Open Age team walks off - ref allows game to restart

[Kent Ref]

In a recent game in my neck of the woods a team had 2 players sent off early (before 20 minutes).

When the second player got the red the remaining 9 walked off.

The referee resumed the game 8 minutes later i.e he didn't abandon the game.

Once a team walks off can you wait 8 minutes to resume? No disciplinary action was taken against the 9 players returning.

For me i would have abandoned the game.

 

[santa sangria]

“If a team has fewer than seven players because one or more players has deliberately left the field of play, the referee is not obliged to stop play and the advantage may be played, but the match must not resume after the ball has gone out of play if a team does not have the minimum number of seven players.”

The match must not resume. Common sense is: guys, 2 mins to get your heads together or I have to abandon and report to the league.

 

[ARF]

“If a team has fewer than seven players because one or more players has deliberately left the field of play, the referee is not obliged to stop play and the advantage may be played, but the match must not resume after the ball has gone out of play if a team does not have the minimum number of seven players.”

The match must not resume. Common sense is: guys, 2 mins to get your heads together or I have to abandon and report to the league.

When the match resumed, the team had nine players, so the referee isn't wrong in law.

It's all down to whether the referee suspended or abandoned the match. If he suspended it, he is within his rights to resume it at a later time providing the team has more than seven players at that point. If he has already announced that he has abandoned the game, he cannot restart it.

However I would absolutely not be waiting eight minutes to restart it!

 

[QuaverRef]

I don’t know why the referee bothered waiting. if the team want to be that petulant, I’m going home and watching the football with my feet up!

 

[one]

In a recent game in my neck of the woods a team had 2 players sent off early (before 20 minutes).

When the second player got the red the remaining 9 walked off.

The referee resumed the game 8 minutes later i.e he didn't abandon the game.

Once a team walks off can you wait 8 minutes to resume? No disciplinary action was taken against the 9 players returning.

For me i would have abandoned the game.

The referee is within their right to abandon. But they can also resume if they are happy to do so.

So long as the players are not aggressive or disrespectful twards the referee, the general expectation is for the referee to show empathy/understanding and make reasonable attempts to resume the game.

 

[DavidObs]

The referee is within their right to abandon. But they can also resume if they are happy to do so.

So long as the players are not aggressive or disrespectful twards the referee, the general expectation is for the referee to show empathy/understanding and make reasonable attempts to resume the game.

This also happened about a month ago in a Supply League game in the Midlands when after the Referee awarded a penalty during stoppage time at the end of the 2nd half with the score at 1-1 (I think), the conceding (Away) team walked off the FoP, but then returned a few mins later, whereby the penalty was scored and was the final goal of the game.

 

[santa sangria]

When the match resumed, the team had nine players, so the referee isn't wrong in law.

It's all down to whether the referee suspended or abandoned the match. If he suspended it, he is within his rights to resume it at a later time providing the team has more than seven players at that point. If he has already announced that he has abandoned the game, he cannot restart it.

However I would absolutely not be waiting eight minutes to restart it!

Argh read it wrong

 

[Kes]

Issue 9 dissent (by action) cautions.
Abandon.

 

[RefereeX]

Issue 9 dissent (by action) cautions.
Abandon.

Well technically you'd only need to choose 3...

 

[socal lurker]

I would guess the R didn't abandon because the other team wanted to play and wanted to convince the aggrieved team to return. I wouldn't have done so, but I agree it was not incorrect in law.

 

[RustyRef]

Issue 9 dissent (by action) cautions.
Abandon.

That actually happened in a game in London. A team walked off in protest and the referee cautioned all of them for leaving without permission, and told them they had to come back. A few minutes later they agreed to come back, but because they didn't ask his permission he gave second cautions to the first four and then abandoned the game. Made for a very interesting disciplinary hearing.

 

[Gabriel]

That actually happened in a game in London. A team walked off in protest and the referee cautioned all of them for leaving without permission, and told them they had to come back. A few minutes later they agreed to come back, but because they didn't ask his permission he gave second cautions to the first four and then abandoned the game. Made for a very interesting disciplinary hearing.

This is too good to not know what happened! Was any action taken against the referee?

 

[RustyRef]

This is too good to not know what happened! Was any action taken against the referee?

It was a tricky one as yellow cards can't be appealed, even second ones. But the club had been charged with causing the game to be abandoned, and they got off that from memory.

The referee couldn't be charged as he hadn't technically done anything wrong in law. Yes, he had shown a total lack of common sense but that isn't a chargeable offence. Was all a bit irrelevant by that time though as most leagues had already dispensed with his services.

 

[socal lurker]

The referee couldn't be charged as he hadn't technically done anything wrong in law.

hmm. He to,d them to come back, that sure as heck sounds like permission to me, making the second yellows not supportable by Law. (“Punishment” aside, if I was an assignor, I don’t know I’d assign any games to someone who demonstrated judgment so hopelessly bad.)

 

[RustyRef]

hmm. He to,d them to come back, that sure as heck sounds like permission to me, making the second yellows not supportable by Law. (“Punishment” aside, if I was an assignor, I don’t know I’d assign any games to someone who demonstrated judgment so hopelessly bad.)

He'd told them several minutes ago though, so there's no way a charge of failing to proficiently apply the laws would stick. Completely agree it was a total lack of judgement and common sense. I'm pretty sure he is no longer refereeing, every league binned off as being way too much hassle.

 

[Xavier]

That actually happened in a game in London. A team walked off in protest and the referee cautioned all of them for leaving without permission, and told them they had to come back. A few minutes later they agreed to come back, but because they didn't ask his permission he gave second cautions to the first four and then abandoned the game. Made for a very interesting disciplinary hearing.