How should a referee handle an unregistered player discovered during play?

[Ark]

In many matches, some clubs register their official players on the team sheet, but once they return to the dressing room, they secretly switch shirts with unregistered players or unknown people, who then enter the field without the referee noticing.


My question is: If the referee discovers this extra (unregistered) player while the match is in progress and the ball is in play, what should the referee do according to the Laws of the Game?
And what if this unregistered player has already scored a goal and the match has been restarted—how should the referee handle that situation?”

 

[ASM]

Broadly nothing.

Player eligibility isn’t our responsibility so simply report any concerns etc to the relevant competition after the game.

 

[RustyRef]

Nothing during the game, as ASM has said. You could raise it with the competition after the game, but nothing at all during the game.

 

[one]

Depends on competition rules if you notice it befoee the game starts.

If 'the switch' happened after the game has started (you started the game with different players
and/or substitues) then as soon as you notice the new 'player' you technically have an extra person on the field and you apply the relavent laws. It also covers a goal scored.

Either way, it should be reported.

 

[BCMilan]

Good question. I didn't think player eligibility had anything to do with us...but then, why give us a copy of the teamsheet ?

 

[JamesL]

Good question. I didn't think player eligibility had anything to do with us...but then, why give us a copy of the teamsheet ?

Competition rules. Only the names of the subs are required in law.
A copy of sheet handed to the referee becomes the master copy and prevents any post exchange tampering or similar

 

[one]

Competition rules. Only the names of the subs are required in law.
A copy of sheet handed to the referee becomes the master copy and prevents any post exchange tampering or similar

What do you do if early in the second hlaf you notice the person wearing the no 10 shirt is a different person to the one in the first half? And for the purpose of this point, the team does not have any subs. (And other players still wearing their own shirts - there was no shirt swaps between existing players)

I doubt any competition rules covers this and it surely falls under law 3.

 

[RefereeX]

What do you do if early in the second hlaf you notice the person wearing the no 10 shirt is a different person to the one in the first half? And for the purpose of this point, the team does not have any subs. (And other players still wearing their own shirts - there was no shirt swaps between existing players)

I doubt any competition rules covers this and it surely falls under law 3.

Personally I would inform the team that I've noticed this and it will be reported to the league after the game, at which point I would imagine it will go down as an opposition win.

 

[JamesL]

Personally I would inform the team that I've noticed this and it will be reported to the league after the game, at which point I would imagine it will go down as an opposition win.

Or a replay depends on competition rules and precedents I guess. What happens with the game after is largely not our concern.

One other step I would take, if I was absolutely certain, is that the player who has entered without permission has to leave with a caution. The player that should be on the pitch should come back on unless there was a legitimate reason he didn't wish to such as an injury.

The most important element for me is that it is all reported post match and the football authority are given the opportunity to sort it out.

 

[one]

Or a replay depends on competition rules and precedents I guess. What happens with the game after is largely not our concern.

One other step I would take, if I was absolutely certain, is that the player who has entered without permission has to leave with a caution. The player that should be on the pitch should come back on unless there was a legitimate reason he didn't wish to such as an injury.

The most important element for me is that it is all reported post match and the football authority are given the opportunity to sort it out.

The point is, 'the player' on the pitch is not actually player. They had 11 on the teamsheet and the 11th player is gone. The one in the field is an extra person as an outside agent.

 

[JamesL]

The point is, 'the player' on the pitch is not actually player. They had 11 on the teamsheet and the 11th player is gone. The one in the field is an extra person as an outside agent.

They aren't an outside agent they are still a substitute player.
They don't lose their status as a substitute once all substitutions are made. They are still named on the list of subs that should be provided to the referee before the match and so are treat in that capacity throughout the match.
So the 11th player hasn't been substituted out, they can return, or not.
The substitute that entered illegally has to be removed.

 

[RefereeX]

They aren't an outside agent they are still a substitute player.
They don't lose their status as a substitute once all substitutions are made. They are still named on the list of subs that should be provided to the referee before the match and so are treat in that capacity throughout the match.
So the 11th player hasn't been substituted out, they can return, or not.
The substitute that entered illegally has to be removed.

I think he's suggesting a situation where we know this person isn't a named substitute

 

[JamesL]

I think he's suggesting a situation where we know this person isn't a named substitute

Ah right yes. I took it as no subs remaining.
Well then they would be an outside agent in that case. We'd have them removed.
I don't think the answer changes an awful lot though.
They are removed. Original player can come back on as they have not been substituted out and we report the facts to the competition.
Hopefully you as the referee have done your own due diligence such as checking they had no subs rather than assuming as that could get messy

 

[one]

Ah right yes. I took it as no subs remaining.
Well then they would be an outside agent in that case. We'd have them removed.
I don't think the answer changes an awful lot though.
They are removed. Original player can come back on as they have not been substituted out and we report the facts to the competition.
Hopefully you as the referee have done your own due diligence such as checking they had no subs rather than assuming as that could get messy

Yes right. It was all a hypothetical to point out that if there is a person on the filed that you know is not on the teamsheet, technically the person becomes an outside agent. This may very well apply to the OP. But the key point here is that you have to know this for a fact rahter than speculating.