The Ref Stop

4 player fight not reported and they were replaced!

K

Kent Ref

RefChat Addict
I was reffing a game today and as i blew for half time there was a fight on the pitch next to me.

This went on for about 30 seconds and involved 4 players (2 from each side). The blows were connecting and the ref was blowing his whistle and it all calmed down eventually. All 4 got the red card but the ref let them all be replaced.

I spoke to the ref after the game and asked him about it. He said "it's a friendly so i let those 4 miss the rest of the game but let both teams bring 2 players on".

He also said he wasn't going to report the cards as "i've already dealt with it".

This referee is a class 4 i believe.

What are your thoughts on this?
 
The Ref Stop
...and they'll do it again and again in friendlies beacuse they think they can get away with it, because they have in the past. That ref has just made the job harder for the rest of us. Thanks mate
 
I'm afraid this type of ignorance is not as rare as the posts here make it out to be in grassroots. It happens often. The only rare thing about it is that they are rarely exposed.
 
Kent Ref said:
What are your thoughts on this?
Click to expand...

Seen it happen when I go to watch friendlies.

Which is another reason why it shouldn't happen, you never know who's watching. It only takes a senior official to be in attendance and you're on the way to a paddling! :)

Anyway, to answer the question; For a class 4 referee, yes I think that's inappropriate to willingly break the rules like that.
 
Not reporting the cards is clearly a breach of protocol and doubtless this happens way more often than it should.

On the 'replacing sent off players piece', purely to play devils advocate, anyone point me to the place in the LOTG where it says that sent off players CANNOT be replaced (should competition rules allow / both teams agree)?
 
Russell Jones said:
On the 'replacing sent off players piece', purely to play devils advocate, anyone point me to the place in the LOTG where it says that sent off players CANNOT be replaced (should competition rules allow / both teams agree)?
Click to expand...
p. 48:
A player who is sent off:
• before submission of the team list cannot be named on the team list in
any capacity
• after being named on the team list and before kick-off may be replaced by a
named substitute, who cannot be replaced; the number of substitutions the
team can make is not reduced
• after the kick-off cannot be replaced
Click to expand...
 
Russell Jones said:
Not reporting the cards is clearly a breach of protocol and doubtless this happens way more often than it should.

On the 'replacing sent off players piece', purely to play devils advocate, anyone point me to the place in the LOTG where it says that sent off players CANNOT be replaced (should competition rules allow / both teams agree)?
Click to expand...
Law 3.6?

6. Players and substitutes sent off
A player who is sent off:
• before submission of the team list cannot be named on the team list in
any capacity
• after being named on the team list and before kick-off may be replaced by a
named substitute, who cannot be replaced; the number of substitutions the
team can make is not reduced
• after the kick-off cannot be replaced
A named substitute who is sent off before or after the kick-off may not be
replaced.

There is also reference to not being replaced under the temporary dismissal guidance for system B
 
Thanks folks, I presumed it was in there but was focussing on Law 12 rather than Law 3 :) . Personally, I think this is unhelpful and unnecessary in non competitive matches but as it's there in B&W we have no options.
 
Russell Jones said:
Thanks folks, I presumed it was in there but was focussing on Law 12 rather than Law 3 :) . Personally, I think this is unhelpful and unnecessary in non competitive matches but as it's there in B&W we have no options.
Click to expand...
It's a real life scenario though.
In any game you could have a player sent off so it's good practise for when it, inevitably, happens for real
 
Absolutely. And if both teams are desiring of practising 11 v 10 or 10 v 11 then great.

However, more normally, both teams would prefer to keep the numbers balanced, especially in the common scenario where their team includes triallists / new players. I just feel it's a shame that the option is strictly prohibited.
 
Russell Jones said:
Absolutely. And if both teams are desiring of practising 11 v 10 or 10 v 11 then great.

However, more normally, both teams would prefer to keep the numbers balanced, especially in the common scenario where their team includes triallists / new players. I just feel it's a shame that the option is strictly prohibited.
Click to expand...
I take your point, but the match also needs to be played within the laws for the benefit (longer- and shorter-term) of both teams. If there's no team sanction then - for some - there's little disincentive for violent behaviour which could potentially impact opposition players/teams for the rest of the season, if not longer.
 
I had an open age game on Tuesday evening. Cautioned a player for a reckless tackle on the half hour mark, subsequently sinbinned a another player who protested at my decision, then had to follow it up with a red card after an even worse verbal assault. Opposition coach then called me over and said it would be okay for them to replace that player as it's a friendly. I said absolutely not, he spoke to me in an unacceptable manner, he has to go and his team have to play with 10 men. He did me no favours because the players then turned it all on me for not allowing them to bring some one on in a friendly game.

It's obvious that it is a regular occurrence during friendlies for sent off players to be replaced judging by their reactions.

Anyway, the protests continued and were getting quite aggressive that I just walked away and told them it's clear they are not going to respect an official referee or the laws of the game so I wanted nothing more to do with it.

Every season I say to myself, avoid pre-season friendlies and every year I forget and do them then remember why I don't like doing them!
 
I always put in my cards and I know many don't for friendlies. I can just about forgive the occasional caution, but ignoring 4x VC is just beyond shocking.

If players want referees, they need to understand that the game will be officiated in line with the laws of the game. I make it clear that I will stick to the laws in friendlies, however, where there is a chance to give a benefit of the doubt, I will.

Not dealing with the RCs is shocking. These 'seasoned' referees who are too bone idle and ignorant to stick to the rules need to think about the wider impact of their decisions. If a 16 year old ref comes next week, the expectation of them to 'let them off' will be there. Moreso, violent conduct is a cancer of the game, and one of the most serious offences on the pitch. There must be consequences for VC, otherwise there is no deterrant.

I would be very tempted to report what you saw to county @Kent Ref.

A lot of referees forget that they risk a 3 match ban for failing to submit admin...

Rant over. I feel so much better now.
 
As others have suggested, may well be worth contacting your CFA Discipline department. Perhaps all you need to do is email them as say that as you were on half time, you had a clear view of the fight in the X vs Y match on an adjacent pitch and would be happy to testify as a witness if any more details or a second view regarding the 4 red cards shown are needed. And then it's hardly your fault if they know nothing about those red cards and open up an investigation as a result....
 
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