Question Number: 30928

Mechanics 10/20/2016

RE: Rec Adult

Russell of Sydney, Australia asks...

This question is a follow up to question 30918

Good points that both Ref's McHugh and Dawson make re 'Pro game' with a four person crew and their collective views of what else is/maybe happening around the incident.

Thinking about this now, certainly if I was a lone official in a Rec match and this happened, I'd have to now re-think of how to incorporate the 'shielding' (and if it was in fact the best way to handle it) and keeping an eye on whats happen around the incident.

Still, I cannot help but think of the irony that this tackle received only a yellow, yet it appears to fit all of the conditions that Ref Mchugh and Dawson (in their response to the recent question 30912) said were the reasons why Granit Xhaka was shown a red.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Russell
Perhaps the red card could also have diffused any of the potential *afters* as players know that the player is taking no further part in the game in which case why would they then do something untoward that gets themselves removed from the game.
I am certainly loath on get involved in VC between players that has already kicked off. Some believe that the referee should intervene yet he is not a police officer. Now the game has many police officers as referees and some have a big presence that can intervene between players. I think of Howard Webb who was a police officer. Have a look at this video and even with his attempt to intervene it achieves little other than putting himself in harms way
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myEs35oX6pU

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Russell,
each referee at whatever level of play is a composite of character, knowledge, judgement and vision. The training, the opportunities to learn, to gain experience and to be held accountable for doing a job to the best of ones abilities is, as I frequently point out, your match, your decision ,your reputation, based on the choices you make. The yellow card will be scrutinized to the level where an incident that a red card COULD have been shown affects then the performance of the crew to maintain composure , order and the acceptance of the players that their interests were still being looked after. The eternal question asked in the post game will be, "Why did you, in the context of the match itself decide that incident was worthy of a caution?" The CR will then explain why and his reputation may gain or suffer accordingly.

Being in a crew helps manage scuffles, as a single official you simply have to get to the point of conflict and act upon the incident in the way you interpret it to be. I hold the opinion that a red card is not produced for any reason except to sanction a player from further participation to stave off trouble and punish that individual for the choices he made in breaking the LOTG. Smart players are aware they can goad another to respond in moments of crisis and the confrontations that crop up are designed to milk the situation rather then get on with the match. A yellow card might walk away, where as a red card you want to take someone with you. It is not unwise to remind a yellow carded player he is on thin ice but I escort red carded players as a single official to avoid further issues and in some cases to protect the dumb ass from getting the crap beat out of him.
Cheers