Question Number: 27044

League Specific 11/29/2012

RE: Competitive Adult

Waters of San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago asks...

I am an administrator for a college team. My team was playing another college and the scoreline was 2 - 1 in our favour in the 80th minute, when one of the assistant referees was struck on the head by a supporter of the other team. The game was subsequently abandoned. The league officials first ruled that the remaining 10 mins will be played on another day behind closed doors. One learned official then advised that FIFA rules state that the game MUST be replayed in its entirety. He also made mention to the fact that at the time they could not confirm whether the assailant was a supporter of the opposing team. The assailant was subsequently charged and admitted to being an opposing supporter before the final ruling. The league officials final ruling was to replay the entire game. My team protested the decision, but lost. What are FIFA rules with respect to abandoned games due to crowd violence ?

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

The laws of the game are silent on the punishment when a visiting team's spectator causes the match to be abandoned. It allows the league great discretion to address the issue. FIFA separately publishes a Disciplinary Code for matches it organizes or in matches where an official is harmed.

http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/affederation/administration/50/02/75/discoinhalte.pdf

The options include fine, replay and forfeit.

Many rules of competition require that the home team to provide adequate security to protect the players and match officials. Inadequate security is a separate issue from which team's supporter's caused the problem.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi
The Laws of the Game state and I quote '' An abandoned match is replayed unless the competition rules provide otherwise.'' So it is a matter for the competition rules. Competition rules or codes can allow the Disciplinary Committee to go with a replay of all or part of the game, a forfeit or a void.
The most recent examples that I am aware of are
1 A UEFA Group match between Denmark and Sweden which was abandoned in the 89th minute with the score at 3-3 when a Danish fan assaulted Referee Herbert Fandel after he awarded the Swedes a penalty in Copenhagen's Parken stadium.
UEFA later awarded Sweden a 3-0 victory, fined the DBU and ordered Denmark to play their next two home qualifiers at least 90 miles away from Copenhagen. UEFA competition rules allow for this
2. On 15 September 2004, Referee Frisk was forced to abandon a match between AS Roma and Dynamo Kiev at the Stadio Olimpico in the group stage of the 2004-05 Champions League after he was hit by a coin thrown from the stands by a Roma supporter as he walked off the field at half-time causing him to bleed badly. Kiev were leading 1-0 and the referee subsequently abandoned the match. UEFA awarded the match to Kiev as a 3?0 forfeit, and ordered that Roma play its remaining two home fixtures in the group stage behind closed doors.
In both situation it was clear who had caused the abandonment and it would have encouraged 'others' to seek abandonment when losing if the games were replayed. UEFA used it competition rules to adjudicate on each situation.
Also in the UK the FA / Premier league has powers under their Rules to do generally anything they wish on an abandoned game. In 1974 Manchester United fans invaded the field of play hoping that the game might be replayed. The FA ruled that the result should stand as a 0-1 win to the opponents. To quote the current PL rule "" The Board may order a League Match which for whatever reason lasts for less than 90 minutes to count as a completed fixture or to be replayed.""
Precedent at the highest level would suggest that teams that cause an abandonment should not benefit from same.

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

As referees we just report to the league what happened and the league makes that decision. This situation sounds unfortunate to me for the AR and your team. As my colleagues have said the LOTG do not provide any answer to the replay of the match. I would wonder why the match would have been abandoned - but my guess would be the crowd was pretty out of control and causing safety concerns to the referees and the players.