Question Number: 14795

Law 3 - Number of Players 2/5/2007

RE: Advanced Professional

Conrad Aqua Mthunzi of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe asks...

Upon substituting the player going out is already off the feild of play and the player to come in is still outside. The player coming in decides to change his boots before going in. The game is at a very critical stage. We have to defend. The ref orders play to continue while the player waiting to come in puts on another pair of boots. Meantime because of pressure I ask the ref to let my other player continue play till the player coming in is ready. When the player signals to the ref that he is going back in the ref gives him a yellow card, which was his second therefore red. He refuses to let the substitution to go on. Play resumes when we are down to 10 men and we concede a goal. Was the ref right in his decision? When is substutuion complete?

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

What a mess!
Why are you requesting a substitution if the substitute is not ready??? The referee is to be notified when the substitute is at the midline, checked over and a stoppage occurs. The referee DOES not signal the substitute on until the player has left the field. It sounds like the player who left should not have left. While I can see the the referee is correct in not waiting for sub to replace his shoes to restart the match the easy solution is do not start the substitution process and change it in mind stride. I find it odd that a request to reenter the field of play by the player would be reason to be shown a card unless that player did NOT recieve permission from the referee to do so, but entered anyway. I find the situation a harsh judgement but cannot fault the referee if the events occurred as I stated. That said bet you you do not do that again1 Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

It sounds like the substitute wasn't ready to enter the game, and the request for a substitute shouldn't have been made. The ref was entirely correct to allow the game to restart instead of waiting for the sub to change his boots. As a coach you could ask that the player who was coming off the field be allowed to go back in - but the referee has to signal for that player to enter, which evidently didn't happen because play was already resuming.

When the player (re)entered without permission, the referee was correct to caution him - and since it was his second caution, he was sent off.

The substitution was never completed - that requires the new player to enter the field. Therefore the player that was sent off was still the player of record, and the ref was correct that your team now had to play with ten.

A tough-luck situation, but perhaps players asking to be subbed into the game should actually be ready to play?