Question Number: 31471

League Specific 4/22/2017

RE: Rec. Under 12

Kenny Macdonald of Armadale, West Lothian United Kingdom asks...

Our opponents were winning 2-1. There was a tackle where one of our players went down with what looked to be a bad injury. The ref waived play on. A coach from our team entered the field of play to attend to the injured player while the ref let play continue. Once play finally stopped our coach remonstrated with the referee. The opponents coach entered the field of play and removed his players with 5 mins still remaining. Does the result stand even though the full period of time wasn't played?

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Kenny
The referee will record the antics of the match in the match report. The league or association will evaluate the details and arrive at a decision to declare if one team is the winner or if there is to be a replay or a fine or whatever punishment or decision they feel necessary to make to set a precedent or settle the conflict.

I have no way of knowing if the young player was seriously injured obviously the referee felt he was not if play was allowed to continue. The opposing team could elect to kick the ball out of play or his own teammates could do the same to FORCE a stoppage. I understand your coach was seeking to look after his or her charges but to fight with the referee sets a bad precedent.

As to WHY the OTHER coach choose to take his team off is confusing? If indeed it was the ONLY reason for the match to be terminated it will likely cost the team and that coach a great deal of problems. Unless both coaches felt their players were in eminent danger because the referee had lost control they will still have some serious explaining to do at the disciplinary hearing that will occur as a result of the antics at this match. The league may have bylaws that state a result could stand if so much of it was played given field restriction or time constraints of recreational league but that is not of concern for a referee
.
Cheers
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Kenny
It is a matter for the League to decide based on its competition rules and the referee match report which will outline the exact circumstances. Leagues in general take a dim view of teams that fail to finish fixtures or cause a game to be abandoned. I do not fully understand why a coach in a winning position would withdraw his team from the game unless it got so ugly that there was a real danger of serious injury.

My experience is that if the losing team caused the game to be abandoned with minutes to play the result usually stands. The principle behind that is to not allow teams to say benefit from a replay when in a losing position by causing a game to be abandoned . To do so would only encourage teams to walk off while losing. That is not going to happen.
Similarly one could not countenance a situation where a winning team walks off for spurious reasons which does not allow the opponents the chance to equalise.

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Kenny,
Whether the result stands or not is for the competition organisers to decide. The referee cannot make that determination, they just need to include all the relevant details in their report.

I have to agree with my colleagues that it would be unusual for the coach of the team that was not directly involved in the first incident or the altercation with the referee and whose team was ahead, to take their players off the field and that whichever team causes the abandonment would normally come off worse in any disciplinary hearing.