Question Number: 30136

Law 5 - The Referee 2/22/2016

RE: College

Yazeed of Manchester , United Kingdom asks...

this incident happened in Saudi Arabia league two weeks ago, where a player has been given tow yellow cards but had not been sent off the pitch and he contained to play for 8 minutes.

my question! would you consider this as a technical errors by the referee and can the team request a reply?

if so what laws you based on this?

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Hi Yazeed,
The circumstances under when a match result can be appealed are at the discretion of local competition authorities. Typically it requires an 'error in law', as opposed to a decision that was subjectively incorrect (for instance, sending a player off for an offence that is not possibly a red card offence under any stretch of the law versus a referee claiming a player deliberately handled the ball stopping it going into the goal when it actually hit his chest. The former is incorrect interpretation or application of the text and is black-and-white incorrect, the latter is a subjectively incorrect decision).
My answer would be that the team would certainly be within their right to lodge a complaint/appeal against the match result, but as to whether that appeal is upheld will be at the discretion of the local authorities.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Yazeed,
interesting just answered a similar question? Have a boo at #30129.

The referee can have an opinion of what he thought he saw but he can not change what the LOTG ask him to do if he sees it! The LOTG state that if a player is shown 2 yellow cards thus twice cautioned he is to be shown a red card and sent off taking no further part of the match reducing his team by a player if he is a player at the time. It is always a bit of a crap shoot going in front of a review committee as to how they might rule on an interpretive misadventure by the referee but the team complaining in this case has a strong case for something to be done be if a full replay or not?

A few examples where a protest has merit or has no merit!
A referee awards an INDFK but allows a direct goal! against the LOTG!
Team protests but referee holds the opinion the ball skimmed off the keepers fingers protest goes nowhere.

A referee awards a throw in to blue, blue takes the throw in ball goes directly into the opposing goal does not touch the keeper. He awards a goal not a corner kick! against the LOTG
Team protests but referee holds the opinion the ball touched the keeper, protest goes nowhere.

A referee awards a foul cautions shows yellow but does not send off blue player for SFP even though the fouled red player has a broken ankle. Blue wins 2 to 1 the blue player who scored was the same blue player who broke the red player's ankle.
Red Team protests but referee held the opinion the tackle was only reckless thus cautionable protest goes nowhere. A video of the incident is turned in which clearly shows a two footed cleats exposed jumping tackle by the blue player. Committee decides to impose fine and match ban on blue player but results stand blue still wins .

The reasoning is decisions of the referee regarding facts connected with play, including
whether or not a goal is scored and the result of the match, are final.
The referee may only change a decision on realizing that it is incorrect or, at his
discretion, on the advice of an assistant referee or the fourth official, provided
that he has not restarted play or terminated the match.


Here is an example ironclad protest that is clearly against the LOTG and the referee can not offer an opinion that will excuse it.
The green keeper runs out side his own PA and uses his hands to catch a ball (outside of the penalty area) just ahead of a speeding white striker. The referee awards a PK. The PK is scored and the white team wins by a goal.
The green team protests
The correct action SHOULD have been a DFK for white from the point where the green keeper used his hands on the ball outside his PA and a red card for DOGSO as all the criteria were met. reducing green by a player.
A keeper can NEVER be guilty of a DFK offence inside his own PA for use of his hands ONLY an INDFK . As this restart was against the LOTG the match could correctly be ordered to be replayed.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Yazeed
Where there is a clear error in Law that is protestable that is most likely to be upheld provided the referee confirms same. Not sending of a player for two cautions is such an error.
Now there can be confusion in the issuing of cards. Was the player actually cautioned a second time? Will the referee confirm that?. Could he confirm that he withdrew the 2nd card after careful consideration. Was the card shown to another player? Did the referee realise his mistake and then rectify it a short time later which then requires the League to decide whether the length of time involved was sufficient or not to uphold an appeal.
Some appeal bodies could be of the view that a short period of 8 minutes did not constitute sufficient impact to order a replay particularly if no significant event happened during that time such as a goal. Ultimately it is a matter for the League to decide.
Also the outcome of any appeal will hinge totally on the referees report and what is contained in that. One might also find that any appeal has to be made within a certain time frame otherwise it is not valid.
In the infamous Referee Graham Poll incident in the World Cup the error was not appealed or dealt with in a game context. Referee Poll took no further part in the competition. Im sure there were plenty out there that had an interest in the decision such as bets on yellow cards, team to win / draw etc. Im sure if it did impact on the teams that FIFA would have had to have dealt with it. How that could have been done in a tight tournament schedule would have been difficult as the teams would have to perhaps complete another 90 minutes game in the case of a replay and when could that be played? Personally I think it may have been ignored in those circumstances as it was for a couple of minutes only. In a recent UEFA womens game the referee made an error in law at a penalty kick. UEFA ordered that the last 2 minutes of play including the retake of the penalty kick be played again a week later. Without the penalty error it might have been ignored.