Question Number: 30554

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 6/29/2016

RE: rec Adult

KEN WIKLE of CLARKSTON, Michigan United States asks...

I have been searching Advice to Referees and don't see a reference for this situation.
The referee issues a yellow card to a player for one of the seven reasons in the Laws. The player is substituted out of the game. After the player becomes a substitute he is guilty of Unsportsmanlike conduct or dissent from the bench. The referee sends him off for a second yellow card offense.
Does this substitute being sent off cause his team to play short after this or do they continue to play with eleven?
Can you give a reference for your answer?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Ken
In the Laws of the Game cautions can be issued to players, SUBSTITUTES and SUBSTITUTED PLAYERS. So in your example the substituted player was still under the jurisdiction of the referee and as he was guilty of one of the four offences that a substitute can be cautioned for in Law 12 he was dismissed. The team does not play short.
To quote Law 12 from the current Law booklet
**A substitute or substituted player is cautioned if guilty of:
# delaying the restart of play
# dissent by word or action
# entering or re-entering the field of play without the referee’s permission
# unsporting behaviour**
As you know any player or substitute or substituted player that receives a 2nd caution is sent off. In the case of substitutes and substituted players the team does not play short. It is only when players are dismissed that the team plays short.
There are particular rules in respect of the roster before kick off should anyone be dismissed.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

It's not directly in the Laws, but can be inferred.

The new text is:
'A player who is sent off:
• before submission of the team list can not be named on the team list in any capacity
• after being named on the team list and before kick-off may be replaced by a named substitute (who can not be replaced)
• after the kick-off can not be replaced'

Notice this is for a PLAYER who is sent off. If it's a non-player, this doesn't apply. The last bullet point applies to your question - only a PLAYER may not be replaced.