Question Number: 17471

Law 3 - Number of Players 10/23/2007

RE: competetive Under 9

John of Lincoln, NE USA asks...

At a recent tournamnet, a player from the opposing team was shown a yellow card. After the ref was done with the caution, the coach called for a sub for the cautioned player. The ref said no and the coach said it was his right to sub on a yellow card and the ref responded by saying that he wasn't playing that way.

I looked in my LOTG handbook and didn't see where it said that stoppage due to a caution was a time where one could sub. Can you sub on a stoppage for a caution or is that possibly an ammended league rule? The other team played in a different league than us so that's what made me wonder if it was an ammended rule specific to their league. Or is it possible I just missed where it says you can do that?

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

This depends on the league policy. In high school soccer, it is a mandatory sub for the cautioned player. In FIFA matches it is not mandatory. Since this is U9, I assume that the league had a policy on this.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

In USYSA competition a cautioned player may be substituted, but only the cautioned player.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Why would a referee refuse a coach's request to sub a player who received a caution? Forget whether the Law says that's a sub opportunity or not (it is, because it is a stoppage and it IS within the referee's discretion to allow it) and think about what is best for the game and the player. Isn't it better for him to take a moment to cool down perhaps? Isnt' that probably why the coach wants him out? Why does the referee want a loose cannon running about on the field when there is a perfectly sensible way to deal with it short of a possible quick second yellow? Did the referee have an over officious personality or a failure of memory on his authority in a match? Goodness! Let's not make problems where they don't exist.