissent, is punishable by a caution. A sendoff requires 'offensive, insulting or abusive language or gestures.'

The referee should evaluate the language used based on the circumstances of the match (age, skill level, a reaction to the pain of an injury, etc.) which will dictate whether the appropriate response is a quiet word, a warning, a caution, or a sendoff. The referee must act when the language is Personal, Public and Provocative. This was all three.

IMO, running up to and yelling the words the player directed at the referee are wholly unacceptable in an AYSO BU14 match. The "incensed coach" was wrong, and not doing his job to set the better example of positive behavior and support for the referee. Although AYSO follows the laws of the game, good sportsmanship (and maintaining a positive environment) is one of its core philosophies. Sending off the player in that situation supports AYSO's philosophy. Character matters.

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Assistant referees shouldn't be giving 'not-offside' signals, official or otherwise. The lack of signal is sufficient.

I've heard the same story before that we have to warn players before cautioning or sending off - obviously, it's a load of rubbish (and it really makes me wonder how much some people, who have been involved in the game for years, actually pay attention to what's happening), and the reasons are pretty self-evident.

When determining whether something a player says is dissent (and if it reaches the level of a caution), or OFFINABUS, we have a number of things to consider. Conventional advice is that, as 'foul language' is no longer an offence, we should ignore the foul language content of what's said. I think that's reasonable advice, but to a point - we can't deny that there's a certain unacceptability in language like this, and we also can't deny the extent to which it emphasises a dissenting or abusive comment.

But if you take out the foul language, what was said? He argued against your decision, and emphasised it with some distasteful language. Was that single word enough to change the offence from dissent to OFFINABUS?

We also consider (as always) the age/grade of the players and the mood of the match, as well as the manner in which something was said.

Running up to a referee to argue is definately worse than arguing from a distance, particularly if he's still shouting.

For me, the words themselves aren't going to be enough for a red card, but the manner that accompanied them (the tone, volume and the approach on the referee) could have been. Not being there, I can't comment on that. So to be clear I'm not saying your decision was wrong, just offering some points for consideration.

Swearing does seem to be more offensive when it's at volume or yelled in somebody's face, and that's worthy of consideration.

However, for your colleagues to say, black and white, that you can't give a red card in this situation is just plain wrong. It's advice that's often given, but most advice should be taken as a rule of thumb - soccer is too dynamic to place too many hard and fast rules on actions and responses.

Personally, I have a lower tolerance for dissent and OFFINABUS at lower ages - there's really no need for it, and if we permit too much misbehaviour I believe we're just breeding players who will cause us more problems later on.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Dave
The referee is the sole judge of what is offensive, insulting and abusive and if you decided that it was then that is all that counts. The words alone are only one element of the offence. The other elements that have to be taken into account are loudness, manner, tone, running from a distance, the eyes, facial and body language to name but a few etc. The human voice is capable of projecting a huge range of emotions using the same words. It is therefore possible for even the most vilest of swear words to be vocally delivered in a such a way as not to seem offensive. The opposite, is that is also possible for a non-offensive word to be vocally delivered in a such a way as to seem offensive!
What is important though is that the referee is consistent throughout the game so that any similar incidents are treated with the same sanction.
In this case you found the behaviour of this player unacceptable and you decided to dimiss him. That is a lesson that the player has to learn that this type of behaviour will be sanctioned. Perhaps another referee will have a higher tolerance level and only caution. Yet the point is that referees can dismiss for this should they choose to do so. Coaches should be instilling good sportsmanship in their players and pointing out that players can be dismissed for this. I refereed a game two weeks ago and the coach informed me that he substitutes any player that questions the referee's decision. I did not have one piece of dissent from any of his team. Its a pity others would not follow his example.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Did you go to far? I'm not certain you went far enough. Depending on the particulars, the coach might have been sent packing also.

The player's language was at least offensive. There's no requirement you give a warning to the player OR the coach. When dealing with coaches we are asked to employ ask, tell, leave but if a coach explodes on you firing off language you find intolerable, you may dismiss him immediately.

You should not be asking your ARs to give unofficial signals. His flag staying down was all you needed to know. If he was in position, you usually go with his call.

The coach should be mad at his player not at you. You didn't ask the player to make an idiot of himself. He didn't mutter the words to himself or even yell them up in the air in frustration. He directed them at you. I wouldn't tolerate that for a second.

U19 players you discussed this with felt a caution was in order. I'm shocked! Players thinking a referee over-reacted? Unheard of

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

In an adult game, where the F word is flying about as punctuation or modifier and no one, including the referee, is paying any attention (which includes a lot of U19 games), this very provocative statement MIGHT, and I emphasize might, have garnered a yellow card and a stern warning. Or the referee might have chosen to respond in kind and get on with the game. Or the referee might decide this was over the top, even for this game, and send him off.

However, in the game you detail, a red card was absolutely the most appropriate response. The player was WAY out of line, and the coach behaved in an irresponsible manner. At this age and skill level, this was public, personal and provocative and the player should have to suffer the consequences of what amounts to offensive, insulting and abusive language or gestures drawing the red card.

Thank you for upholding the standards of the game, and supporting your AR. Given the details, you made the correct decision to not award an offside and interpreted your AR's silence as doubt, thus lending credence to your own judgment. The only people here who didn't get it were the coach and his players. There is no requirement to ever warn before sending off - although of course, the referee may choose to do so in some circumstances. This was not the case on this day, this game, these players.