Question Number: 30005

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 12/26/2015

RE: Rec Under 19

Murray Quant of WANDELLA, NSW Australia asks...

15 mins into the game an out field player was sent off after second yellow .. at the 30 min mark the goalkeeperof the same team was sent off after second yellow .. at the start of the second half , the team that had 2 sent off restarted and played the second half with 10 men ...

Is there a rule that allows a team to replace one of the sent off players for the second half ..

Thank you , regards Murray .

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Not in FIFA Laws of the Game. Players sent off are not replaced, in either half.

Perhaps there is some local rule, but that would be rather counterproductive. Yes, a send-off gets the 'problem child' off the field and out of the game. But the aspect of the team playing short - a carryover from when there were no substitutions at all for any reason - serves to provide some peer pressure to keep bad behavior from happening at all.

I'd guess that the refs made a mistake, and didn't count properly at the start of the second half.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Murray
No such Law exists. Once a player is sent off he may not be replaced so the team that had two players sent off should have played with 9 players for the second half.
I suspect that the referee made an error. Now the question I would ask is why was this not brought to the referees attention at the start of the second half? I know that if I sent off two players there is no way 10 players on the team would not be brought to my attention by either the technical staff or the captain. It would also result in a verbal spat between the two sets of technical staff on the touch-line that would have to be dealt with.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Murray,
NO rule!
hmmm sounds like the match was not being played in the spirit of Christmas given all the early cautions and send offs.. Sigh. Must be the gift of an inattentive referee to allow ten to start the 2nd half if only nine were present at the end of the 1st half. Were there two RED cards shown? Are we certain these players were sent off? Could there be a mistake? Otherwise the match could be protested for failing to conform to the LOTG.

Cheers