Question Number: 30911

Mechanics 10/18/2016

RE: Adult

Tom of Birmingham, UK asks...

If a player commits a bootable offence but the ref let's play continue with the intention of booking the player when play stops, if the player in question then commits another bootable offence but it is before play has been stopped for the first offence and as such does not realise he is going to be booked, does the player get sent off? If he does, Surely he would argue that he did not know he had been booked for the first offence and had he known he may not have committed the second offence (which could have been something like a deliberate hand ball)

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Tom,
The LOTG state it is unwise to allow play to continue if the player is to be sent off unless say the ball was rolling into the goal in favour of the opposition.

Oh wait, bootable as in send off or bookable as in caution? I will assume a misspell given I do it all the time lol Ignorance is no excuse, a player unaware he did something card worthy is simply not paying attention. To do 2 and not think it was so is highly unlikely

The LOTG now offer a very effective solution that could prevent continued play if the player BEING booked was to further participate in active play. Note the IF part near the end.

ACTUAL LOTG QUOTE
Advantage should not be applied in situations involving serious foul play, violent conduct or a second cautionable offence unless there is a clear opportunity to score a goal. The referee must send off the player when the ball is next out of play but IF the player plays the ball or challenges/interferes with an opponent, the referee will stop play, send off the player and restart with an indirect free kick.
END QUOTE

When a referee sees a cautionable action but has decided to invoke advantage it is not unwise to relay that info immediately to his ARS and those around by stating aloud , ADVANTAGE signal with the arms, watch then if advantage is realized drop the arms yell PLAY ON! then state Hey #17 you are in the books!

Keep in mind that it no longer matters if this was a 1st or 2nd Caution, or even a direct red card event because the part about the LOTG now allowing us to IMMEDIATELY stop play and award an INDFK even AFTER the advantage is gone if our miscreant involves himself in further play it is much more in keeping with fair play. The KEY here is to act quickly should you see this player try to engage in active play BEFORE he has an opportunity to sink deeper or cause further damage.

That indfk option does not SAVE the miscreant if he actually performs a 2nd cautionable action after an advantage is played prior to our stopping play. If the player commits further transgressions that are card worthy and of a DFK status that will be what the restart is based on. Now the referee will show two yellow cards one at a time and point to the spot of where each occurred then show the red card and send off the player reducing his side by 1

As to it being a player's 1st caution the OPTION we now have of a quick indfk stop might in fact PREVENT him from doing something further to acquire a second caution and wind up being shown a red card for 2 bookable offences I consider the idea of that INDFK aspect rather like offside interference as a restricted player TRYING to get involved. But more so in stopping his attack then hurting the opposition attack . As to your point about the player not knowing he could be on multiple cautions, oh baby he knows and if he doesn't he should!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

I'm assuming you are talking about multiple cautionable offenses, not send-offs. If a player commits a sending-off offense, we are advised to stop the game, unless there is an immediate scoring opportunity.

If the player commits a cautionable offense and you elect to invoke advantage, you call out 'Play On' and/or 'Advantage'. And then, 'Number 7, I'm coming back for you.' That puts the player on notice that he will at least be getting a talking-to, and he'd better clean up his act tout de suite (or 'toot sweet' if you prefer).

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Tom
Have alook at this video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RY0DD120slk
The Green player appears to knock rd to the ground off th bal close to the referee. The referee sees this offence and plays advantage. Green then makes a reckless challenge on another Red player and the referee gives him two cautions. One can clearly see the refere point to both seperate situations as cautions. So Green gets two cautions and a red card which is perfectly correct in Law.
Now any time a player clearly infringes the Laws of the Game he is asking a question of the referee as to whether disciplinary sanction will be taken or not. Here Green committed two clear seperate offences and he thought incorrectly that only one sanction would be taken. Wrong thinking.