Question Number: 28748

Mechanics 9/19/2014

RE: Youth HS and Some limited adult Other

DHB of Boston area, MA USA asks...

Referee has blown the whistle to award a caution for a reckless tackle. Can the offended team take a quick restart, or must they wait until the caution has been issued and noted and a whistle given? If they can take a quick restart, when does the referee issue the caution?

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

The referee has a quick decision to make. Caution the player OR let the team make a quick restart. Both is not an option.

If the referee decides to allow the quick restart, the player cannot be cautioned later. The referee forfeits the ability to later caution the player after the referee allows play to restart.

If the referee decides to caution the player, the team must wait for the whistle. The team forfeits a quick restart. Note: it is the referee who decides. Even if the referee is slow to communicate the decision to caution the player, and the kicking team puts the ball into play, the referee can still hold up play, caution the player, and then have the free kick retaken.

In youth and amateur adult play, it is rarely a good idea to ignore the misconduct. The risk of retaliation is very high. One the values of showing the card is that EVERYONE sees that the referee has set the bar that this conduct is not acceptable. Anyone who does that will be cautioned. When the referee appears not to treat a reckless tackle as a yellow card, it invites everyone else to repeat the offense. A second value is that the referee has an opportunity to talk to the player and tell them it is unacceptable. That often can persuade the player to modify the behavior.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi
There are two distinct options here. It is either forgo the caution and allow the quick free kick or if the player must be cautioned then play must be held up until that happens. The restart is then on the whistle when the paperwork has been completed and the card shown with the player resuming his position.
I have forgone cautions in situations where the fouled against team want to get on with play and to not allow that would have disadvantaged the team.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

A caution is a standard of non acceptance of a given situation. From the perspective of the referee it is something he feels is important for match control, player safety, good game relations and a strong message of accountability. IF a referee views an incident worthy of a caution, has seen it judged it, found it wanting, and has decided the incident is worthy of a caution then the offended team, taking a quick free kick, have said in non words but action, we do not think the way you do!

Can or should a referee accept this?

As my good colleagues have pointed out we cannot caution a player if we allow a restart . The time to act as they say, is now or never! We might have a second or two to evaluate whether this restart is as advantageous to the point of forgoing the need to caution as in a shot at goal or a opening to a promising attack. IF and it is a big if, as a referee, if I permit the restart as being so advantageous that I will overlook the need to caution it is still likely I would have a word at some point to the culprit to make it known how lucky he was and I will be viewing his future actions with a degree of skepticism.

.IF we stop play and do decide the caution must be awarded and the yellow card shown remember that the sequence of mechanics differ between USSF and NFHS as to what a referee must do!
There is no real opportunity for a quick start in high school , because as soon as you blow the whistle, knowing you are going to caution, you also have to stop the clock.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe Manjone

DHB,
A quick restart after a whistle for a caution is not possible in high school games. In high school, if the whistle is blown for a caution, the clock must be stopped. (Rule 7-4-1).The referee must then caution the player, inform the coaches, scorer and other officials of the nature of the misconduct. (Rule 5-3-1e), allow substitutions to enter the game (Rule 3-3-3b). Then the game can be restarted by the second whistle which is required to start the game after a caution (Rule 9-1-3). Please remember that high school games are an extension of the classroom, so that the informing of the coach who can then better teach the player is important to that process.

I hope you have a successful season.