The Ref Stop

Can a substitute return to the game?

M

matty639

Well-Known Member
Level 5 Referee
So take the following example: player gets injured and requests to be substituted. Manager and substitute approach you at the half way line and whilst doing your checks on the substitute you ask to confirm his name and he isn't one of the names written on the team sheet so you refuse to allow him to come on.

After a while where the manager keeps asking to bring the guy on and you refusing to, they ask to bring the injured player back on. Do you allow this?
 
The Ref Stop
Yes as the substitute has not been completed so the injured player is still technically one of the 11 on the pitch
 
I had a variation of this a week ago. Substitute requested, player goes off and I call the substiute onto the pitch from where he is patiently waiting on the half way line.

I then notice he has tape on his left ear - he has piercings in despite my prematch chat about equipment. He is sent back off to correct his equipment.

Game carries on. He is having one hell of a job getting his peircings out and is off the pitch for about 5 minutes when a team mate asks "can we bring the substituted player back on or bring on someone else instead?"

No, the substitution was completed. He needs to sort out his equipment or you can substitute him.

Took him about 20 minutes to get a peircing out of his upper ear.
 
To play Devils advocate the substitute procedure hasn't been completed until the new player enters the FOP and you have blown your whistle to restart play?

Having said that when I have been encountered with the same situation I do the same as it's amazing how fast that stuck on wedding ring comes off when their team are a man down.
 
Not quite - from the moment he enters the field of play he becomes a player. Substitution is then complete.
 
Ah see if you had conducted your substitution at the halfway line like you are supposed to he could have corrected his equipment before entering the FOP ;).
 
Lol I thought someone might raise that.

He was at the half way line. He only came on after his team mate exited the fop and he had the signal from me to come on.

My job is complete. The rest was his problem.

:D
 
Just don't run backwards to the halfway line like a certain other ref, literally he does it from anyway on the pitch when they want a sub lol.
 
SM said:
Lol I thought someone might raise that.

He was at the half way line. He only came on after his team mate exited the fop and he had the signal from me to come on.

My job is complete. The rest was his problem.

:D
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Isn't your job to check the equipment of the player entering the FOP ?
 
I did check it - hence he was sent back off to sort himself out

There was also a check during the prematch, warnings about equipment etc. I missed it then, didn't miss it when he came on to the pitch as a sub. He took a chance, he got caught out.
 
Using the correct terminology a 'substitute' has never been in the game so he can not 'return' to it.

Lets assume a substitution has been completed. The player who came off is now a 'substituted player'. According to the LOTG he can be substituted back in again as long as the maximum number of substitutions has not been made. Most competition rules however will not allow a 'substituted player' to be substituted back in.
 
SM said:
I did check it - hence he was sent back off to sort himself out
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But this is not a "check" right ? You just noticed his equipment wasn't ok when you already told him to come and play while you should check it before allowing him to enter the FOP

Did you caution him ?
 
No, it's was the first time I had told him to correct his equipment.
 
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In my league we now have rolling substitutions, so players go off and on all the time! It's interesting actually, as some teams - particularly in our prem division - tend to stick with the normal tactics and make their subs in the second half whereas others take full advantage and rotate the team throughout.

Only slightly uncomfortable bit is when they ask for subs after a stoppage in order to get their specialist FK taker on, or similar...
 
I was always on the understanding, that if the substitute coming on, if not named, you still allow them to play, and then report it after the game?

Or am i completly wrong (tbh i usually am!!)
 
The LOTG actually require a substitute to be named prior to the match. Thus, it's a LOTG issue, not a competition rules issue.
Weirdly the players don't have to be named.
 
CapnBloodbeard said:
The LOTG actually require a substitute to be named prior to the match. Thus, it's a LOTG issue, not a competition rules issue.
Weirdly the players don't have to be named.
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Indeed - On my Youth League no teamsheets but I always ask for subs names, have quite often been told "You're the first ref to ask that"

If I try to explain its in LOTG, just get a blank look.

One manager wanted to argue the point, saying there was no point if rollings subs used - there's always one!:rolleyes:

svenny76 said:
I was always on the understanding, that if the substitute coming on, if not named, you still allow them to play, and then report it after the game?

Or am i completly wrong (tbh i usually am!!)
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I've seen referees refuse players entry to fop ahandful of times over the years because they haven't been named as subs.
 
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