Question Number: 31796

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 9/17/2017

RE: Under 18

jeffrey of los angeles, la usa asks...

I tend to have difficulty knowing when to caution for persistent infringement and tracking those players

In a game this weekend, Team B was clearly better than Team A and therefore a lot of Team A's defense consisted of pushing, holding, coming in a little bit late, etc.

I called upwards of 30 fouls in the game and at least 2/3 were against Team A, but I only gave two cautions in the game, both to Team A players, for individual fouls (tactical foul and a penalty)

For a game with that many fouls, I feel like I should have given a handful more cautions, but I did not feel that most of the fouls were at the level of deserving cautions, most were just small grabs, holds, pulls, bumps, etc that were fouls but nothing major.

In a game like this, where it seems like a ton of players are doing a bunch of fouls that are not too major and blatantly cautionable, how are you supposed to go about tracking all the numbers of players who are committing them to caution for persistent infringement? It's easy when one player is committing bigger fouls and you can tell them after two that you'll book them next, or when a team keeps fouling an elite player and you give it to the next player who does it.

But when there are a large number of players committing fouls, how to keep them all straight? And how to know how frequently to hand out cautions when a lot of fouls are called but none are really major?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Jeffrey
There is no easy way to deal with this other than gut instinct, player behaviour and the way the game is going. The referee needs to read the game tactically and to understand what is going on. Are the opponents targeting certain player who are creative and game changers? Are the fouls being done for destructive tactical reasons aimed at destroying the flow of the game. Also timing can be the key factor. A player could commits five/ six fouls in a game and not come to the referees attention whereas the same player could commit three fouls in three minutes, one after another and expect to be sanctioned.
If this single player is coming to the referees attention constantly with fouls then that needs to be dealt with. Opponents can help in that process when they complain about a player constantly fouling. Refs might hear *How many times ref* or *That his third foul ref*. Best advice is to speak with the player when he comes to your attention and say to him that he is committing way too many fouls and the next foul may be a caution. Put the onus on him to change his behaviour by telling him that. The fact that you have spoken to a particular player also puts down a marker in your own thinking which helps with identification. If he changes his behaviour then good. If not then it is a card.
Same will apply to a team who are frustrating the game with constant fouling. Engage the captain and tell him that there are far too many fouls and that you are going to put an end to it.
As to who and when that is a matter for the referee on the day. A player could be unlucky in a series of team fouls and while it might not be PI for him it is unsporting behaviour.
Are the opponents getting frustrated by constant fouling? Is the game getting stopped very minute for a foul? Is it one or two players that are constantly getting mixed up in pulling, pushing, low level fouls? Is one player attracting most of the fouls? are all questions the referee has to consider
If the game does not need intervention with the questions not arising then so be it. There is no set number of fouls that constitute persistent infringement and I have on many occasions frustrated games that were starting to become niggly by calling every single foul with the more significant one resulting in a caution. I may not sanction anyone for PI yet just take a tight reign on the game through calling every foul.
Cards are there to help manage the game and if none are needed then so be it. A team could be quite happy if it is winning to take the free kicks. At lower levels the game is more about the participants rather than the spectators. In your example I think that you handled it fine. Team A had to resort to low level fouls and as long as Team B is not reacting negatively then it can be let slide with only the *significant* fouls being carded which is what you did.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Jeff,
no worries mate takes time!
The opposition often get discouraged where the winning team can shrug off most of the smaller less irritating fouls it is when frustration seizes hold and some real solid whacks appear that things unravel as a form of payback or simply mad at the way things are going. You can get in tight let them know your presence. Whether you comment, drop the arms, let him go. is a matter of your personality. I recall certain coaches getting upset if you publically say these things and NOT call a foul. .

The frequency of fouls if you are whistling 1 a minute you need to have a word with the captains . Yes we can use brief moments of the match to reign in unsporting play with easy quick whistles for bad breath IF it is required but figuring out the players acceptance and tolerance is where you as referee earn your respect and gain their trust!

Certainly training, mentoring watching film is good but experience is the only real teacher here! Or the player or team is SO obtuse as to present the evidence in such a way it is unavoidable to overlook.

I once had a very talented young ladies team with a skilful dribbler of the ball who was constantly fouled as it was near impossible to legally gain ball possession from her. This was a case of PI but not in the usual sense. this was an act of misconduct that I classify as USB. The ENTIRE red Team targeting a select player. I felt obligated to call a halt after the 3rd time in less than 8 minutes this skillful young lady was lying prostrate on the ground in front of me the recipient of all 3 fouls OUTSIDE the PA by 3 separate opposing players all trying to chop her down so she was not such a menace in the PA. I called over the captain of the red team and explained loudly for all to hear. 'If I see this young lady lying on the ground after another tackle like the last 3 that have placed her there earlier there will be dire consequences if that challenge is not a fair one. So be warned I do not accept this as normal!
This worked as she played the rest of the half mostly on her feet without being slide tackled but I did caution a red player who held her jersey.
In the second half she was tackled/challenged several more times with 2 cautions and 1 direct red card. But the attempts were not as reckless more of desperation.

PI is when an overly aggressive player or a lesser skilled one is marking a quality player and to stop the attacker or from being beaten they choose to continually hold, push or trip to slow or break up the attack. These fouls are of themselves NOT cautionable or cardable or reckless or excessive just niggle chopping careless or deliberate entanglement designed to slow or stop.
Th thing is they are constant and happen with regularity over a short period of time . This is not a trip in the 5th minute, a push in the 40th minute a pull in the 78th minute. Even niggle fouls over a match one player might get 5 or 6 without showing up on the radar. But we see #12 red haul down #13 blue at 5:05 , 15 blue at 10:03 #9 blue at 12:37 chances are a yellow card PI is under consideration . PARTICULARILY if any of the first two were border line reckless and the third is also in that category.

Players will accept a certain level of foul being fair in they play through the small stuff as doubtful or trifling depending on your own tolerance levels but you need to be in touch and listen even ask, I let you play through that were you looking for the foul?

ED Bellion used to tell me the story which is mentioned in the referee book 'For the good of the Game!' how he thought to protect Maradona from the constant grabbing and fouling by the opposition seeking to slow him down to where even HE complained , 'Just let me play! I can ride out and break free of most of that crap.'

If as CR you see what you THINK or FEEL is a pattern by a player or a team to intimidate try to address it BEFORE we get to the MUST card situation in a way that leaves no doubt to all YOU are AWARE and displeased and there WILL be consequences. I rarely suggest you say you will card you need to keep options but you can certainly present a strong case for control.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Jeff,
My colleagues have already given fairly comprehensive answers so I'll confine my answer to just one aspect. If it is a single player committing multiple fouls, you can use the 'persistent offences' provision of the laws. However if there are multiple players involved but no individual player committing too many fouls, it's a little trickier.

The old USSF 'Advice to Referees' document although now discontinued, contained what I thought was some useful advice on this scenario (along with various other things that I found somewhat less than useful). Their take on this went as follows:

''The referee must also recognize when a single opponent has become the target of fouls by multiple players. [...] upon recognizing the pattern, the referee should clearly indicate that the pattern has been observed and that further fouls against this opponent must cease. If another player commits a foul against the targeted opponent, that player must be cautioned but, in this case, the misconduct should be reported as unsporting behavior, as must any subsequent caution of any further foul against that same targeted opponent. Eventually, the team will get the message.''

I believe the same approach could be used even if the persistent team infringements do not necessarily target just one individual but constitute a pattern of persistent offences anyway.