Had something that came up in a match a couple of weeks ago that I wanted to get some opinions on...
Team attacking down the left wing, I was in the middle of the pitch pretty much adjacent to the player with the ball. Fast forward about 30 seconds, the ball is crossed into the middle where the defender puts it out for a corner. I pointed for the corner and moved into position. As I did so, the coaches of the defending team were screaming at me that they wanted a word, encroaching onto the pitch as they did so. As we were about 30 seconds from half time, I told them to leave the pitch and said that I would speak to them at half time.
When I blew for half time, I went across to them and asked what the problem was. Clearly they were angry, and they told me that the attacking left back had told them to 'f*ck off'. I don't think they were making it up, but I explained that I hadn't heard anything as I was too far away, and that I wasn't able to take any action as a result (only club appointed linesman). They continued and argued that they wanted him to be sent off, and that he would have been sent off had it been a professional game. I again explained that I wasn't able to do anything because I hadn't heard it, and left it at that.
Just as part of the thought process, surely the player (U13) wouldn't have said that unprovoked.
Is there anything in the LotG about swearing at coaches, or what action to take when it occurs?
Had I heard it, I would probably have dismissed the player, but obviously I couldn't act based on the word of a coach.
Team attacking down the left wing, I was in the middle of the pitch pretty much adjacent to the player with the ball. Fast forward about 30 seconds, the ball is crossed into the middle where the defender puts it out for a corner. I pointed for the corner and moved into position. As I did so, the coaches of the defending team were screaming at me that they wanted a word, encroaching onto the pitch as they did so. As we were about 30 seconds from half time, I told them to leave the pitch and said that I would speak to them at half time.
When I blew for half time, I went across to them and asked what the problem was. Clearly they were angry, and they told me that the attacking left back had told them to 'f*ck off'. I don't think they were making it up, but I explained that I hadn't heard anything as I was too far away, and that I wasn't able to take any action as a result (only club appointed linesman). They continued and argued that they wanted him to be sent off, and that he would have been sent off had it been a professional game. I again explained that I wasn't able to do anything because I hadn't heard it, and left it at that.
Just as part of the thought process, surely the player (U13) wouldn't have said that unprovoked.
Is there anything in the LotG about swearing at coaches, or what action to take when it occurs?
Had I heard it, I would probably have dismissed the player, but obviously I couldn't act based on the word of a coach.