Nightmare game

[RobOda]

Begs the question, has anyone ever booked a player for leaving the FOP without permission? Entering FOP; yes, I could see that happening more often, but the only time I can think of a player going AWOL, is during a goal celebration (in which case half the team would need to see yellow)

Yes, twice.

Last season, player left to adjust equipment without telling me. He jogged back on as the ball was going into his half (second offence), I played on, corner kick. Stopped play there and cautioned him. He was surprised, I said if I was being strict he'd be off for the two offences. I made a topic about it on here last season.

And this season, a player went off after scoring a goal because he was 'winded'. This was a game that was heavy with dissent from his team. Everyone had got back to restart via kick off except this guy who went off to his bench. So I went over cautioned him, warned him not to come back on without my say so and restarted without him.

Btw, I'm pretty sure leaving the fop during a goal celebration is already in the LotG:

Leaving the field of play to celebrate a goal is not a cautionable offence but players should return as soon as possible.

 

[Richard smith]

Get the chin up and learn from the nightmare experience u describe
We have all been in that situation where the game runs away from us and we never get back in top of it
As many other member'd have said 9 games in without incident, what have u learned.. Very Little
Use the experience as Learning point.

 

[Zimmyman]

Ooof. As others have pointed out, every match has an opportunity somewhere early on where you get to show to the players what kind of ref you're planning to be. And while "picky" is a valid choice, and one I often aim for myself, I think you might have taken it a step too far on this occasion! BC has used the phrase "what football expects", and I think it's absolutely fair to say that football doesn't expect U14's to be cautioned for this kind of technical offence that harms no one. You've put yourself in a difficult position and had to send someone off as a result of that difficult position, where you could easily have made your own life easier without any significant dent to your refereeing integrity!

I'd also want to know two other things before even saying that you were right in law - are you 100% sure they actually left the FOP (and didn't just lean over or have bottles passed to them) and 2, are you 100% sure you didn't accidentally give them permission to step off: "Can we grab a drink ref?" "sure" is an exchange I've had before, which I didn't realise until after was essentially permission to leave the FOP. If either of those condition apply, it might actually swing away from pedantic and into incorrect.

And having said all that, it's worth reiterating that nothing justifies the abuse you ended up getting. Make sure you put in all the correct misconduct reports, including both managers and just try to take the learning points from this match and move on.

Thank you ! Yes they left the field of play ! completely ! They did NOT ask !! If one does not set a precedent then do they all start going off en mass !! And they are 14 year olds and not 10 year olds which one might allow them to go off TFOP without permission but I hear what every one is saying and I will take heed and learn from this

 

[Padfoot]

Ok Sunday was a nightmare for me after having 9 games with no trouble it then all comes along ! Sunday u14 fixture cup game
Game starts ok I must admit I had a slight mix up with Lino’s not being in the right position but they did not say anything to me till I’d kicked off ! But the game starts after 25 minutes on an injury I see two players leave the FOP for a drink on there return I cautioned them to the uproar of the coaches !! 10
Minutes later one of the cautioned players call me a juke so 2nd yellow and off ! The car was the dad of the boy so he walked also Manager of the team screaming all kind of abuse at me although not swearing !! So I sent him from the ground! Game calms down in second half one more yellow for dissent ! Into extra time 1-1 then one team scores with 3 mins to go this causes mayehem one player swears st me si
He goes ! Manager of the losing team does not like it he’s the number two of the manager I sent off ! He then marched into FOP to say he wants to end it ! So much mayhem that I tell him no
I’m abandoning more abuse being called the worst ref ever I’m a joke ! A disgrace etc
Not a great day and it starts me questioning my ability

You cautioned 2 children for leaving the FOP to get a drink while the game was stopped for an injury?

You didn’t think to simply stop them before they reentered and educate them about the issue?

Whilst nothing justifies the abuse you have received, surely you can see how that action set you up for a really difficult conclusion to the game?

 

[Zimmyman]

You cautioned 2 children for leaving the FOP to get a drink while the game was stopped for an injury?

You didn’t think to simply stop them before they reentered and educate them about the issue?

Whilst nothing justifies the abuse you have received, surely you can see how that action set you up for a really difficult conclusion to the game?

Don’t talk to
Me about children with the abuse they give to us refs I had a 11 year old call me a bald C—T on the FTFOP they can do this but when one enforces TLOTG to them it’s wrong although YES I AGREE WITH YOU IT WAS HARSH AND MAYBE WRONG and this will be a learning curve but please with what one hears on the field a 14 is not exactly a child perse ie an 8-10 year old but without a big debate on it point taken

 

[Tino Best]

When we have first qualified we make ricks bad decisions but these are the best way to learn. If an 11 year old said that to me he would be red carded immediatley. The important thing is to learn from this and from your responses it seem you have. Just remember the advice which is written on this forum can sometimes seem harsh but it the writers head it sounds reasonable and calm but that does not always come across in the written form. TYou will have more games like these we all do we all make mistakes and get stuff wrong but it makes us better refs(hopefully!)

 

[QuaverRef]

Begs the question, has anyone ever booked a player for leaving the FOP without permission? Entering FOP; yes, I could see that happening more often, but the only time I can think of a player going AWOL, is during a goal celebration (in which case half the team would need to see yellow)

Once, and it didn't go down well! I booked a player for dissent who didn't agree and decided he wasn't going to play anymore and just walked off the pitch. The uproar came when I gave him a second yellow and the team realised they couldn't sub him

 

[Ciley Myrus]

Its these games where you learn about yourself as a referee. 9 games without issue... what have you learnt? Close to nothing.

We've all had them... and we all have them to come too, irrespective of our level of experience.

Am not reading through all the posts but thats a valid point, and akin to a team too....a team winning 9-0 every week dont really develop until they start to lose games because then you see character and who can adapt and so on

 

[IslandReferee]

Great advice everyone. And James spot on words of wisdom and I agree the best experience we could ever get it is a game experience. The more games the newer referees run the more confident they will become. The laws of the game allow for many judgement calls of what should actually happen during a match. I believe game flow is overlooked in a lot of discussions but is something that needs to be taken into consideration more often,

 

[Sheffields Finest]

Don’t talk to
Me about children with the abuse they give to us refs I had a 11 year old call me a bald C—T on the FTFOP they can do this but when one enforces TLOTG to them it’s wrong although YES I AGREE WITH YOU IT WAS HARSH AND MAYBE WRONG and this will be a learning curve but please with what one hears on the field a 14 is not exactly a child perse ie an 8-10 year old but without a big debate on it point taken

Chin up, which hurt more, the former or the latter?

 

[jofusref]

Not personally, but I was running a line for a ref who said he'd done it. Last match of the season, a striker due to retire scores a probable winner in ~85th minute. Starts running in celebration, reaches the tunnel and just heads down it at a full sprint! Manager tells the ref that the player had warned him this might happen, so just asks to make the sub - ref says fine, but I need to book him for leaving without permission first. Waves a card at the tunnel then allows the sub on and finishes the match.

pedantis pointless gesture

 

[jofusref]

these type of games happen, and they make you a better referee
and having forums like this helps where other more expirienced referees can give you an opinion
my opinion you got the cards out too early there is still room or the old fashioned bollocking which would have been enough you
learned the 17tlaws in the game, you forfgot the unwritten law 18 common sense
keep the chin up and remember we are here

 

[jofusref]

these things happen and it will make you a better referee
and forums like this helps where experienced referees can give an opinion
your mistake was bringing the cards out too early there is still room in the game for the old fashoned bolllocking
which was plenty in this case,you learned the 17 laws of the game, but you have not learned the unwritten law 18,
commonsense it will come with experienced
keep the chijn up and remember we are here.

 

[Jorik0907]

Begs the question, has anyone ever booked a player for leaving the FOP without permission? Entering FOP; yes, I could see that happening more often, but the only time I can think of a player going AWOL, is during a goal celebration (in which case half the team would need to see yellow)

Could have, but didn't. Was a supply league of decent quality but one of the teams was just better. The guy who stepped off the pitch was stood behind the fences for a bit tk have a smoke and calm down. They'd already gone through three subs because of injuries. I let him, and he came back on at 9-0. Could have booked him, but would have been his second. Match control would have been out of the window, and with five minutes to play I 'didn't see it'. Again wrong in Law, but I'm not even sure the players were aware of the tidbit since earlier I had to order a retake of an indirect free kick in the box. They'd gotten into my face on that one and were awarded a couple of lemons for their trouble

 

[Zimmyman]

these type of games happen, and they make you a better referee
and having forums like this helps where other more expirienced referees can give you an opinion
my opinion you got the cards out too early there is still room or the old fashioned bollocking which would have been enough you
learned the 17tlaws in the game, you forfgot the unwritten law 18 common sense
keep the chin up and remember we are here

Thank you I needed that advice

 

[Ciley Myrus]

Reading the OP reminds me of a similar scenario which is much more common, play breaks away, you go with it, but doing no harm at all the full back 50 yards behind you now has went to the side, stayed on the pitch and got some spray or whatever.
See as long as he does that, am not even fussed whether he steps off the park or stays on it, and of course continues its path nowhere near where he is, blind eye it is.
It reads to me like the water incident is similar.
You will also certainly see when you are AR at lower levels, a player getting spray at side of the park,maybe just on, just off, as ever each to own but providing its causing no problem, you would not be flagging, getting game stopped, or calling ref over at next stoppage to get a sanction for the player, quick spray, then assuming ball is still nowhere near the player, on he goes, I would not even expect them to ask me if its ok for him to go back on, I be pleased out of courtesy though if they did.