Question Number: 17532

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 10/27/2007

RE: select Under 13

twalsh of st louis, mo st louis asks...

A ref has issued a yellow card to a goalie, is the goalie required to leave the field and be replaced by another player or can another player leave the field for him?

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Well I can only assume there is a wrinkle in substitution law at this level you play at that states a cautioned player gets 10 minutes in the sin bin? A topic talked about but not ingrained into FIFA law as of yet. Sort of a cool down period given rambunctious hormones. If the player who is shown the card is required to leave for the reasoning I mentioned then I suspect the keeper can not have someone else go off in his place. This is not hockey for crying out loud. Heck given the fact if this is in your version of the laws not sure its soccer either! Usually after a caution the player keeper or not continues in the game, wary of repeating the evernts he was just warned not to do!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Unless this is High School under NFHS rules, where a cautioned player does need to leave the game, there should be no reason for a cautioned player, keeper or not to be REQUIRED to leave the field. Allowed, yes, required, no. USSF has no such requirement. I would check your local state youth play rules, but I hope that isn't the case, because that ruins the flow of a game, and so many other things.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

There are some well-meaning (read: misguided) league administrators who have implemented a mandatory sub for cautions. While this goes against the directives of IFAB and USSF, you play with the rules given or you don't take those games. If the league says a cautioned player must sub you enforce that, even if it is the goalkeeper.