Question Number: 35882

League Specific 2/17/2025

RE: Adult

gordon woodward of Belbroughton, Worcestershire UK asks...

A player was shown his second Yellow and Red card after the final whistle, does that player have to leave the pitch, or can he carry on celebrating? What is the ruling on this?

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Gordon,
such a sad way to end a match.
The LOTG do allow a direct red card to be shown to player(s) still on the pitch, after the match is officially over, that offend in some egregious violent manner.

If we surmise this player had been cautioned & shown a yellow card during the match and the match is over!
Then during celebrations a yellow card caution is not SECOND caution just an act of USB which is recorded. If say the match was over and we are into an extended PK or KFTPM. This is a different phase it relates only to achieving an outcome. It is not part of the match duration. Thus acts of misconduct are separate! It is remotely possible a player could be shown the yellow card twice I think I recall a keeper so ejected in KFTPM as he constantly moved off the line?

The LOTG place a burden on the referee in cases where a player takes off their shirt in celebration after scoring a goal. A DUMB rule, in my opinion, but it is classified as a mandatory caution.
Now once a match is over I would not be looking to enforce such a position if that goal was a conclusion to the outcome as an excuse to show a red card.

You want to give your head a shake think on this!
You can RECORD a cautionable event against a player prior to match but not show a yellow card yet it is recorded in the match report! That player could be then cautioned shown a yellow card during the match as a single caution. Now the Match is over but we are now into a new phase of play to decide the outcome. We could go to KFTPM where that player could be cautioned and shown a yellow card then a brief time later again cautioned and shown a yellow card, followed by a red card for a 2nd caution when in fact the player was sanctioned 4 times! Probably a player in the keeper position would be the most likely.

If a player is shown the red card they are to take no further part of the match and exit the area. Once the match is over as a referee I would exit the area quickly as well, simply record any further cautionable actions or events in the match report.

You think glaring, with hands on hips expecting a celebrating player to exit the FOP while they rejoice an outcome, in a timely fashion is wise? The only concern I might have is if the sent off player posed a danger to the others in say a handshake line or end match ceremony in a tournament? I might suggest to the coaches to be aware of the players emotional state if I knew it was volatile. Once the match is over the referee should not be looking to find fault
Cheers.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Gordon
Thanks for the question.

There is no formal ruling in the Laws of the Game. It may be covered in the Rules of Competition which can set out what happens say in a medal ceremony
As the game is over it does not really matter to the referee. The requirement to leave is to ensure that the player has no opportunity for further involvement in the game.
So a referee will not be concerned what the player does with the exception that there is no misconduct out on the field.

All referees would not be bothered what happens after the referee crew has left the field of play.

The two recent red cards in the Merseyside Derby had no impact on the players having to leave the field of play and both stayed around on the pitch for a period after the game.


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