Question Number: 28954

League Specific 11/8/2014

RE: Pro Adult

David Begley of Belfast, Antrim United Kingdom asks...

This question is a follow up to question 8981

Can a Disciplinary Committee override a Ref's Red Card issued in such circumstances and discipline the offender as a manager, rather than a player and thus permitting the player/manager to take part in the subsequent game?

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi David,
A referee has no authority or decision making input once he submits his match report as to how a disciplinary committee might decide to use or discount the information he provided. We see in many international matches where cards are rescinded or administered differently according to whatever relevant information was used to arrive at a decision. If this was a player/manager who was participating as one or the other or both at the same time, chances are if he acted inappropriately the suspension will hold him accountable as the person rather than the position, but one never knows for sure how the voting might go!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi David
A disciplinary committee can make any decision it wishes based on the referees report. Player managers are treated as players and any suspension would be a playing suspension.
So if a committee wishes to overturn a red card then it has the powers to do so. In recent times there has been a number of high profile dismissals that have been appealed and the players have been successful based on further information or another view of the incident.
At lower levels of the game the availability of another view is rare due to lack of video etc. Other factors for overturn include mistaken identity and referee changing his opinion of the card in his report.