The Ref Stop

Copa America 2024

cwyeary

RefChat Addict
CONMEBOL once again producing a video to explain and release VAR audio after every major incident. For the tournament it was within six hours of the match completion.

 
The Ref Stop
I don’t have a link or anything, maybe someone could help, but I saw a TikTok video of Pulisic giving the referee a load of grief during the game, the referee appearing to do nothing about it, but then at the end Pulisic goes to shake the ref's hand and the ref snubs the handshake - not a good look!
 
Was the least of that refs issues that night.

Geo blocked for UK but I am guessing from the comments this is the quick free kick, where not only has the disciplinary procedure started it's in mid-flow and he allows a quick free kick to be taken. Whilst nothing comes of it, it could have been disastrous.

On the non-handshake... Has to be a red card, suggesting he should celebrate with the Uruguay Team is offensive and insulting.
 
Geo blocked for UK but I am guessing from the comments this is the quick free kick, where not only has the disciplinary procedure started it's in mid-flow and he allows a quick free kick to be taken. Whilst nothing comes of it, it could have been disastrous.
On the non-handshake... Has to be a red card, suggesting he should celebrate with the Uruguay Team is offensive and insulting.
Try this one, but don't do this (25 seconds from the start)....

 
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This video clip has confused me. Please may someone clarify the correct procedure here?

According to Law 12 - under “Delaying the restart of play to show a card” - it states word for word:

Once the referee has decided to caution or send off a player, play must not be restarted until the sanction has been administered, unless the non-offending team takes a quick free kick, has a clear goal-scoring opportunity and the referee has not started the disciplinary sanction procedure.

Now, looking back at the above video, the Copa America referee physically pulls out a yellow card PRIOR to the quick free kick. Thus, my interpretation of law is that since he has “started the disciplinary sanction procedure”, he CANNOT allow the quick restart and therefore made an error.

Had he not pulled out the yellow, there would be no issues with what he did. Furthermore, as it was an SPA offence (I think), the player must not be cautioned. This is because the law states if the offence was denying the opposing team an obvious goal-scoring opportunity, the player is cautioned; if the offence interfered with or stopped a promising attack, the player is not cautioned.

Am I correct? If not, can you please clarify clearly what ought to have occurred in law?

Thanks!
 
You pretty much have it. Once he pulls the card out (much less raise it in the air like he did) the game must have a ceremonial restart.
 
This video clip has confused me. Please may someone clarify the correct procedure here?

According to Law 12 - under “Delaying the restart of play to show a card” - it states word for word:

Once the referee has decided to caution or send off a player, play must not be restarted until the sanction has been administered, unless the non-offending team takes a quick free kick, has a clear goal-scoring opportunity and the referee has not started the disciplinary sanction procedure.

Now, looking back at the above video, the Copa America referee physically pulls out a yellow card PRIOR to the quick free kick. Thus, my interpretation of law is that since he has “started the disciplinary sanction procedure”, he CANNOT allow the quick restart and therefore made an error.

Had he not pulled out the yellow, there would be no issues with what he did. Furthermore, as it was an SPA offence (I think), the player must not be cautioned. This is because the law states if the offence was denying the opposing team an obvious goal-scoring opportunity, the player is cautioned; if the offence interfered with or stopped a promising attack, the player is not cautioned.

Am I correct? If not, can you please clarify clearly what ought to have occurred in law?

Thanks!
'Starting the disciplinary procedure' doesn't necessarily mean pulling the card out, it could mean calling the player in ready to caution, however I would suggest that having the card out definitely means you've started the disciplinary procedure, physically holding the card in the air absolutely suggests you've started the procedure! So there is no way at all that he should have allowed the quick free kick (although had he been slower to pull out the card, there is a chance that he could have allowed it).

As you've also identified, in theory, if a quick free kick is allowed, then a caution would no longer be applicable IF the offence was stopping a promising attack (because by allowing the quick free kick, the promising attack is no longer stopped).
The referee may say however that he deemed this foul to be reckless anyway, which means the caution would still be applicable.
This part of law is for cases where a foul occurs that would be a caution, the free kick is taken quickly before the referee arrives to issue the caution and then the referee goes back at the next stoppage in play. If that caution was going to be for SPA, it's no longer applicable. Hope that makes sense?
 
Additionally, I notice he signals advantage once the free kick is taken quickly. Surely this is incorrect too, as allowing a quick free kick does not equate to playing advantage (unless I'm mistaken?) 😆
 
'Starting the disciplinary procedure' doesn't necessarily mean pulling the card out, it could mean calling the player in ready to caution, however I would suggest that having the card out definitely means you've started the disciplinary procedure, physically holding the card in the air absolutely suggests you've started the procedure! So there is no way at all that he should have allowed the quick free kick (although had he been slower to pull out the card, there is a chance that he could have allowed it).

As you've also identified, in theory, if a quick free kick is allowed, then a caution would no longer be applicable IF the offence was stopping a promising attack (because by allowing the quick free kick, the promising attack is no longer stopped).
The referee may say however that he deemed this foul to be reckless anyway, which means the caution would still be applicable.
This part of law is for cases where a foul occurs that would be a caution, the free kick is taken quickly before the referee arrives to issue the caution and then the referee goes back at the next stoppage in play. If that caution was going to be for SPA, it's no longer applicable. Hope that makes sense?

That was really well articulated thank you I understand 👊🏽
 
Additionally, I notice he signals advantage once the free kick is taken quickly. Surely this is incorrect too, as allowing a quick free kick does not equate to playing advantage (unless I'm mistaken?) 😆
Correct - once he has stopped play, he can't play advantage.

He's just had a complete brain fart on this one
 
Additionally, I notice he signals advantage once the free kick is taken quickly. Surely this is incorrect too, as allowing a quick free kick does not equate to playing advantage (unless I'm mistaken?) 😆
Yes, that made no sense to me. The referee appeared out of his depths. Clearly confusion occurred.
 

Good training video and so much to learn from it. Mostly on what not to do for a QFK. A good example of a case for when allowing a QFK, a card does still apply.

As well as, after giving the foul in an attacking position we should anticipate a QFK (similar to anticipating advantage) and delay the sanction procedure if required.
 
I've never thought about allowing a QFK after a reckless challenge and then coming back to Caution during the next stoppage
Generally, not sure it sounds like something I'd want to happen. Observers at my level don't like complexity and there's not a 1000000/1 they'd (the Observer) be unclear on Law in such circumstances
 
I've never thought about allowing a QFK after a reckless challenge and then coming back to Caution during the next stoppage
Generally, not sure it sounds like something I'd want to happen. Observers at my level don't like complexity and there's not a 1000000/1 they'd (the Observer) be unclear on Law in such circumstances
I think, you just have to do it the right way. If you allow it and it was right/ it works you should get marked up. If you allow it and it goes wrong, you'll get marked down if there's an impact or standard expected if no impact with minor advice.
Dont allow it you'll neither get rewarded, nor marked down.
If the observer doesn't know then thats a conversation that happens in the debrief and if it goes in their report it's appealable as incorrect in law
 
I've never thought about allowing a QFK after a reckless challenge and then coming back to Caution during the next stoppage
Generally, not sure it sounds like something I'd want to happen. Observers at my level don't like complexity and there's not a 1000000/1 they'd (the Observer) be unclear on Law in such circumstances
Safe refereeing is do the card, ceremonial restart. It's what everyone expects. It's what I'm doing on a Saturday afternoon.

Also doesn't help in this clip when the QFK is taken from the wrong place
 
Safe refereeing is often misinterpreted. It should be applied when a decision has minimal impact on either team and fairness, and it helps the referee manage the game better which is in the interest of both teams. However if it means rewarding the offending team for their offence and denying the attacking team a significant opportunity that they have fairly created, it is not safe refereeing, or at the very least a very poor application of it.

In this clip, the tackle, reckless IMO, has one intent only and that is to delay the break away so that other defender's can catch up (and accepting a yellow card). Had they taken the QFK from the general area of the offence, the right and fair thing to do is to allow it. Doing otherwise means helping/rewarding the defending team for their offence and achieving their goal, and denying the attacking team of the opportunity they created fairly and had every right to continue with.

Off course once you had started the sanction process you create the expectation for everyone that you will not allow the QFK and no matter what you do after that, it'd be unfair to one or both teams.
 
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