Players making abusive comments towards opponents

[one]

You're right at the highest level. but at amateur Sunday league football, I think it won't be as practical to give a red card for a swear directed at the opponent. During the basic referee course that's what our trainer told us.

My advice, the sooner you stop using the word 'swear' to justify decisions the better off you would be. Is the word 'sh!t' swear? How about 'crap'? It's not in the lotg. Justify it by asking if it's offensive, insulting or abusive. If not those then is it unsporting behaviour which could fall under different categories like lack of respect for the game or AAA in UK.

 

[ScotRef]

We don’t have a caution code for AA up here but definitely could fall under the all other offences deemed by the referee to be unsporting

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[Degnann]

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Eh?

 

[JamesL]

Eh?

He wrote something. Changed his mind and edited the post to show there was once a message there.

 

[socal lurker]

I agree, I think that would classify as a yellow. The law doesn't specify adopting an aggressive attitude is only physical and not verbal. But what kind of words/attitude would be enough for only a yellow and not a red?

I wouldn't be looking for words. You need to look at the whole scene, not pull out a thesaurus.

Was what was said offensive, insulting, or abusive? If so it's a send off.

If not, was something said that ITOOTR was USB? What that means is going to be different for different ages, levels of play, and local standards. You have to do this by feel.

And there can be a level below that, where you aren't going to caution, where you need to step in an tell him to knock it off--that can help avoid escalation that leads to cards.

Where the lines are on these are all YHTBT. The context matters--what came before the event as well as tone, distance, physical demeanor, etc.

(And a nit pick: Law 12 doesn't say anything about adopting an aggressive attitude. That is a British thing and a flavor of USB (I don't know if the powers that be there consider it a version of disrespecting the game or just general USB, but it doesn't really matter--the caution is ultimately for USB.)

 

[one]

He wrote something. Changed his mind and edited the post to show there was once a message there.

There still is but a different one. You just told us what the second message is. Can you tell is what the first one was?

 

[PinnerPaul]

You're right at the highest level. but at amateur Sunday league football, I think it won't be as practical to give a red card for a swear directed at the opponent. During the basic referee course that's what our trainer told us.

As others have told me constant times, and here I think it actually applies!, don't base your decisions on 'higher up'.

At the top levels red cards for OFFINABUS are as rare as a QPR goal fest, OFFINABUS is treated as dissent at worse and most dissent is just ignored.

Two examples, I've heard players shout at the AR at QPR 'That was effing s***, absolute effing s***. effing nonsense decision, effing s***' sanction? Nothing

On Weds QPR v Preston QPR player gives away a stone wall pen, moans at the ref for ages before the pen, moans at the ref for ages after the pen - stonewall yellow, at least in our games - in this referee calls the captain over for a nice long chat about it and on we go.

If YOU think its OFFINABUS its a red and dissent you're not happy with or to help you with match control its a yellow.

 

[Arbiter]

That being said, you have to remember that even if no-one is offended by the comments, that doesn't necessarily mean you shouldn't take action.

That's what I was going to say.