A&H

Request to change sanction after game

davlon

davlon

Member
Level 5 Referee
So.. in my adults match at the weekend, I ended up sending one coach off (who was acting as my CAR) for OFFINABUS.

After the match he was very apologetic then asked whether I'd consider putting it through as a yellow instead as he also coached youth football and didn't want to miss cup finals. Not being the confrontational type, I said something along the lines of "I'll see" (gutless, I know). I'm not going to lie, I did consider it, thinking along the lines of not wanting the youth team to miss out but have come to the conclusion that it's a slippery slope.

Now my actual question is this.. Should these requests be reported to the league / on whole game, or do we just brush them off? I'm finding that I often get asked whether I am going to put cards through (especially at youth league matches) but this is my first being asked to change it.
 
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davlon said:
So.. in my adults match at the weekend, I ended up sending one coach off (who was acting as my CAR) for OFFINABUS.

After the match he was very apologetic then asked whether I'd consider putting it through as a yellow instead as he also coached youth football and didn't want to miss cup finals. Not being the confrontational type, I said something along the lines of "I'll see" (gutless, I know). I'm not going to lie, I did consider it, thinking along the lines of not wanting the youth team to miss out but have come to the conclusion that it's a slippery slope.

Now my actual question is this.. Should these requests be reported to the league / on whole game, or do we just brush them off? I'm finding that I often get asked whether I am going to put cards through (especially at youth league matches) but this is my first being asked to change it.
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Hi
With regards to the coach asking you to down grade the card to a yellow don’t do it if he feels that the red was unjustified then he can appeal it. If he does end up missing coaching his youth players at a cup final it is not your problem he should have thought about that when he was giving you the abuse which got him red carded. If your CFA find out that did this you could end up being charged yourself.

On your point with team asking you not to send cards in, I just tell them that they are going in and if they continue to ask they’ll be reported for that too.
 
By downgrading or not reporting, you leave yourself open to sanctions including a ban.

As for the question, some will try it as a matter of course from a simple “You’re not putting that in are you?” said with a wry smile (they know), to “Can’t you put it in as 2 yellows?”.

Unless you feel you have been verbally or physically threatened, shrug it off, send in the regular report for the offence and be done with it.
 
Thank you. I'd come to the (correct) conclusion about putting them in properly already, was wondering more about whether it is worth reporting or not.
I think my take now is that I should just be more clear with my response when asked, rather than shying away from it. I didn't feel particularly threatened at the time, but the thought was in my head that the sweet-talking was just to get his way and could easily have changed if I made it clear that I wasn't going to budge.
 
Absolutely it gets reported aa it was, of course we dont want confrontation and heat of the moment I can understand getting a bit tongue tied

a simple " i showed a red, i am duty bound to report the red" is all thats needed, hopefully in a vain attempt to depersonalise the affair.
 
davlon said:
was wondering more about whether it is worth reporting or not.
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Might as well, the worst thing that can happen is they're not interested and won't take action.

If that person has form for doing this though, it'll be incentive for further punishment. If he doesn't, it'll be a nice reminder for him to stop doing it.


Anyway, wait until you get one of these requests on the field of play! They tie themselves in knots trying to justify a change of cards when it happens.
 
davlon said:
So.. in my adults match at the weekend, I ended up sending one coach off (who was acting as my CAR) for OFFINABUS.

After the match he was very apologetic then asked whether I'd consider putting it through as a yellow instead as he also coached youth football and didn't want to miss cup finals. Not being the confrontational type, I said something along the lines of "I'll see" (gutless, I know). I'm not going to lie, I did consider it, thinking along the lines of not wanting the youth team to miss out but have come to the conclusion that it's a slippery slope.

Now my actual question is this.. Should these requests be reported to the league / on whole game, or do we just brush them off? I'm finding that I often get asked whether I am going to put cards through (especially at youth league matches) but this is my first being asked to change it.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't bother mentioning that he requested that, but the dismissal is there to stay. Otherwise he might do the same thing in the Cup Final. That should give him enough time to think for future to not behave in such manner. I have been asked a few times not to put cautions through or to downgrade to a caution from a dismissal, but always replied:"Sorry, unfortunately I will not be able to do that!"
On the other hand you never know who else might be present there on the day (FA official) and you'd screw yourself trying to do something for someone who does not deserve that.

I remember recently about a coach I have dismissed 2 years ago seeing him being sent off in 2 other games by different officials. It looks like he has not learnt anything and maybe bans should be longer for repetitive offenders.
 
If he asks nicely I'll very politely decline with the comment that 'no sorry that won't be possible I'm afraid.'

If he continues to press the point that's when I'll be telling him firmly that he needs to drop it, or I'll be adding an additional report in.
 
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A few years ago, when I was working at a County FA, we were forwarded a complaint about a referee having sent a player off for violent conduct, yet according to Full-Time said player had played in the team's next three matches. Turned out that the referee had been persuaded not to send in the red card, and the club assumed this meant their player was in the clear. The player was charged with three counts of playing whilst under suspension, and the club with three counts of allowing the player to play whilst under suspension. Two of the three games were cup matches, so the league kicked the team out of both cups, as well as deducting the three points from the league game, and docked them a further three points.

Oh, not to mention that the referee was charged by his own CFA for failing to report the red card, and got suspended.

Thankfully at the level I'm at now no-one is daft enough to even bother asking the question, but if I do get asked I point out that I am potentially leaving myself open to being suspended myself if I don't send it in.
 
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