Question Number: 34543

Law 3 - The Players 3/28/2022

RE: Competitive High School

Bob Datz of WEST BROOKFIELD, MA United States asks...

I thought I saw this in IFAB laws but then couldn't find it. A red card before the match does the offender's tream play shorrt. I thought not but just don't find it.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Bob
Thanks for the question.
A red card before kick off means that the team does NOT play short. Referee Dawson has quoted the relevant section of Law 3. The sent off player can be replaced by a named substitute. However the substitute that starts as a player cannot be replaced on the substitute roster. However the number of substitutions the team can make is not reduced just that the team has one less substitute to chose from.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Bob
often in the past, obtuse players would engage in USB antics even before kick-off while on their way into or onto the FOP and on the FOP as they warmed up. It was not totally clear what level of responsibility the referee had to discipline or when their authority could show cards but this was clarified.

LAW 3 Tte Players 3.6 Players and substitutes sent of

A player who is sent off:

-before submission of the team list cannot be named on the team list in any capacity

-after being named on the team list and before kick-off may be replaced by a named substitute, who cannot be replaced the number of substitutions the team can make is not reduced

-after the kick-off cannot be replaced

A named substitute who is sent off before or after the kick-off may not be replaced.

The LOTG was slightly altered to ensure that even prior to kick off misconduct would not go unpunished but that did not alter the fundamental principle that a team member scheduled to play could be dismissed without affecting the starting numbers because the match had NOT yet started! In other words, the team member was not permitted to partake or be on the FOP for that match as the incident is included in the match report but the team still started with a full complement of 11 players

What occurs is one of the named substitutes on the roster would fill in at the position vacated by the obtuse player ejected, effectively taking their spot on the FOP as one of the starting 11. This did NOT affect the number of substitutions permitted be it three, five or whatever the ROC allowed, only left them 1 less substitute to choose from as that named substitute became a starting player.

LAW 5 The Referee
has the authority to take disciplinary action from entering the field of play for the pre-match inspection until leaving the field of play after the match ends (including kicks from the penalty mark). If, before entering the field of play at the start of the match, a player commits a sending-off offence, the referee has the authority to prevent the player taking part in the match (see Law 3.6) the referee will report any other misconduct


Cheers