Stupidest cautions I've ever administered

Sunday league cup game yesterday, pitch was soft but very playable, albeit with a lack of clear penalty marks. This was explained to both teams and due to the level of the game agreed to continue with the caveat that I would 'walk out' the required distance for the penalty spot.

Game was easy, with two cautions for reckless tackles and the away team leading 3-0 with 10 minutes to go. At this point I gave a corner for the home team, which resulted in the usual jostling. Spoke to the two main culprits and told them if it carries on when the ball is in play I will have to make a decision and one of you will not be happy. Corner gets swung in and as a home player looks to head the ball the defender who I had just warned blatantly shoves him over. Easy PK decision, although did earn a few grumbles.

Now, this is where the fun started. As explained prior to the game, I walked six yards from the goal area to spot the ball and retreat to my position whilst reminding the goalkeeper I will be looking for encroachment. As I am about to blow a defender had re-entered the penalty area and attempted to move the ball. What was he thinking, so I issued a yellow for C5, not respecting required distance (I could gone for either this or C4 delay). He wasn't happy and just as I mananged to get him to retreat the 10 yards the goalkeeper strolls out and hoofs the ball into an adjacent field. Yellow card for C4 delay issued which he wasn't happy with.

Penalty eventually gets taken and was missed (wide). Got me thinking, did these two players know what they were doing and was it all mind games to put off the PK taker. There were no distractions during the taking of the kick when it happened so no grounds for a retake but I hate the fact that I feel the home team were 'done dirty' by this level of gamesmanship.

Nothing you can really do in that scenario except what you did. They may well have thought they'd take the cautions in an attempt to put the kicker off, but that's part of the game unfortunately. It's probably a disproportionate punishment in relation to the number of times it actually works (of the times the kick is missed, the number of times that any gamemanship before it had an impact isn't really measurable but clearly it wouldn't always be the case that it made any difference) and putting yourself on a yellow card intentionally for that small chance doesn't seem logical to me unless the kick is in the last minute of a cup final or something.

If the goalkeeper had saved it and was a mm of his line then have it retaken. Play silly games, win silly prizes.

bester said:

If the goalkeeper had saved it and was a mm of his line then have it retaken. Play silly games, win silly prizes.

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He came about a foot off his line but the penalty was so wide there was no way I could sell a retake.

Yeah, once it's wide you don't have the retake option. You could probably have classed the kicking the ball away as dissent and sin-binned the goalkeeper, although that would cause a further delay obviously.

bester said:

Yeah, once it's wide you don't have the retake option. You could probably have classed the kicking the ball away as dissent and sin-binned the goalkeeper, although that would cause a further delay obviously.

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Not sure in the scenario described you could describe it as dissent. Sounds like there was a fair time between the penalty award it happening, and it sounds like it was done clearly out of sh*thousery rather than anything else. I'm all for looking for ways to make things fairer, but I don't think that's doing your match control any favours.

*taps the C1 (BE) sign*

FTR then DTR, perfect. Play silly ga-what Bester said.

Players will still be chirping about penalty decisions long after they are given. What they have done isn't going to help your match control, not upsetting them isn't high on my priority list.
Alternatively send the goalkeeper off when he chirps after getting his yellow.

Players do this because they think they can get away with it, the tools are there within the laws of the game to make sure they're properly punished for doing it.

bester said:

Players will still be chirping about penalty decisions long after they are given. What they have done isn't going to help your match control, not upsetting them isn't high on my priority list.
Alternatively send him off when he chirps after getting his yellow.

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Neither player said a word after their yellow apart from 'thats never a yellow for that.' I think I'd have been hard pressed to sell that comment as dissent worthy of a second yellow. In fact the goalkeeper took his yellow with a smirk. He knew what he was doing.

I am going to go take a little alternate view. Two cautionable offences, two cautions issued. Job done. No need to look further for something that this may or may not play on the kicker's mind. You don't have hindsight at the time. Even if does play on his mind, football is also about mental strength. You did your job, the kicker didn't do his.

one said:

I am going to go take a little alternate view. Two cautionable offences, two cautions issued. Job done. No need to look further for something that this may or may not play on the kicker's mind. You don't have hindsight at the time. Even if does play on his mind, football is also about mental strength. You did your job, the kicker didn't do his.

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Yeah, I look back and know I did a good job and dealt with it as expected.

On another note, I have had to ref on fields with no penalty mark countless times. I find it much more accurate to not step it but do it visually (did this after one of my step outs looked wrong). You already do the midway between the posts visually. Place the ball roughly halfway between the 6 yard line and the 18 yard line. Then assess 'half way' by stepping back to where you usually stand for the penalty kick and readjust if needed.

one said:

On another note, I have had to ref on fields with no penalty mark countless times. I find it much more accurate to not step it but do it visually (did this after one of my step outs looked wrong). You already do the midway between the posts visually. Place the ball roughly halfway between the 6 yard line and the 18 yard line. Then assess 'half way' by stepping back to where you usually stand for the penalty kick and readjust if needed.

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Interesting take on it.

Personally, (and I've only ever had to do it a couple of times) I'm all for simply applying the LOTG here and ensuring that the penalty kick is taken 12 yards from the goal line. The only way to be sure of this is to pace it out correctly unless of course you've previously paced out the penalty area and the goal area to be smack on 6/18 yards.

Kes said:

Interesting take on it.

Personally, (and I've only ever had to do it a couple of times) I'm all for simply applying the LOTG here and ensuring that the penalty kick is taken 12 yards from the goal line. The only way to be sure of this is to pace it out correctly unless of course you've previously paced out the penalty area and the goal area to be smack on 6/18 yards.

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When there is a penalty spot marked, do you pace it out to make sure it is 12 yards?

one said:

When there is a penalty spot marked, do you pace it out to make sure it is 12 yards?

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Often, yes I do. I also walk the distance from touchline to edge of penalty area to look for reference points to ensure 10 yards at corners to save me having to go over. All part of my pitch checks.

MDempster said:

Now, this is where the fun started. As explained prior to the game, I walked six yards from the goal area to spot the ball and retreat to my position whilst reminding the goalkeeper I will be looking for encroachment. As I am about to blow a defender had re-entered the penalty area and attempted to move the ball. What was he thinking, so I issued a yellow for C5, not respecting required distance (I could gone for either this or C4 delay). He wasn't happy and just as I mananged to get him to retreat the 10 yards the goalkeeper strolls out and hoofs the ball into an adjacent field. Yellow card for C4 delay issued which he wasn't happy with.

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One small but important point of law - for the first caution, if you haven't submitted it yet, put it down as C4 not C5, as a caution for failing to respect the required distance would be incorrect in law here

I do usually. At the local teams pitch (at a school) one penalty area was only 16yds deep. Made them get the lining wheel out and re-do it...

Don’t also forget that players are quite thick.

Defender learned the hard way yesterday that distance from penalty arc to spot was 9.15m when he talked himself into a caution. If I had temp spray I’m not sure I could have resisted using it like mace.

one said:

When there is a penalty spot marked, do you pace it out to make sure it is 12 yards?

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Every time Sir.

Kes said:

Every time Sir.

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By this do you mean on every PK, or every time you check the field before the match?