Morning All,
I may have mentioned in my previous “Welcome to the Forum” post, that I would compile some silly questions, that I don’t think would be covered in the rules (although they might be!) but I thought the anonymity of a forum would be the best place to ask.
When responding, if you could quote the question number you’re referring to so I don’t get confused
[Question1]
A player refers to a player on his same team, in high spirits, but refers to him as a [derogatory term for a homosexual]. This term, I find personally offensive. It wasn’t directed at me, but it would be offensive for anyone who heard it. I call the player across and tell him that that’s unacceptable and I consider that offensive language. I warn him that I don’t want to hear him say it again. Once I've walked away, his goalkeeper shouts at him “What was that all about?” and the player shouts across the field “He said I cant say the word [derogatory term for homosexual]”
My question, would you have sent him off on the first occurrence? Would you have sent him off on the second time of saying?
[Question2]
After putting the ball out for a player to receive treatment, the opposition throws (throw-in) the ball back to the goalkeeper – but on its way – a defender gives it an extra kick to make sure it makes it to the keeper.
The keeper picks the ball up – I blow for a backpass – the team take it quickly and score.
The goal stands? But is this just a matter of incredibly poor sportsmanship?
[Question3]
I seem to get a lot of players who walk off the pitch to get a bottle of water. Either when the goalkeeper is trying to dig the ball out of a bush etc, or sometimes, when the ball is in play. Now, my understanding is that leaving the field of play is a caution’able offence. However, every time I've addressed this sort of matter, I've almost had a mass confrontation on my hands. If I do this with U16-U18, the managers get irate and tend to go down the “Think of the children!” style approach. With adults, they just tend to laugh it off… Like nobody has ever attempted to reinforce this rule.
Where do people stand on this (I work at low level) and how do people handle this sort of thing?
[Question4]
How do you issue cards after the final whistle? I had a player approach me after a game (literally 30 seconds after the whistle) and gave me an earful, then called me “gutless”, which I took as offensive (including his body language and attitude). On a separate occasion, I overheard a youth player (U16) joking to his team – “He’s not even good enough to referee womens football”. Not only is that offensive, I found that to be massively sexist, especially considering how many leaps and bounds the Womens game has progressed in the last 2 years alone. (And I do referee womens football too).
I submitted a match report after each of these events, but should I have shown a card [yellow/red?] and as its after the final whistle – how do I do this? Do I call them over? Do I ask for their name? As the game has finished – are they under any obligation to come over – as they are packing up to leave – I can imagine they’d just walk off. Do I show them the card? Do I need witnesses to see/overhear what I'm doing?
[Question5]
I get a *LOT* of players asking me to stop play so they can tie their shoelaces – or “Ref, ref, we’ve got a player down – stop the play” – and I turn around and its someone doing a shoelace. My stance has always been that we don’t stop for shoelaces. True?
[Question6]
Should we only immediately stop play for head injuries – or can it be for serious (sounding) non-head injuries? Players shout at me (again) to “stop play” for an injury – most of the time, it doesn’t look serious – and I just shrug my shoulders and tell them that I cant demand the ball is kicked out of play. After I say this, they do tend to knock it out. Is this correct?
When I *do* stop the play mid-move, I reconvene with a drop ball, its 99% of the time uncontested and they just knock the ball back. Is this correct?
[Question7]
I warn the goalkeeper when he’s encroaching on the 6 second rule. If they are hanging around, I shout things like “That’s 6 seconds”, or “That’s your six”. This usually makes them move along. I've had mixed reviews to this. Some players tell me I cant do this. When I've given a couple of warnings, ill blow it if they go over the 6 – and this usually has questions from the manager such as “They usually get a warning”, to which ill explain I warned them twice already (but the manager wouldn’t have heard it – because I would have told it to the keeper).
Does the 6 second rule still apply? Am I in my right to give them a gentle reminder that they are taking too long?
[Question8]
I was told that shouting anything whilst a player is attempting to receive/control the ball is un-sportsman conduct, so they are about to trap it and someone shouts “Aaaargh”, or worse “Leave it” – when they are on the opposition side! Now, is this an offence – i.e. indirect/direct free kick? Can I stop play for this? If they continuously do it – can I card them for it *for* un-sportsman conduct?
Same goes for interfering with a freekick. They’ll stand on the ball, I tell them to retreat (which they’ll super-slow-motion do as to not break the rule[?]) but then they play the freekick (say a standard middle of the park long ball) the person slowly retreating jumps with their hands up. Even though theres no contact – are they allowed to jump with the arms up – or jump and wave sort of thing to try and distract them?
I'm of the ilk that that is all un-sportsman conduct and penalised by a freekick.
[Question9]
Obstruction is punishable by an indirect freekick – therefore, if someone steps across someones path to obstruct them in the penalty area… Is that a penalty or an indirect freekick? If they step across them and the player trips over them – that’s a trip – and more obviously a penalty. But if they are shielding but I consider it to have a step too far and is obstruction… is that an indirect freekick in the penalty area?
[Question10]
I seem to have massive beef with club assistants. Usually giving offside from halfway up the pitch – or just not following play (on mobile phones, chatting to mates etc etc). Can I tell the manager to switch assistant? If he’s only running the line because he’s the ONLY sub, so they don’t have any other options – how do I handle this? The other club gets to use a second person from their club to run both lines?
If they do flag (from wherever) and its too thin to call – do I go with their call (because I'm told you should always favour the defence in moments of 50/50)? Also, if I continuously overturn their decisions – the management seem to get really annoyed.
How do you handle terrible assistants?
[Question11]
Everyone seems to shout foul-throw after every single throw in. Whats an easy rule of thumb for throws? Both legs firmly planted at the time of the ball being released? Ball must be released before it passes 12 o’clock position?
Any simple/helpful systems/things to remember.
I may have mentioned in my previous “Welcome to the Forum” post, that I would compile some silly questions, that I don’t think would be covered in the rules (although they might be!) but I thought the anonymity of a forum would be the best place to ask.
When responding, if you could quote the question number you’re referring to so I don’t get confused
[Question1]
A player refers to a player on his same team, in high spirits, but refers to him as a [derogatory term for a homosexual]. This term, I find personally offensive. It wasn’t directed at me, but it would be offensive for anyone who heard it. I call the player across and tell him that that’s unacceptable and I consider that offensive language. I warn him that I don’t want to hear him say it again. Once I've walked away, his goalkeeper shouts at him “What was that all about?” and the player shouts across the field “He said I cant say the word [derogatory term for homosexual]”
My question, would you have sent him off on the first occurrence? Would you have sent him off on the second time of saying?
[Question2]
After putting the ball out for a player to receive treatment, the opposition throws (throw-in) the ball back to the goalkeeper – but on its way – a defender gives it an extra kick to make sure it makes it to the keeper.
The keeper picks the ball up – I blow for a backpass – the team take it quickly and score.
The goal stands? But is this just a matter of incredibly poor sportsmanship?
[Question3]
I seem to get a lot of players who walk off the pitch to get a bottle of water. Either when the goalkeeper is trying to dig the ball out of a bush etc, or sometimes, when the ball is in play. Now, my understanding is that leaving the field of play is a caution’able offence. However, every time I've addressed this sort of matter, I've almost had a mass confrontation on my hands. If I do this with U16-U18, the managers get irate and tend to go down the “Think of the children!” style approach. With adults, they just tend to laugh it off… Like nobody has ever attempted to reinforce this rule.
Where do people stand on this (I work at low level) and how do people handle this sort of thing?
[Question4]
How do you issue cards after the final whistle? I had a player approach me after a game (literally 30 seconds after the whistle) and gave me an earful, then called me “gutless”, which I took as offensive (including his body language and attitude). On a separate occasion, I overheard a youth player (U16) joking to his team – “He’s not even good enough to referee womens football”. Not only is that offensive, I found that to be massively sexist, especially considering how many leaps and bounds the Womens game has progressed in the last 2 years alone. (And I do referee womens football too).
I submitted a match report after each of these events, but should I have shown a card [yellow/red?] and as its after the final whistle – how do I do this? Do I call them over? Do I ask for their name? As the game has finished – are they under any obligation to come over – as they are packing up to leave – I can imagine they’d just walk off. Do I show them the card? Do I need witnesses to see/overhear what I'm doing?
[Question5]
I get a *LOT* of players asking me to stop play so they can tie their shoelaces – or “Ref, ref, we’ve got a player down – stop the play” – and I turn around and its someone doing a shoelace. My stance has always been that we don’t stop for shoelaces. True?
[Question6]
Should we only immediately stop play for head injuries – or can it be for serious (sounding) non-head injuries? Players shout at me (again) to “stop play” for an injury – most of the time, it doesn’t look serious – and I just shrug my shoulders and tell them that I cant demand the ball is kicked out of play. After I say this, they do tend to knock it out. Is this correct?
When I *do* stop the play mid-move, I reconvene with a drop ball, its 99% of the time uncontested and they just knock the ball back. Is this correct?
[Question7]
I warn the goalkeeper when he’s encroaching on the 6 second rule. If they are hanging around, I shout things like “That’s 6 seconds”, or “That’s your six”. This usually makes them move along. I've had mixed reviews to this. Some players tell me I cant do this. When I've given a couple of warnings, ill blow it if they go over the 6 – and this usually has questions from the manager such as “They usually get a warning”, to which ill explain I warned them twice already (but the manager wouldn’t have heard it – because I would have told it to the keeper).
Does the 6 second rule still apply? Am I in my right to give them a gentle reminder that they are taking too long?
[Question8]
I was told that shouting anything whilst a player is attempting to receive/control the ball is un-sportsman conduct, so they are about to trap it and someone shouts “Aaaargh”, or worse “Leave it” – when they are on the opposition side! Now, is this an offence – i.e. indirect/direct free kick? Can I stop play for this? If they continuously do it – can I card them for it *for* un-sportsman conduct?
Same goes for interfering with a freekick. They’ll stand on the ball, I tell them to retreat (which they’ll super-slow-motion do as to not break the rule[?]) but then they play the freekick (say a standard middle of the park long ball) the person slowly retreating jumps with their hands up. Even though theres no contact – are they allowed to jump with the arms up – or jump and wave sort of thing to try and distract them?
I'm of the ilk that that is all un-sportsman conduct and penalised by a freekick.
[Question9]
Obstruction is punishable by an indirect freekick – therefore, if someone steps across someones path to obstruct them in the penalty area… Is that a penalty or an indirect freekick? If they step across them and the player trips over them – that’s a trip – and more obviously a penalty. But if they are shielding but I consider it to have a step too far and is obstruction… is that an indirect freekick in the penalty area?
[Question10]
I seem to have massive beef with club assistants. Usually giving offside from halfway up the pitch – or just not following play (on mobile phones, chatting to mates etc etc). Can I tell the manager to switch assistant? If he’s only running the line because he’s the ONLY sub, so they don’t have any other options – how do I handle this? The other club gets to use a second person from their club to run both lines?
If they do flag (from wherever) and its too thin to call – do I go with their call (because I'm told you should always favour the defence in moments of 50/50)? Also, if I continuously overturn their decisions – the management seem to get really annoyed.
How do you handle terrible assistants?
[Question11]
Everyone seems to shout foul-throw after every single throw in. Whats an easy rule of thumb for throws? Both legs firmly planted at the time of the ball being released? Ball must be released before it passes 12 o’clock position?
Any simple/helpful systems/things to remember.
