Question Number: 29827

Law 5 - The Referee 10/18/2015

RE: all Other

karen of Victoria, BC Canada asks...

When is the referee no longer in charge of the game or the field. We recently had a coach ejected long after the game. His excuse was that he was ejected while he had players in the vehicle leaving the park. The referee was still on the field, chatting with several of his players and his assistant coach. The coach tried to get into the conversation and was waved off. He kept trying and the ref kept telling him to leave until he finally said, you are ejected.

I believe that the ref was correct but many others disagree

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Karen
The referee has full control from the moment he arrives in a ground until he leaves. The referee also has the authority to take disciplinary sanctions against players, substitutes from the moment he enters the field of play until he leaves the field of play after the final whistle.
So the referee can report any misconduct that he observes or any misconduct directed towards him by anyone while he is the ground. The competition organisers will then take whatever action it deems appropriate based on the referees report.
The only point I would make that the term that that should have been used is that the coach was being reported for misconduct rather than being ejected. The term ejected when the game is over makes no sense other than it only conveys the consequences that it will be reported.
The real point is that the game was over and while the coach was unhappy with no doubt some decisions it did not give him the right to berate the referee necessitating him being reported for misconduct. The game is over, nothing is going to change so walk away.
The advice as well to referees is to also walk away and not afford the opportunity for misconduct to anyone.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Karen,
The coach has no excuse! The fact that some of his players were in the parking lot does not permit him to harass the referee. Most of us are more than willing to engage in a reasonable discussion on match events but if it is just a scream fest of pointing fingers and recriminations it is a useless and counter productive endeavour. I advise the referee to simply walk away if possible but if pursued , disrespected and threatened by an obnoxious or upset coach, the coach can be asked to leave the field area where his presence is agitating others or is creating difficulty for the referee. Who may in fact be getting ready to do another match! I know, been there and done that. I refereed a tournament where one coach was a complete twit and after the match decided he had the right to speak whatever garbage he thought appropriate.

Once the match is over, the authority of the referee is not diminished. He is still permitted to record and report misconduct on his way from the pitch. Competition authorities are then advised in the match report. He pursued me across the field. I suggested he simply go away and think carefully on his actions. He thought he could stay and berate me as I was preparing for the next match. I informed the tournament representatives at the referee tent that I had asked/told he must remove himself from the field area. He was escorted off the field and in fact not permitted to coach in the next match of the day.

In point of fact if a referee was accosted away from the pitch or followed in a car these are actionable situations where if those doing the harassing were identified, a special report could accompany the match report. The Police and a civil suit could also be involved. I have participated in a hearing where the referee was threatened and his vehicle closely followed by a group of disenchanted fans players fingering and screaming obscenities, driving erratically and terrifying the referee !Legal action was taken separate from the soccer association decision to ban the players and individuals from all soccer venues for the season.
Cheers