Question Number: 31194

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 1/22/2017

RE: Adult

Craig Owen of Manchester, United Kingdom asks...

A player put the ball thru an opponents legs today and ran round him as he went round him he shouted megs. I pulled it back and awarded an IDFK to the other team for unsporting behaviour as I have seen many a nasty challenge after such behaviour from players who don't like to have the mick taken. Megs are a skill but no need to shout it too. Am I right as it caused a mass argument

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Hi Craig,
I hope you also cautioned the player?
An IFK is impossible here. Law 12 clearly states all the DFK / IFK offences - this doesn't come under any of them (in the same way that there is actually no provision to award an IFK for saying 'mine' without a caution).
There is one which states that an IFK is awarded if play is stopped to caution or send off a player. Thus, if you stop play for something you decide is an offence that isn't otherwise stated as an offence, it must be a card.

A little bit of banter or talking to your opponents is part of the game - I don't think the referee is able to enforce a zero tolerance policy on any of this, nor do I think it is for the benefit of the game. Just being the one-off comment, I see no reason for referee intervention.

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Craig,
As the saying goes, 'Your match, your decision, your reputation.'

However for me, this does not sound like egregious enough behaviour to warrant a caution - remembering, as ref Wright points out that you can't just award an IFK for this without cautioning the player first.

I would also have to say that as far as my experience goes, this is a standard part of play and is expected and accepted by most players. In fact, there is a mantra that says if you don't call it, it doesn't count (and the assumption is that it was an accident). I have probably seen it happen on dozens of occasions when either playing or refereeing and personally, I have never known it to cause a problem.

Your experience seems to have been slightly different but if it is indeed what caused the mass confrontation I can only surmise that this was a match that already had a raised temperature for some reason or other, as I can't imagine simply calling a nutmeg (which is, to me, expected) would have caused such rancour.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Craig
I am reminded of a story in book by the late Robert Evans and Edward Bellion The Art of Refereeing: Techniques and Advice for Every Soccer Referee where it was recounted how a referee in a similar situation stopped play before the irate nutmegged player was about to launch a retribution tackle on the opponent. The referee obviously sensed the anger from the pursuing defender and decided to stop play some 20 yards later!! It does not state what the restart was.
In Law the only correct decision was a caution for the *shout* and the restart is an IDFK. An IDFK on its own is not part of Law 12. Whether it merits a caution is up to the referee and I doubt many referees would caution for such an action. Now that is not something that has prevented IDFK being awarded incorrectly on their own in the past. The incorrect IDFK restart for no name calls for the ball comes to mind.
It also bring into focus the discipline of *wronged* players and whether referees should be concerned about potential reactions of players in such situations. I have seen over the years what I perceived to be hostility between players yet later in the game they were seen as the best of mates or in such instances the opposing players berating the referee for dealing harshly with what they seen as trivial.
From my perspective I would not have stopped the game yet I would have made a mental note of the players and adopt a zero tolerance approach from that moment on. Perhaps a players feeling can be wound up yet it does not allow the player to react in a way that offends the LotG. I was recently berated by a player for not calling an arm tug on a team mate who then reacted some 5/6 seconds later with a cautionable aggressive push on the defender. Yeah perhaps if I called the foul the reaction might not have happened and there again maybe it would. It certainly did not give the player the *reason* to react as he did.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Craig,
when ANY individual is embarrassed it is not uncommon to be angry at themselves and irritated at anyone else who notices or causes the reason. So no doubt the salt wound rub of a gleeful opponent trying to have some fun at his opponents' expense can create sore feelings. But this is a competitive environment! As a referee you have the POWER to react as you think best. I advise it is not your duty to stop play and award an indfk unless you are PREPARED to show the card that MUST accompany such a reason! Personally, I hold the opinion, this requires at best a WORD not a card or a stoppage. Unless this was a CONSTANT needling and flagrant act of USB with additional unwarranted behavior after being warned not to pursue such a course of action.

You mentioned a mass argument? Was it BECAUSE you stopped play (with no card as a captain of the opposing team I likely be stating, hey ref where's the card?) or just the interaction of the two players arguing with one another?

If a player gets angry and decides to retaliate for getting schooled that is HIS decision forcing You to make a new decision based on that action! Not that you suspect his feelings were hurt and only if you had intervened at the embarrassing moment earlier could you have prevented this future action!.

It is good you are thinking man management and anticipating possible issues . It is good to look for ways to relive the simmering pressure. A match can find itself in a roiling boil by an inattentive referee but the basic premise is STILL be a neutral observer and look to relive pressure by presence and smart intervention . Experience teaches us players WANT you to be concerned with their safety and well being but not necessarily hold their hands and sooth their feelings with unnecessary actions when a simple smile or a finger wave or a shout out of (Cut that BS out!) is sufficient!
Cheers