The Ref Stop

Conned - Maybe...?

DeanoMT10

DeanoMT10

New Member
Level 7 Referee
Evening all,

Be gentle - im new to this place and refereeing, and i'll keep it brief.

Scenario: Defending team captain is shielding the ball in his own box. Attacking player comes in from behind and attempts to play the ball. Doesn't get it, defender goes down - clear foul in my opinoin and no complaints... However, as the defender goes down, he screams in pain as we've all seen before, rolls around as we've all seen before...
I blow for the foul. As soon as I do, he instantly gets up laughing and smiling and runs back to his designated position on the field winking to his team mates.

Now the foul is clear, however, is there any form of dissent or misconduct im missing here?

All in all, final game of the season, vets game, tough one to manage actually and glad its over but this threw up a dilemma in my head that I wanted to pose to my experienced colleagues.
 
The Ref Stop
DeanoMT10 said:
Now the foul is clear, however, is there any form of dissent or misconduct im missing here?
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Dissent is only when it's in response to one of your decisions, so it's not that. Unfortunately, we all want to stop this, but can't. If you think it was simulation, you can caution him. However, you then have a difficult decision to sell by cautioning the player but still awarding him a free kick. In this scenario, I quiet word may be more appropriate to tell him you won't give the foul next time if you think its exaggerated. Hopefully this helps!
Edit: for some reason, I'm not convinced about my own answer - if anyone wants to disagree go right ahead on this one!
 
Chalk it down to experience, there isn't a huge amount you can do about it (other than not giving him a decision for the rest of the game 😂)

It certainly can't be dissent. It could be seen as simulation, but do you really want to be cautioning him and then restarting with his free kick? It really isn't worth the hassle that would cause you.
 
Seen week in, week out in the Premier League, Bruno Fernandes one of the regular offenders of simulation (or more accurately, simulation of injury), unfortunately it will always filter down into the amateur game...

Its become part and parcel of our game and is probably even being "coached" into players to con the referee to award the foul. At the end of the day, if you saw a foul and awarded it, it doesn't matter whether the player was screaming or rolling around (more embarrassing for them than anything). The only thing to be conscious of is not awarding a freekick or basing you decision on the scream/rolling around.

In a previous life, I did a Basketball coaching course (don't ask!) and in basketball, players are coached to scream and feign injury/force to get awarded a foul.
 
DeanoMT10 said:
I blow for the foul. As soon as I do, he instantly gets up laughing and smiling and runs back to his designated position on the field winking to his team mates.
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Oh, I'd give him a yellow card for clearly cheating - and no free kick. The only way to stop these antics is to take away the profit.

Surely the rules would allow you to do this?
 
FinalWhistle said:
Ok, so what about a yellow for clear simulation and allow the free kick?
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Think about the message you would be sending there. You are saying that he dived but are giving him a free kick anyway, it just isn't a good look.

Realistically if you wanted to penalise the captain you'd have to take advantage of the fact that you haven't restarted play, cancel the free kick and instead award an IDFK to the attacking team, on the basis that you would have stopped play to caution him for simulation. But this is a very slippery slope as you are changing a decision based on player reaction and that is just likely to cause you problems later in the game.

Also, the OP said that he felt it was a clear foul. OK, the defender might have milked it to make sure he gets the decision, but that isn't necessarily simulation. And even if it is the foul occurred before any simulation so it would still be a defensive free kick.
 
FinalWhistle said:
Ok, so what about a yellow for clear simulation and allow the free kick?
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Good luck trying to sell a yellow card for simulation when the player was fouled

The wisened members on here might be able to advise, but surely you can't award a foul and caution for simulation in the same incident, because one would contradict the other.
 
Gabriel said:
Allowed, but a difficullt sell which isn't worth the hassle. You then end up confusing 22 players, 2+ coaches and both sets of fans.
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Confusing everybody sounds like a result! 🤣 Seriously, it totally fits in with my sense of humour and irony.

But really, great feedback from everyone here. Sounds like it's technically possible, but not worth it if you wanna live afterwards lol.

Reffing can really be a minefield.
 
FinalWhistle said:
Reffing can really be a minefield.
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Very true 😂. I think the most confused I've ever been as a ref was when I tried to figure out how the hell an U12 match descended into a mass con with coaches, players and spectators all involved. Luckily it wasn't my responsibility as I was just watching after my game on another pitch finished. Very odd game sometimes.
 
As others have said, could technically caution him, but that’s like pressing ‘self destruct’ on your match control.

Easiest way out is just be cautious of that player, run away from the free kick and get playing moving again. They’ll soon forget!

Well done on reaching the end of the season! :)
 
Cautions for unsporting behaviour

attempts to deceive the referee, e.g. by feigning injury or pretending to have been fouled (simulation)

That would've been my decision.

I did it earlier this season at step 5 in a feisty derby, no complaints from the player.

Actual situation was he was fouled, went over and rolled around shouting etc like he'd been shot... Can't recall if he got treatment but once he got up he ran off as if he'd not been touched. Clear attempt to decieve me by feigning injury ( I think to get the other player cautioned, it was careless not reckless). Called him back over, explained the caution and away we went.
 
wazztie16 said:
Cautions for unsporting behaviour

attempts to deceive the referee, e.g. by feigning injury or pretending to have been fouled (simulation)

That would've been my decision.

I did it earlier this season at step 5 in a feisty derby, no complaints from the player.

Actual situation was he was fouled, went over and rolled around shouting etc like he'd been shot... Can't recall if he got treatment but once he got up he ran off as if he'd not been touched. Clear attempt to decieve me by feigning injury ( I think to get the other player cautioned, it was careless not reckless). Called him back over, explained the caution and away we went.
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I like that. Nicely done. Didn’t even consider it but will take that on board.
 
I've had maybe 4 or 5 of these this season.

Closest to karma I had was player goes down screaming bloody murder. I give a freekick and remember thinking there wasn't much in it, so no caution.

As I run over to check he's okay his own team launch the ball from a quick freekick. The 'injured' player immediately jumps to his feet as I immediately blow the whistle only to realise the attacking team are through on goal.

Even though some slight chaos ensued, I wasn't phased as I just said to the players who swarmed me, you cannot scream like that and expect me not to check if you need treatment or not.
 
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