Manager v parent

[Viridis1886]

I think it is an email to the RDO and County Welfare Officer

Yes he replied this morning and copied in safeguarding lead. Misconduct report filed thought WGS.

 

[RustyRef]

Yes he replied this morning and copied in safeguarding lead. Misconduct report filed thought WGS.

Good, a spectator behaving like this when children are playing should not be allowed anywhere near the touchline. It doesn't matter that his language wasn't directed at a child, he is still exposing them to it and potentially upsetting them.

 

[Peter Grove]

A bit tenuous I know, but perhaps it would fall under “Where an offence is committed and the offender cannot be identified, the senior team coach present in the technical area will receive the sanction.”

I think the law makes it abundantly clear that this clause applies to team officials - not spectators.

 

[mctones]

I think the law makes it abundantly clear that this clause applies to team officials - not spectators.

View attachment 6543

The law is abundantly clear in who receives the sanction, yes. It makes no distinction or definition on ’offender’.

If I have say 3 parents stood beside the coach (happens every week), I hear one of those 4 people shout “ref that was a f**cking shocking decision”, and I am not too sure who exactly shouted at me, the manager is getting a sanction.

As @JamesL has helpfully pointed out, the intention of the law is that it is team officials only for both offence and sanction, but the law is being rewritten for next season as it is not as clear as it could be.

 

[JamesL]

The law is abundantly clear in who receives the sanction, yes. It makes no distinction or definition on ’offender’.

If I have say 3 parents stood beside the coach (happens every week), I hear one of those 4 people shout “ref that was a f**cking shocking decision”, and I am not too sure who exactly shouted at me, the manager is getting a sanction.

As @JamesL has helpfully pointed out, the intention of the law is that it is team officials only for both offence and sanction, but the law is being rewritten for next season as it is not as clear as it could be.

For what it's worth, I think the fact it falls under heading of "Team Officials" suggests that is already the case that it only applies to TA occupants (i.e. team officials.)
Further to that, note that the wording of the "change" is actually "clarification", which basically means this is what we really meant to say and how we wanted you to interpret it and as such I dont think we should be waiting until next season for the clarification to be enshrined in law and we should start to interpret the law in that way immediately.

 

[santa sangria]

We teach new referees that if there is only the one responsible adult with the team, they tell the manager/coach that they are being sent off, but in view of child protection they may stay near the touchline if they behave. Tell them that if there is any further misconduct it will be reported separately and may result in abandonment of the game.
As others have said you cannot sanction the coach/manager for spectator behaviour.

I think this is also context dependent.

I abandoned after sending off a lone coach for racist language. I checked first if there was another adult/parent that could supervise but all the parents were with the other team.

For a “technical” red card to a lone coach (preventing the opponent’s restart, for example) or double yellow, then I think the above advice is sound.

 

[Peter Grove]

The law is abundantly clear in who receives the sanction, yes. It makes no distinction or definition on ’offender’.

No, it's clear that this whole section applies only to offences committed by Team Officials.

There's a section before it entitled, "Players, Substitutes and Substituted Players" - that section lists the disciplinary action that should be taken for offences committed by persons in those categories.

Similarly, the section entitled "Team Officials" lists the sanctions to be applied for offences committed by Team Officials.

Then there's also the fact that in the entire history of the Laws of the Game, from 1863 until now (so for 160 years straight) the laws have never, ever contained any reference to offences committed by spectators, nor has there ever been, in 160 years of the laws, any provision for penalising match participants for the behaviour of spectators.

Just because the wording could be seen as a little ambiguous to some that are unfamiliar with the Laws of the Game and their history, it does not entitle referees to start inventing an entirely new category of punishable offences (offences by spectators) out of whole cloth.

 

[The Gump]

No, it's clear that this whole section applies only to offences committed by Team Officials.

There's a section before it entitled, "Players, Substitutes and Substituted Players" - that section lists the disciplinary action that should be taken for offences committed by persons in those categories.

Similarly, the section entitled "Team Officials" lists the sanctions to be applied for offences committed by Team Officials.

Then there's also the fact that in the entire history of the Laws of the Game, from 1863 until now (so for 160 years straight) the laws have never, ever contained any reference to offices committed by spectators, nor has there ever been, in 160 years of the laws, any provision for penalising match participants for the behaviour of spectators.

Just because the wording could be seen as a little ambiguous to some that are unfamiliar with the Laws of the Game and their history, it does not entitle referees to start inventing an entirely new category of punishable offences (offences by spectators) out of whole cloth.

Parents shouldn't be stood in the technical area full stop. If they are in the technical area even when they shouldn't be, could/should they be treated as officials in any event? Question posed assuming this is youth football still, as technically a parent could be there in adult football too!

 

[Peter Grove]

If I have say 3 parents stood beside the coach (happens every week), I hear one of those 4 people shout “ref that was a f**cking shocking decision”, and I am not too sure who exactly shouted at me, the manager is getting a sanction.

And if you do that, you will be making an incorrect decision (unless these parents are listed as team officials). I asked the IFAB whether this would be permitted, here's their response.