Mini Soccer misconduct

[El__Juez__]

My first post. Earlier this year i volunteered to referee mini soccer games in my son's league. I completed the mini soccer referee training offered by the league and recently completed the FA Referees course. Now a trainee ref.

Yesterday, in an u7 mini soccer game i was observing one player consistently fouled the opposition, predominantly involving pulling and pushing. The player was spoken to by the ref and explained that they could not use their hands. They were a good player. They continued to infringe, using their hands when tackling, pushing players over. The coach was asked to speak to the player and the coach said one more and he would be taken off. The problem was that the team only had 5 players with no subs so the effect of this would be the team going down to 4 players.

The player then kicked out at another player (no contact). The coach removed him from the game without involvement of the referee.

In the league referee training, referees were encouraged to apply the laws of the game and to carry cards with them to sanction misconduct in mini soccer.

Should the referee have stepped in and controlled the game with the use of cards?

 

[JamesL]

The laws of the game say which laws can be amended...law 12 is not one of them.

Whilst we would hope never to have to use cards at these age groups, if the need arises then the need arises.

 

[Kes]

Referees at U7s five-a-side football?

 

[GraemeS]

I've voted yes. But.

From this description, the coach seemed to take exactly the same disciplinary action as the referee probably should have. Given the low age group, I would have waited at least until they spoke to the coach to caution and waited for the kick out to send off, so I don't think much would practically have changed if the ref was willing to use cards, outside of post-game fines & bans.

The actual question "should the referee have controlled the game with cards?" isn't the right question, because I don't think a willingness to use cards would have any effect on their control of the game. The ref should be willing to use cards, but the idea of that having any effect on "control" at U7s is a bit wild. At that age, kids will run around and do what they want, the coach taking him off is perfectly fine as a punishment.