Question Number: 33719

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 10/20/2019

RE: Competive Adult

Chris of Salmiya, Kuwait Kuwait asks...

In a match between team red and team blue, during the match team blue player accidentally was elbowed in the face by a player from the red team.
The player immediately holding his face fell to the ground, and the referee continued the match for about a minute or two, until everyone started shouting player on the ground with the face injury. The referee brings the game to a halt when the ball is in the possession of the blue team.
As the referee walking and nearing towards the injured player of team blue, one of the player from team blue passes a statement saying "No wonder people get hammering from public"
Now he did not take the referees name nor use the word referee. Secondly this player was already on a yellow card. The referee without wasting any time shows this player a direct red card.
This referee was once beaten by players and public some months or years back. Thats one reason the player passed the remark.
Need to know is it a red card direct or should he being getting a second yellow and followed by a red.
The player with the face injury had a lump just above the eyebrow.

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Hi Chris,
What an appalling comment by the player. The comment he made is doing nothing other than speaking in favour of the bashing that particular referee survived. I would say that absolutely falls under OFFINABUS and I'm glad to hear the referee took that comment as seriously as it deserves.

Had the referee simply chosen to consider it dissent, that would be his right as well, but given the particular context here I think a straight red card is the better choice.

The player may not have used the word 'referee', but it's clear that's who he was referring to - can't have been referring to anybody else.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Chris,
any player who thinks a referee being beaten is somehow an intelligent subject to bring up on the pitch is obtuse and imbecile, plain and simple. The very fact this referee has the courage to return to the pitch is outstanding. If the player being shown a direct red it was likely the referee was convinced it was offensive, insulting and abusive and not a 2nd yellow for USB. As to how an accidental elbowing creates a facial injury without the referee or AR being aware of the contact is disheartening but not unusual as such things can & do occur when blocked from sight. Given we do treat head injuries as serious WHEN we see them we generally do not stop play immediately just because a player is on the ground. You can thank the reasoning for players either exaggerating their injuries or going down too easily to draw fouls or cards . A referee with integrity calls what he sees. Sometimes we need to agree to disagree and just move on. Its best to talk later when less tension & passion is aroused. Civility under duress is not a great human trademark. I suspect the referee is a might edgy on the topic of violence!

The player gets treated and the player who accidentally created the noggin lump could apologize! Referee could remind himself to try & get a better position or angle to see such incidents. As my colleagues alluded to the march report states the reasons for the card and the player upon being disciplined can refute or offer rebuttal. I suspect the referee could have been affected by the previous attack and is in no way inclined to accept an inkling of such behavior again.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Chris
If the referee showed a red card without showing a second yellow it is a direct red card sending off offence.
Now from the description I would say it was a straight red card and one must assume that the red card was for using offensive, insulting and abusive language towards the referee. The words do not have to be foul, nor use the referees name and quite obviously the referee believed that the words were directed at him and in reference to a very serious event some time ago.
From your explanation I could easily interpret that here is a referee who missed contact on a Blue player and a Blue player says in the close presence of the referee a comment that is understood to relate to an assault event which the referee can and will interpret as offensive and insulting which is a red card offence. To me it was an extremely ill advised comment to be making within hearing distance of any referee and one would have to assume the reason for the comment was in reference to an accidental injury not being dealt with.
Anyway the referee will file a report of what happened on the red card offence and the player can appeal any sanction meted out by the disciplinary panel and/or request a personal hearing.
Now I suspect that any appeal if made will be treated harshly as no matter who the comment referred to it is out of order to suggest that anyone deserves a *hammering*. My own view is that defense if used will be seen as an excuse pure and simple for a dreadful comment.