Question Number: 16045

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 7/16/2007

RE: U20 World Cup Adult

Chris of Albuquerque, NM USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 16035

Follow up to the U-20 Portugal [16035] incident with the player snatching the Ref's red card out of his hand. Yep, off he goes. I don't want to do my usual 10-page harangue here, but I have to ask anybody else on the panel: when you watched the clip did you hear the commentators almost laughing that the player did this? As though it's humorous?? I believe one of them said words to the effect of "oh, you don't do that" and the other one laughed. There's nothing funny about what that young man did at all. He definitely deserved to go away. But I have to agree, it looks as though the initial contact, wherein it looked like the defender hooked the attacker's arms and took him down, went unpunished. I always hate it when the players yell out "call the first one" and they're right. Looks like everybody forgot about that here. Yikes...

Answer provided by Referee Jon Sommer

Yeah i thought the same thing when I heard the commentary, but nothing suprises me anymore from commentators mouths. They are people who don't really know much about what they are talking about and regularly incorrectly tell the public the law is such and such...they are where the myths of the game start more often than not. It is infuriating watching one of your games back to commentators who insult you for something they have got completely and utterly wrong...believe me

Regards

Answer provided by Referee Nathan Lacy

Commentators of soccer are, for the most part, a joke. Enough said. All the best,

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Hi Chris, good to see you again!

My thoughts on television commentators are well known. They seem to get paid by the word, not by the accuracy of what they say...

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

The player had a brain freeze and you can tell by his reaction he was heart broken not just mad! While humour in any form is sometimes in the perception of those viewing the incident, as referees we understand that to let such an act go by is not likely to happen at this or ANY level of play. Cheers