Question Number: 33220

Law 3 - The Players 4/5/2019

RE: rec Other

ej smith of lynnwood, Washington United States asks...

i saw in an EPL game that a player warming up behind the goal said something to an apposing player and got a yellow card for his actions. If he had recieved another yellow card on the sidelines resulting in a red card, woould that team have to play with ten men or would the player just be ejected?

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi EJ,
Although it is slightly possible he COULD be an injured player looking to stretch a bit before coming back on to the FOP after an injury, the person warming up is generally not a player per say, that is reserved status for the 11 men on the FOP after the kick off. This individual warming up is likely an available nominated substitute getting ready to replace a player at the next substitution opportunity. Thus his MISCONDUCT while punishable as a team member, since he is NOT yet a player, should he receive a second caution say for disputing the first one for his USB . He would in fact be shown a 2nd yellow then a red card & expelled. He is NOT permitted to play at all BUT it would not affect his team, they would not be reduced in numbers of players, they would remain at 11.While he can no longer participate they lose 1 body for substitution options only.

Mind you if he did receive a caution as a substitute warming up while off the field of play should he then enter the field as a player that yellow card caution WOULD accompany him. Should he perform another act of misconduct while participating as a player he AGAIN would be shown the yellow card then the red card and sent off for receiving two cautions and YES his team would be reduced to ten at that point BECAUSE he would be deemed a player being sent off, NOT a substitute for misconduct. .

Up until the kick off ALL players are not yet held accountable as a player for any send off action prior to the start of a match. Thus if a player is sent off for idiotic misconduct they only lose a nominated substitute out of the available roster. However, once a player acting as one of the 11 even if they are OFF the field of play, temporary injury or for a throw in or to retrieve the ball or just through momentum if they perform a send off action their team plays short as they take an early shower.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi EJ,
Assuming this was a nominated substitute warming up, if they were to receive a second yellow card (or a straight red) their team would still continue with the same number of players they had on the field. If you think about it, this is the only way it could be handled.

After dismissing the named substitute, the team would still have 11 players on the field (if no others had already been sent off). If the team had to then be reduced to 10, which of the 11 players on the field would you remove and for what reason? Players can only be dismissed for committing one of the sending-off offences listed in the Laws. If none of the 11 players has committed any of these offences, they cannot be sent off.

If a named substitute is dismissed, another substitute may not take their place on the bench but the team can still make the same number of substitutes that they had available prior to the dismissal.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi EJ
If a substitute on the bench or warming up is sent off for whatever reason be it two yellows or a straight red card his team does not play short.
A team only plays short if a player is sent off. For that reason it is vital that there is a clear distinction between substitutes and players. A substitute only becomes a player when he steps on the field of play to replace a player. That moment of change over changes the designation of a substitute to player and the player becomes a substituted player. That exact moment is critical as for example a player waking off strikes an opponent while on the field of play then he will be red carded and his team play shorts. If on the other hand a substitute standing on the sideline waiting to come on strikes someone then the substitute is sent off for violent conduct but the team does not play short.
In your example had the substitute got a second caution he would be sent off, shown a red card and his team does not play short. It also does not change the number of substitutions that can be made just that the choice of substitute is reduced by one. So if it is three substitutions from seven it is now three from six.