A&H

Open Age Players who just keep talking?

dylan22

New Member
Level 7 Referee
I made my return to refereeing yesterday, first game after over a year out, it felt nice to be back.

A nice eventful game, both teams going for it quite nicely, a few niggles but nothing to write home about. Game finished 6-2 in the end, two penalties one for either team, no real complaints about either, gave a yellow to the away defender as he wrestled the attacker to the ground at a corner.

One of the other away defenders was a bit of a nightmare however. From the get-go, he was very vocal, even about the most obvious fouls etc. I've decided - mainly through reading the advice on here - to take a much firmer line on dissent from now on, so I called him in early doors told him that it was pointless, and frankly boring, to hear his voice all the time even for the most blatant things. His team weren't complaining so why was he. Thought that might do it.

Lo and behold, ten minutes later he tells me 'to give my head an f-ing wobble' - I called him in and booked him. A few more moans and groan in the second half, to which I told him several times, politely, to shut it. At this point his teammates are trying to rein him in. I've had words with his captain and teammates, they all accept that I'm being fair with him.

Ten minutes before the end he then asks 'if I was a green (home team) player in disguise' - called him over, told him was done, meanwhile he's aghast as I pull out the second yellow. He gave me a genuine look of surprise (how?) and trudges off.

Handshakes all round, his teammates are asking what he said, none seemed surprised and a few called him a 'liability'.

Since then, I've just been struggling to understand why someone, who knew what he's said and that he's on a caution, would keep on going. I guess I'll never know.

Anyway, nice to be back.
 
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Footballers generally aren't the "sharpest knives in the drawer". ;):D

Sadly, the real reason players like him do stuff like that is because they've been allowed to get away with it previously. :shifty:
 
The line about being a green player in disguise could even be justified as a red as he's essentially called you a cheat. He was lucky if anything but sounds like you dealt with it correct. If you've warned him and the captain, not a lot else you can do but send him away
 
I had a similar "problem" in a recent friendly. i warned the player about the feedback he was giving me and eventually after a number of firm words privately and publicly I called him in to caution him. As i pulled out the yellow card he said "its your fault you're treating me a like a ****". that was enough for me so 2nd Yellow and followed by a red. No one other than the recipient complained about the decision.

After the game handshakes all round, bar one of course, and skipper even tells me he's a "bloody idiot". As I walk away all i heard was him telling his captain how i was being inconsistent and I need to manage the game better. All I could do was quietly laugh to myself, some people love playing the victim!
 
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As i pulled out the yellow card he said "its your fault you're treating me a like a ****". that was enough for me so 2nd Yellow and followed by a red. No one other than the recipient complained about the decision.

Could it not have just been a straight red for OFFINABUS? ;):)
 
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Sometimes they hang themselves. I had a supply league game years ago where I gave a penalty to the away team. Home team winger, who was already on a yellow, kept chipping away as they lined up for the kick, so I shouted across at him "Wayne, you're on a yellow, be careful", not best practice I know but I wanted to se him up for a fall as I knew he'd be going at some point. His reply was "well f***ing send me off then". Of course all the opponents were then shouting "ref, he can't say that", but I'd already pulled the second yellow and red out. Something in the home team's tea that day as they had two others off, one for calling my assistant a cheating c***, and one a sub who came on took about three steps and decked the away left back then walked straight back off before I could even get the red out.

Also had one where a player walked towards me and said, out of the blue, "you're the worst f***ing referee we've ever had". Hand reached to left pocket to pull out yellow, only for him to then add "and you're a f***ing bald c*** as well". Left hand out of pocket, right hand into back pocket and red out. What made it worse it came after a nothing goal where there were no complaints from anyone, he was obviously just annoyed so took it out on me.
 
If verbal communication isn't working, you use your tools. He's obviously been a daft boy here, and by the looks of it he's done his team no favours.

It does look better for your match control when you're working with their captain in order to give him a lifeline, not saying you should do this for everything, a yellow is a yellow after all, but they've got nothing to come back at you with.
 
Sadly he did, by the sounds of it, 🧐

I sent off a young adult for attempting to grab my shirt and fumbling for an opposition shirt underneath trying to be clever saying there was one here somewhere. I found it offensive and insulting and sent him off to the bemusement of his coach. He was saying basically I was cheating. No ifs, buts or maybes, bye bye!
 
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