Question Number: 34976

5/9/2023

RE: Travel - OHTSL Under 16

Heather of GRAFTON, OH United States asks...

This question is a follow up to question 34972

Thank you both! This situation was brought to the referee's attention by the goalkeeper and the opposing parents. The referee said the coach was fine. There was a hill behind the goal so the coach could stand on the hill and the referee said he was far enough away. From the sideline it looked to be maybe 5 feet.

It was poor conduct by the coach and it absolutly broke our goalkeeper's concentration. Such a sad display in a youth game.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Heather
For me not acceptable. Why an opposing coach would be allowed to stand behind a goal is beyond me when it is plainly against the Laws of the Game and brought to the referee's attention and the sole intention is to distract an opponent.

As you say it was a sad display in a Underage game and shows up some pf the poor conduct that exists in the game.

I'm disappointed that a referee did not deal with this. Perhaps and a perhaps at that if the coach had simply stood there and did nothing then it might be ignored.
I was at a game recently where a coach went to retrieve a ball behind a goal and after doing that he sat on a wall some 5 yards behind the goal with the ball just outside the penalty area to the side for a short while and did nothing. He did not come to the referee's attention, no coaching, no shouting and then eventually went back to the technical area. I'm certain that if the coach got involved in any way he would have been asked to return to the technical area. It would not happen at higher levels of the game yet at grassroots with zero effect on the game the referee probably did not even notice it and it was let slide.
The law is there to prevent unsporting conduct and to maintain discipline on the touchline. It is why technical areas exist and why the law sets out what is allowed or not.