The Ref Stop

Friendly Matches and Cards

During friendly matches

  • I don’t put yellow cards through but do put red cards through

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • I put all cards through

    Votes: 39 90.7%
  • I put no cards through

    Votes: 1 2.3%
  • Depends on the game

    Votes: 3 7.0%

  • Total voters
    43
  • Poll closed .
Slight tangent: When was the last PL yellow for dissent?
That assumes there ever was one. But if there there was, the follow up questions:
Was it actually an offinabus downgraded to dissent?
Was the referee suspended for the remainder of the season?
 
The Ref Stop
Oh yeh, that's another reason to dodge friendles... no team sheets
Note to self...
Appointed to Friendly (Middle) yesterday by the League (so not much choice in terms of saying yes). Despite struggling to find two decent ARs for the game, it was a good'un as far as Friendlies go. Resilient Step 5 team against superior Step 3 (Ended 0 - 3)
Competitive & played in a good but challenging spirit. Perfect for pre-season for everyone involved. Trouble being, not all Friendlies are worth it, but this one was. Best goal I've seen from the 'Middle' I reckon. Half volley bullet into top corner from 25 yards. Worth the entrance fee

Four yellow cards in the game; three of them (technical offences) 'managed' with unequivocal warnings. One administered because one of the players did the exact same thing later in the game (C3). Everyone recognized that the caution was needed. Can be a hard balance to get right
 
If you're a young or a learner Referee you should submit your cautions so that you get into the habit of doing so. At a recent preseason challenge match ( I don't call them friendlies). I had a guy suggest that I was behaving in a religious bigoted way toward his team. The steam was coming out of my ears as I restrained myself from over reacting to his comment. I called him over and told him he was being submitted and told his manager so from the middle of the pitch. I went over and explained my "decision" and that he was only to come back on if everyone else was injured.
If that had been a normal league match the man would've sent off and a stern report enclosed. This way the match remained competitive for both teams.
 
Note to self...
Appointed to Friendly (Middle) yesterday by the League (so not much choice in terms of saying yes). Despite struggling to find two decent ARs for the game, it was a good'un as far as Friendlies go. Resilient Step 5 team against superior Step 3 (Ended 0 - 3)
Competitive & played in a good but challenging spirit. Perfect for pre-season for everyone involved. Trouble being, not all Friendlies are worth it, but this one was. Best goal I've seen from the 'Middle' I reckon. Half volley bullet into top corner from 25 yards. Worth the entrance fee

Four yellow cards in the game; three of them (technical offences) 'managed' with unequivocal warnings. One administered because one of the players did the exact same thing later in the game (C3). Everyone recognized that the caution was needed. Can be a hard balance to get right

I've done several friendlies involving teams averaging step 4 level over the last 3 weeks both in the middle a couple of times and lines. Not seen a single yellow card issued. Probably 12 yellow card offences minimum occurred but they were all managed because that's what's expected.ainly technical or persistent offences. Any violent conduct or SFP would have resulted in a red in any of those matches for sure.

I'm definitely much better prepared for the season at a higher level by doing these games (particularly the middles), but its never a comfortable place to be when you know its a yellow card offence all day long but you're 'managing' the situation. But ultimately pre season is the same for us as it is the players. Get fit and get used to the pace of competition again.
 
If you're a young or a learner Referee you should submit your cautions so that you get into the habit of doing so. At a recent preseason challenge match ( I don't call them friendlies). I had a guy suggest that I was behaving in a religious bigoted way toward his team. The steam was coming out of my ears as I restrained myself from over reacting to his comment. I called him over and told him he was being submitted and told his manager so from the middle of the pitch. I went over and explained my "decision" and that he was only to come back on if everyone else was injured.
If that had been a normal league match the man would've sent off and a stern report enclosed. This way the match remained competitive for both teams.
A note for our newer colleagues - as the referee you can suggest to the coach that it would be a good idea to substitute the player, but cannot tell them the player is to be substituted.
The reason is that if you make the substitution mandatory, and the player refuses, you have an issue "selling" the caution or dismissal that is the remaining option.
In this OP example, I would have expected a dismissal even though it was a pre-season "friendly"
 
A note for our newer colleagues - as the referee you can suggest to the coach that it would be a good idea to substitute the player, but cannot tell them the player is to be substituted.
The reason is that if you make the substitution mandatory, and the player refuses, you have an issue "selling" the caution or dismissal that is the remaining option.
In this OP example, I would have expected a dismissal even though it was a pre-season "friendly"

Reds a red for me . Friendly, pre season or not, am nof there to be insulted, abused etc,

if anything, even less likely to show mercy in a freindly, with nothing at stake
 
Last edited:
I've done several friendlies involving teams averaging step 4 level over the last 3 weeks both in the middle a couple of times and lines. Not seen a single yellow card issued. Probably 12 yellow card offences minimum occurred but they were all managed because that's what's expected.ainly technical or persistent offences. Any violent conduct or SFP would have resulted in a red in any of those matches for sure.

I'm definitely much better prepared for the season at a higher level by doing these games (particularly the middles), but its never a comfortable place to be when you know its a yellow card offence all day long but you're 'managing' the situation. But ultimately pre season is the same for us as it is the players. Get fit and get used to the pace of competition again.
I had a player guilty of a very obvious SPA Shirt Pull. Warning for first offence, but when same player goes and does the same again later in the game, he's cautioned C3
The game expected the caution. Well, I think it did. It was happening anyway, otherwise where does the game go from there?
 
Note to self...
Appointed to Friendly (Middle) yesterday by the League (so not much choice in terms of saying yes). Despite struggling to find two decent ARs for the game, it was a good'un as far as Friendlies go. Resilient Step 5 team against superior Step 3 (Ended 0 - 3)
Competitive & played in a good but challenging spirit. Perfect for pre-season for everyone involved. Trouble being, not all Friendlies are worth it, but this one was. Best goal I've seen from the 'Middle' I reckon. Half volley bullet into top corner from 25 yards. Worth the entrance fee

Four yellow cards in the game; three of them (technical offences) 'managed' with unequivocal warnings. One administered because one of the players did the exact same thing later in the game (C3). Everyone recognized that the caution was needed. Can be a hard balance to get right
For my own learning - what do you have as “technical” offences?

?

… as I say, for my education … thank you
 
I had a player guilty of a very obvious SPA Shirt Pull. Warning for first offence, but when same player goes and does the same again later in the game, he's cautioned C3
The game expected the caution. Well, I think it did. It was happening anyway, otherwise where does the game go from there?

Yeah, that reminds me of what I say to the captains before friendlies, along the lines of "I'll manage the manageable but I can't do anything about the unmanageable". The first shirt pull is manageable, would be a caution in a competitive game but can get away without it in a friendly. The second one is unmanageable, you have told him not to do something and he did it again, don't caution there and you risk someone else dishing out their own form of punishment to him.
 
For my own learning - what do you have as “technical” offences?

?

… as I say, for my education … thank you
Offences excluding Reckless (Orange), Serious Foul Play and Violent Conduct
Might get away with Reckless (Yellow) without a caution... depends on temperature of the game etc... If in doubt, caution as you normally would
 
Yeah, that reminds me of what I say to the captains before friendlies, along the lines of "I'll manage the manageable but I can't do anything about the unmanageable". The first shirt pull is manageable, would be a caution in a competitive game but can get away without it in a friendly. The second one is unmanageable, you have told him not to do something and he did it again, don't caution there and you risk someone else dishing out their own form of punishment to him.

Or shout "last chance" to the manager who immediately hauled said payer off. A risk I took in the last game but it paid off (sensible manager). Obviously helped that the second offence took place 10 yards from the dugout
 
Back
Top