Question Number: 15824

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 6/18/2007

RE: Competive Adult

MIKE KIRKMAN of Kennewick , Washington USA asks...

Last week, two players from opposite teams were challenging for the ball at their feet when the attacker elbowed the defender in the face to move him off the ball. I called the foul and sent off the attacker for serious foul play. Later I was told that I could elevate the serious foul play to violent conduct which is a more serious card. This sounded like a good idea since the elbow appeared intended to injure the defender. Can I elevate one card to another?

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

During the game, a card is a card is a card. The player is told that his behavior is intolerable, he is dismissed and hopefully the problems go away. At that time you should have also verbally told the player for what offense he was being sent off.

After the game, I presume you included this incident in a game report. You should have described the incident as well as noting which send-off offense was committed. Now it's in the league's hands to determine the suspension and possibly a fine.

Can you modify your report to indicate it was VC instead of SFP? That will depend on the procedures of your disciplinary board. Will they accept a referee's rethinking of the situation, after the player has been told his offense and after it has been put in writing?

So the question becomes, should it have been VC? Generally a foul made with excessive force while playing for the ball will be SFP. Was the player going for the ball, or was he going for the player? If the latter, it would be VC. You as the ref have to decide that.

If you feel that you made a mistake in your initial assessment of the misconduct, file an amended report explaining your concerns. But only if you feel that the incident qualified as VC, not just because the player would get a longer ban.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Mike this looks like a classic Violent Conduct situation because the striking was not used to make a play for the ball it was used to make the ball available for play. The subtle difference is in the acceptable definition for serious foul play:

Ball in play, on the field, against an opponent, a challenge for the ball is being made and with no obvious attempt to play the ball. Here the challenge was instigated to move the player so the ball could be played.

How you write this is predicated on what you told the player. You said serious foul play, done deal. What you could have said is I'm sending you off for striking an opponent using excessive force. He'll buy that in a heartbeat. Later that evening you'll refer to page 61 of the Laws of the Game [USA edition] for assist in your sending-off report. The serious foul play and violent conduct categories are explained in enough detail to tell one from another.

Regards,