Question Number: 15310

Law 5 - The Referee 4/28/2007

RE: Select Under 14

Chris of San Jose, CA USA asks...

Player A already has a yellow card. Referee shows player a second yellow card. He then goes to record the card in his book when he notices that the player already has a caution and he will have to send him off. Says he changes his mind and doesn't yellow card the player.

There is zero chance that the card was accidental (i.e. meant to show him something different). He knew he was yellow carding the player

Is that allowed?

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

He's shown the second yellow which means he's already cautioned him. End of story. He CANNOT change his mind at this point and MUST send the player off and show the red card. He may at his descretion write something in his report saying the second caution may have been harsh or unwarranted, but he DID issue it. The only time he could change his mind is if the AR told him it was the wrong player and he had not restarted [play.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

The referee has used the WRONG mechanic. The Laws of the Game specifically tell us a player, substitute or substituted player is cautioned and shown the yellow card for seven things. If the referee had taken his book out and spoken to the player first he might have seen his name there already. This is what happened to Gramme Poll last summer. Once the referee reads his book and sees a caution there he still has the option of a ticking-off, a severe tongue lashing or discussing with the player the relative merits of his intellect.

Because this is not a wrongly identified player, or someone that did not do something as established before play has restarted the referee will have great difficulty in changing his mind. I have cautioned or sent off the wrong player and one that denied a goal, I thought and one that was harmed by an opponent's reckless trip. I was able to remove the discipline from the incorrectly sent-off player and I had the cautioned player hand my card to the guilty player. Both actions were accepted without comment or further problems because the actions corrected "mistakes". This player did ask for the caution and did receive it because the referee was hasty and used improper mechanics. Very, very hard to undo this. The referee MUST be incredibly forceful in his action to undo his mistake. Few referees have this strength or character.

Regards,