Question Number: 15167

League Specific 4/13/2007

RE: Select, High School, College College

Aaron Martin of Chattannooga, Tennessee USA asks...

A player is cautioned for unsporting behavior, and per NFHS regulations the cautioned player must be substituted. As the cautioned player is leaving the pitch the player then turns and makes a derogatory gesture (flipping a bird) directed at the Referee. The Referee then ejects the player, showing a red card.

When does the cautioned player cease to be the player of record per NFHS rules? According to the rules a substituted player becomes the player of record when acknowledged by the Referee.

Under the above scenario if a substitute was not recognized BEFORE the player made a derogatory gesture, then by the rule, the team of the player committing the offense must now play short, correct?

However, if the substitute was recognized AFTER the caution but before the action leading to the player ejection, then the team of the offending player does not play short, correct?

Answer provided by Referee Nathan Lacy

This is where following procedures saves your fanny big time. If the substitution procedure is followed correctly, especially in a case such as this, then the player who has been cautioned remains a "player on the pitch" until such time as they leave and the substitute enters the field of play after having been given permission by the referee to do so. However, if you have beckoned on the substitute prior to showing the red card you have now just bought yourself a load of trouble. While I would argue that the red carded player had not completely left the field and that the team should now play short it might be a really hard sell and the level of criticism from coaches and players would probably be extreme and most probably impact the game in a very negative way. By waiting to beckon on the substitute until after the cautioned player has left the pitch there can be no question as to who the player of record is and you have just saved yourself a crud-load of paperwork. Follow the substitution procedure to the letter in these cases and your life will be a lot simpler. All the best,

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Arron your answer is only applicable to US High School played using NHFS soccer rules.

The referee cautions some malcontent and while he is leaving the field he confirms the referee's opinion of him and is disqualified.

Right. High school rules have, written into their substitution procedure, this from Rule 3, sect 3, art 5: A substitute becomes a player when he/she is beckoned onto the field of play, at which time the replaced individual is no longer a player.

The referee need not recognize the substitute for the player to cease being a player, the referee needs to beckon the substitute onto the field. What I suggest to the referee, who disciplines a player, is NOT to allow any substitute to enter until the disciplined player has left the field. This prevents what happened in your scenario.

Another thing the astute referee may do is this, the substitute entering without permission is approached, told that he entered without permission and is to be cautioned. Once that is understood the substitute is cautioned for his entry and asked to return to the halfway line and wait to be beckoned on by the referee. Presto, the disqualified individual's status is still that of a player and he may not be replaced. What coaches do after a known "hot head" is cautioned is run the substitute on without permission to create the possibility of a referee[s] making a mistake. They usually do...

How to prevent this from ever happening is to substitute in accordance with the procedure written in the Laws of the Game. You do this by not beckoning on the substitute until the player he is replacing has left the field on play. AND that, Aaron, is in accordance with Rule 3,3,5 -- the referee just delays beckoning on the player. Cool... problem solved.

NOTE: this applies to US High School only

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

This is exactly why the sub does not enter until player he is replacing is off. If you follow the procedure correctly, then it is an easy decision. Note however that if the referee gives this player a 2nd caution, then per high school policy that team does not play short. If the referee feels that the offense was deserving of a red card and not a 2nd caution, then the team would play short.