A&H

Headbutt/ motion to headbutt. Excessive vs aggressive

S

Scotty Ref

Active Member
It seems that the SFA have changed their stance and coaching on the matter of head butting and motioning to headbutt. The information below has been taken directly from the SFA extranet site.

Apparently an incident like this should now be a yellow where as previously it would have been deemed red


The guidance provided was consistent in that as long as the two players were only head-against-head then two cautions should be issued for adopting a threatening and aggressive attitude under unsporting behaviour. If one or both players made a forward motion with the intent of head butting his opponent then this action should be considered as punishable as an act of violence due to the intent and motion to strike an opponent regardless of force involved.

With the introduction of the Judicial Panel Protocol it has now become evident that such instruction is no longer supportable. Meanwhile the governing bodies FIFA and UEFA also appear to have softened their stance and prefer to assess closer to the Laws with the action required to demonstrate excessive force or brutality as per the Law.

Given the change in landscape it is now appropriate for us to modify the coaching guidance given to referees.
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Thoughts??????
 
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I wouldn't call it a head butt as their heads were touching... I'd have said yellow here
 
Mmm, think I'd have gone yellow in that particular instance.

Guidance is muddy at best though. LOTG clearly stipulates 'strikes or attempts to strike' is an act of violent conduct. Regardless of head, hand or foot.

That's enough to for me. If I think somebody has had a genuine attempt at contact its red for me.
 
The old charge when punishments at amateur level were adjudged in number of days, the charge was for head to head contact and the punishment was 182 days
 
What's in the video is a head butt. Plain and simple.

It may not be the most vicious you'll ever see but it is what it is.

Absolutely no reason for two players to make head to head contact in that manner, so any force used is excessive.

Will always be a red card in my games.
 
Brian Hamilton said:
The old charge when punishments at amateur level were adjudged in number of days, the charge was for head to head contact and the punishment was 182 days
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Not quite that draconian Brian! 'Attempting to headbutt' was 21 days, 'head to head contact' was 42 days, while 'violent head to head butting' was 112 days.

With regards to the video, I'm going yellow for the Hibs player and red for the Rangers player.
 
Padfoot said:
What's in the video is a head butt. Plain and simple.

It may not be the most vicious you'll ever see but it is what it is.

Absolutely no reason for two players to make head to head contact in that manner, so any force used is excessive.

Will always be a red card in my games.
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I'd interpret a headbutt to be a strike, which this isn't.
 
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I think I'd go for a yellow each in this situation.

Tof me this is two players squaring up, rather than an obvious attempt to headbutt by either.

However I can see the justification to go down the VC route.

I think that, both teams would grudgingly accept either of the above, as long as each player is punished the same.
 
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