Question Number: 30039

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 1/22/2016

RE: N/A Other

Peter Grove of Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire England asks...

This question is a follow up to question 30037

I see that a follow-up question has already been posed that addresses the issue raised by ref McHugh.

In that follow-up, it is correctly stated that while a player may be sent off before kick-off, the referee's authority to issue cards only starts once he enters the field of play.

And while he should submit a report on any incidents that occurred before the match, the Laws do not currently give the referee the authority to issue cards at that point.

The relevant sections of the Laws are as follows (page numbers refer to the 2015-16 edition, pdf version).

Page 39: The referee has the authority to take disciplinary sanctions from the moment he enters the field of play until he leaves the field of play after the final whistle.

Page 72: The referee has the power to show yellow or red cards during the half-time interval and after the match has finished as well as during extra time and kicks
from the penalty mark, since the match remains under his jurisdiction at these times.

Page 26 : [The referee] provides the appropriate authorities with a match report, which includes information on any disciplinary action taken against players and/or team officials and any other incidents that occurred before, during or after the match.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Peter
You are indeed ahead of the game on the follow up and a reply has been posted. What this shows me and it has been raised many times on referee forums that those that rely on the exact wording try to find *loopholes* in the written text to support an opinion.
For instance what is meant by kick and say a deliberate kick to the goalkeeper. Can the ball be kicked with the shin. The Laws only mention knee, chest and head in the advice as legal means to play the ball to the goalkeeper yet some suggest that shin is included in that list as it is nit the foot. I spent some time researching this and games that use a kick actually spell it out such as in rugby where a kick is from below the knee to the foot. IRB states that a kick is made by hitting the ball with any part of the leg or foot, except the heel, from the toe to the knee but not including the knee. Now if a player kicks the ball and it comes off his shin done argue based on words that it is not a kick and should not be penalised. For me if it looks like a kick that is what it is even if it is miskicked off the shin aka the famous Ronnie Whelan goal for Ireland V Russia in Euro 88
We know that the Laws are indeed a short document so the detail has not been spelt out and therein is propensity to invoke or suggest potential loopholes where it is not spelt out in detail. If Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira started fighting I would be saying to them that they are not playing due to being sent off for VC and get two substitutes to replace them and the substitute numbers are reduced. No cards are shown. In my opinion that is not contrary to the Laws nor indeed should it be.
IMHO referee are not senior counsel and should not be looking for any loopholes in the Law that allow offences not to be punished as intended.
So if the changes spell out in detail what is meant that is very positive and welcome
For what its worth Graham Poll is reported to have said about the incident in the tunnel and I quote * I could have 'sent them off', some disciplinarians will tell you that is what I should have done. But I needed them on the pitch.* Obviously Graham Poll understood he could send them off as did others.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Peter,
well done.
I know LAW 18 is not part of the LOTG but perhaps here it could apply. lol It is never a good idea to send of the two best players off both teams in venues where millions are watching their head to head competitive antics and huge dollars, prestige, politics and entertainment values are in the wind.
Cheers