Question Number: 25119

Law 5 - The Referee 6/20/2011

RE: MLS Professional

Lindon of Meridian, MS U.S.A. asks...

I understand the concept of violent conduct. However, in the June 19, 2011 MLS match between New York and Portland Henry approached an opposing player and gave him two hard taps to the back of the head. The referee deemed this as violent conduct. My question is the player responded by shoving Henry. Why is the push not considered violent conduct?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ct_BrgNgt0k

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Lindon
At the professional level there is advice given to players/coaches by referees at briefings on what constitutes violent conduct. For instance in the EPL players are told that any contact with the head area is VC whereas the same contact say to the chest is perhaps USB.
In this case the player took exception to the two 'slaps' to the back of the head and then pushed TH. The reaction of the player that was 'slapped' saw it as more than friendly 'pats on the head'. This reaction obviously drew the attention of the AR who conveyed what happened to the CR. Had there been no reaction I suspect it would have been handled differently.
So without knowing MLS policy I suspect that it might be the same as the EPL. Any contact to the head area, however slight, by a player is VC whereas a rough push to the body area is deemed to be USB or a stern talking to.
At our level the discretion is given to the referee to decide what constitutes VC and I would probably either have spoken to both players or cautioned both. At the highest level the referee has less discretion on these matters when it is policy. TH knows that as well from his days in the EPL.
Finally I read with interest in a report from a talk given by a PL referee that referees should not try to emulate decisions made in professional leagues. He was of the view that many decision were policy driven, advised to referees to manage a professional game. I suppose one has to look at the vitriolic abuse that many PL referees take without the hint of a caution to understand that it is different.

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

See Question: 25127