A&H

Player shouting at crowd

micky2001

Well-Known Member
I have two questions based on a game I watched on Saturday.

1) Crowd shouts abuse at Orange player who then turns round and shouts back telling them to shut up and get a life. Would you be giving a sanction for a player shouting at the crowd? Does adopting aggessive attitude work with a player to the crowd?

2) Crowd then shout "go back to your Special school" (with the reference being to the players mental capabilities). If this was the other way about, and the player shouted this to the crowd - what are you giving (if anything)
 
The Referee Store
I'm with Minty... almost!
A quiet word wouldn't go amiss to encourage the player to not get involved with spectators. If he chooses to ignore you then there can be little complaint for any sanction.
 
For me, if number two above was shouted by the player (ie it was indeed the other way about) then I would find this offensive and the appropriate sanction would follow ...

Otherwise, I'm with James, a word with the player, maybe involving his captain, wouldn't go amiss
 
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Quiet word in passing for me, if anything. If you think letting tackles go then showing a red card because a player said. " you must go to a special school " then am sorry, no, just no.
 
Slightly off topic but relevant. Would you take any action if a player, after being carelessly tackled, calls the opponent 'you retard'?
 
Slightly off topic but relevant. Would you take any action if a player, after being carelessly tackled, calls the opponent 'you retard'?
Absolutely. A red card for OFFINABUS, then restart with a DFK to the team of the player you just sent off.
 
1) I think we can be a bit sympathetic to WHY players are responding, as long as they don't completely cross the line. For me, this isn't even close to being offensive. You COULD caution for USB. But for these words, does he need it? Does the game need it? Or are you going to be punishing the victim here?
Maybe a public word will send the message that the behaviour is uancceptable - it may also just put a target on his back from the idiots on the sideline.
Is it time to get the manager to deal with the sideline? This is going to partially depend on the level of game and the size of the crowd.
When I've had players starting to yell at the crowd but not crossing the line, I've had a quiet word with them and said 'hey, if I have to ignore the idiots mate, so do you!'. That shows a bit of understanding and can help get them onside.



For me, if number two above was shouted by the player (ie it was indeed the other way about) then I would find this offensive and the appropriate sanction would follow ...

Otherwise, I'm with James, a word with the player, maybe involving his captain, wouldn't go amiss

If you'd get rid of the player for this, are you doing the same for the spectators?

Slightly off topic but relevant. Would you take any action if a player, after being carelessly tackled, calls the opponent 'you retard'?
Using an offensive mental health term to insult somebody is discrimination. No different to calling somebody a certain homophobic slur akin to a bundle of sticks. Red card is completely justified.
It's a difficult position for us, because there isn't the same level of awareness over the harm of using these phrases as insults as their is over racial or sexually offensive insults.
 
Slightly off topic but relevant. Would you take any action if a player, after being carelessly tackled, calls the opponent 'you retard'?


Old story of having a shopping list of insults handy and seeing if the words used are on it. Of course you could show a red. I would however be saying to the player " hey, less of that" . To show a red for that means you need to be consistent and show red for anything which could be insulting or cause offence to anyone.
 
Old story of having a shopping list of insults handy and seeing if the words used are on it. Of course you could show a red. I would however be saying to the player " hey, less of that" . To show a red for that means you need to be consistent and show red for anything which could be insulting or cause offence to anyone.
No, I don't agree with that logic at all. It's not on the same level as, say, ' you d***head', because calling an opponent a retard is perpetuating mental health shame and is highly discriminatory. That's an issue we need to be concerned about.
Discrimination has no place on the football field.
 
i dont think we should pidgeon hole what is and what is not
Rightly or wrongly, there is still an acceptance for industrial language
Dhead, no doubt is offensive to someone, surely nobody can claim to enjoy being called that? Something is either offensive, or its not, we dont get to rate the abuse on a scale of ten before deciding what action to take.
 
i dont think we should pidgeon hole what is and what is not
That's a complete copout
You're not seriously trying to say that using 'retard' as an insult isn't discriminatory language?
Rightly or wrongly, there is still an acceptance for industrial language
And that's not what this is. General swearing would come under that banner.
Dhead, no doubt is offensive to someone, surely nobody can claim to enjoy being called that? Something is either offensive, or its not, we dont get to rate the abuse on a scale of ten before deciding what action to take.
So you're then arguing that no referee should ever send off for OFFINABUS for something that isn't said directly to the referee?
After all, your argument in that line is basically that referees don't have the right to determine what's offensive.
 
Certainly not saying you cannot dismiss for that, of course you can

I just dont see how you can justify sending off for a heat of moment shout of "retard" but not for someone shouting "you c word"

Dont know where you referee but the games I see, would be abandoned after five mins due to lack of players
 
Although, if I can sidetrack for one sec, I reg officiate at the national pan disability tournaments here, anyway, true story.....

Guy gets minor foul, shouts ( to guy with hearing aid) " f off you deaf b". To which other guy shouts back ( to guy with glasses) " you f off you speccy c"

red card each!???

No chance, after recovering my ribs off the floor from laughing so much, a loud shout of "oi you two, thats enough". And we get on with the game.
 
Although, if I can sidetrack for one sec, I reg officiate at the national pan disability tournaments here, anyway, true story.....

Guy gets minor foul, shouts ( to guy with hearing aid) " f off you deaf b". To which other guy shouts back ( to guy with glasses) " you f off you speccy c"

red card each!???

No chance, after recovering my ribs off the floor from laughing so much, a loud shout of "oi you two, thats enough". And we get on with the game.

Fine line though.

If anyone makes reference to my deafness like that, the red card is coming out.
 
And this is why we cant, or should not have a predetermined list of offensive slurs

One ref saying he would dismiss anyone making reference to deafness

I might miss something being said and also have the same comment made to me. I cant then decide to dismiss incase he has just offended someone who somewhere in Bristol might have hearing difficulties!

Everything in context....
 
One ref saying he would dismiss anyone making reference to deafness

I might miss something being said and also have the same comment made to me. I cant then decide to dismiss incase he has just offended someone who somewhere in Bristol might have hearing difficulties!

Well, the context here is that I am deaf, and therefore disabled. So any reference to me being deaf linked with a slur is in my eyes a direct attack of my own disability. So, yes, that is a red card offence to me as it's no different from referencing skin colour or anything else to be quite honest with you, and it shouldn't be acceptable.

I'm not a stick in the mud about things though, context matters. I've had my linesmen in stitches once, because a player remarked "The FA have sent us a referee that can't hear and linesmen that can't see!" but it was said in good-natured banter, they saw the funny side, as did I.
 
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