Question Number: 25633

Law 5 - The Referee 10/19/2011

RE: Intermediate Under 12

Phil of Tarzana, CA United States asks...

I have a question about ATR §5.13. It says, in part, 'If the referee discovers after play has restarted that the wrong player was...sent off...the display of the card cannot be changed...'.

Why is that?

Suppose that an AR tells the ref that Blue 10 struck Red 5 in the head with his elbow. The ref looks over & sees Red 10 & Blue 5 arguing & so runs across the field & mistakenly sends off Red 10, thinking the AR meant him. The crowd is roaring & he doesn't hear the AR trying to correct him until after he restarts the game. Now the Red team plays a player down? Also, since the ref did talk to the AR, there's no exception to give Blue 10 a red card. Doesn't seem fair.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Phil
One of the tenets of the Laws of the Game is that once play restarts the referee cannot undo a decision that he has made. So yes while the circumstance you refer to may be unfair that is the way the Law operates. All the referee can do is report his error in the match report.
The message is to not allow it to happen in the first place.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

This is why for anything of a serious nature, such as a send off, you NEVER restart play until you are absolutely certain you have things right. An uproarious crowd is no excuse for ignoring your AR. Before showing the red card you should say something along the lines of; 'OK. I'm now sending off Red 10 correct? You're sure it was Red 10 that committed the Violent Conduct? Red 10. Right?' After 3 times identifying the wrong player, there's little chance the AR would allow you to proceed incorrectly.

But if you do and compound matters by restarting play, all you can do is write up your mistake in your game report and let the proper authorities deal with it.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Note to referee: If AR gives you numbers for a sending off or a caution, confirm, confirm then execute - like with carpenters, measure twice, cut once. In addition, please make sure to make eye contact with the AR BEFORE restarting play, just in case there is something else you need to know.

This kind of error goes back to lack of appropriate referee communication skills and mechanics. Talk about it in the pre-game. It won't be the end of the world if it takes a minute or two to sort out matters rather than rushing back to start the game. Be calm, be certain, be deliberate, be right.