"Friendly" match

[Kent Ref]

I've just returned from a "friendly" that was anything but.

Under 16s blues v whites.

Blues defender clears the ball in his own area and follows through and takes out the attacker. For me a penalty. Have i lost the plot or is it a foul if your clear out the attacker after you get the ball?

Second half same thing happens in reverse. I gave a penalty. I then have a parent shouting obscenities and calling me a useless see you next Tuesday.

I stop the game and go across and he refuses me his name. I then ask him to leave. He refuses so i tell him that if he does not leave i will abandon the game. He leaves.

I go across to the manager and told him that as he refused to give his name. I know the manager's name. Do i name the manager as said person or do i write "unknown spectator" with a description? I thought the refusal to name was only right for the manager and coaches etc. The manager claimed not to know this parents name.

Thanks for your help in advance.

 

[alexgr]

Sounds like a clear penalty for the first one - getting/clearing the ball doesn't give players free range to go through the opposition. Sounds good.

I personally would approach the second situation slightly differently. Going over to the parent is useless as you can't caution/dismiss etc. and it's bound to just cause more arguments. If they're really causing you that many problems that you can't just ignore it, go to the manager and ask them to remove the spectator. I think you were right to threaten abandonment, but do it through the manager, rather than with the spectator directly.

You're right that refusal to name only applies to listed 'team officials', not spectators, so it would be incorrect in law to dismiss the most senior official for this.

 

[RustyRef]

Never go to a parent directly, instead speak to a home team official and make it clear that until they have dealt with it the game won't be restarting.

 

[JamesL]

Never engage with spectators. You have no jurisdiction to deal with them. They are the responsibility of the home club even if they are not associated with the home club in any way. Always approach the home team to deal and remind the home team of the consequences of not dealing with it if they refuse.

 

[Big Cat]

I'd say it's the Delegate who should be approached in the fist instance. That is what they were introduced for

 

[JamesL]

I'd say it's the Delegate who should be approached in the fist instance. That is what they were introduced for

At u16 level it's usually just a manager and his mate. Very rarely have a meter and greeter. It may have changed since I last did a junior game about 4 years ago.

 

[Big Cat]

At u16 level it's usually just a manager and his mate. Very rarely have a meter and greeter. It may have changed since I last did a junior game about 4 years ago.

Not so where I am. Delegates correct & present 90% of the time I'd say

 

[one]

And do read this forum more often. A similar incident here on Tuesday "Pre season friendly" who got praised for how he managed the unruly spectator the correct way

 

[Kent Ref]

I must admit i have always challenged parents directly. Never had these match delegates, whatever they are.

What about the contact after the ball has gone (and the ball is still in play).

 

[ARF]

Never engage with spectators. You have no jurisdiction to deal with them. They are the responsibility of the home club even if they are not associated with the home club in any way. Always approach the home team to deal and remind the home team of the consequences of not dealing with it if they refuse.

One caveat I would add to this that if the spectator is clearly with the away team then you should go to them to deal with it, as each club are responsible for their own spectators. If you're unsure as to who they are with, or they are a 'neutral' spectator, then use the home club.

 

[Big Cat]

I must admit i have always challenged parents directly. Never had these match delegates, whatever they are.

What about the contact after the ball has gone (and the ball is still in play).

MDD's are mandated for every youth game by the FA, are they not. League's must enforce clubs to nominate MDD's at every game, must they not?
I thought this was a given

 

[Kent Ref]

Not in my county.

 

[ARF]

MDD's are mandated for every youth game by the FA, are they not. League's must enforce clubs to nominate MDD's at every game, must they not?
I thought this was a given

No they are not mandated, and no leagues do not have to enforce clubs to do so. It may be that individual youth leagues have chosen to include in their league rules that clubs must do so, however.

 

[Big Cat]

No they are not mandated, and no leagues do not have to enforce clubs to do so. It may be that individual youth leagues have chosen to include in their league rules that clubs must do so, however.

Ah OK, seems to prevalent all round the Three Counties... hence I've always expected it
Indeed the CFA wording is along the lines of, 'It shall be the responsibility of every team in Youth Football to provide a match delegate', such that I thought this was Nationwide terminology. Not like football to be inconsistent