Question Number: 24513

Law 4 - Players Equipment 1/23/2011

RE: Competive amateur, player manager Adult Adult

Mark V of Newcastle, Tyne & Wear UK asks...

This question is a follow up to question 24504

OK, so it looks like dissent was valid for the actual booking. Thanks.

As for the application of the LOTG, I was instructed to get my players to remove all non-matching under garments before the game. I said OK but politely asked if my players that are also active in Saturday football and had different coloured kit, would there be a serious expectation for them to have four different sets of cycling shorts to match each home and away strip. I did not get an answer to that point.

Yes, the referee was strict from the outset but remarkably inconsistent. He asked for the removal of a pair of cycling shorts from my sub ten minutes after he'd walked up to him to give his name - they were that visible! - yet allowing the opposition captain to wear white socks throughout the game instead of blue. And since when does a free kick awarded for the last man on his own pulling down a striker clean through on goal not result in even a caution?

Happy for LOTG, let's just have common sense. The FA fines are going see the death of football in the UK.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Mark
It is no concern of the referee if a player has to have 4 different sets of shorts. The Law states that they must match. I sometimes wear these type of shorts and I have tailored the length so that they do not appear under the shorts. I could wear them under any colour of shorts.
Funnily enough socks as long as they are a different colour from the opposition can be allowed. The two teams must wear colours that distinguish them from each other. So unless your team was wearing white socks it is not an issue.
BTW I have looked at a player's boots and done a jewellery check to miss the player wearing cycling shorts. My concentration was on jewellery not the shorts.
The term 'last man' is a misnomer. There must be a clear goal scoring opportunity and that is evaluated by what is referred to as the 4Ds in the LotG. If the situations fails on one of the Ds then it cannot be a DOGSO and may not even be a caution. To quote the LotG
'Referees should consider the following circumstances when deciding whether to send off a player for denying a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity:
# the distance between the offence and the goal
# the likelihood of keeping or gaining control of the ball
# the direction of the play
# the location and number of defenders'
Finally I am a pretty lenient referee when it comes to cautions. In my game today I had 8 cautions all merited IMO. I told both teams afterwards that they must have plenty of club funds to be paying fines. Both teams know me as a referee that does not issue cards lightly which was remarked to me by one of the managers. Easy choice for the teams, no crime no fine.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Hi Mark. It does sound as if the referee was at least inconsistent. If the opposing team is in blue socks, the captain should be in blue also. The cycling shorts seems a bit petty but they ARE supposed to match

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

The easiest thing for the referee to do is to tell the teams their undergarments must either match the shorts or be invisible. As long as they aren't sticking out under the shorts, it's not something I waste a lot of time and effort dealing with in a game. Technically, yes - they would need four different color undergarments, unless they are a similar color Since it will always depend on your referee that day, that's the safest.

As for the 'And since when does a free kick awarded for the last man on his own pulling down a striker clean through on goal not result in even a caution?', all I can do is wonder what the referee did or did not see. If the 'last man' is the last defender but for the keeper, I would agree with you - it's hard to see how pulling an opponent down is not at least a caution. As Ref McHugh notes, the 4 D's would need to be met for there to be a sending off. But blatant holding is cautionable, unless by pulling down you meant a tripping offense, which would need to be reckless to be cautioned (again in the opinion of the referee). Too many variables here for a clear recommendation.