Scorecards

[GraemeS]

In England, at all levels below National League Premier, referees are expected to follow a set cautioning procedure. That involves isolating the player, asking or confirming their name, telling them they are being cautioned, showing the card, and warning about their future conduct.

So how does that relate to match cards? It means that you need to be able to record the cautioned player's name, taking just a number isn't viewed as acceptable. If you have team sheets you could write down all of the names before the game, but you are relying on getting the team sheets in sufficient time to do this. In reality you often won't have time at grass roots, and might be lucky to get them 5 minutes before kick off. Another option is just taking the first name, then matching this to the number of the team sheet after. The safest way is to take the full name at the time of the caution.

The other thing to bear in mind is team sheets are much more likely to be accurate the higher the level of football you go. At levels where a club secretary fills them in there is a high likelihood they are accurate. When they are being filled in by a player on the touchline 5 minutes before kick off that probability of them being accurate diminishes significantly. And that is why taking or confirming the name is important: if you report the caution as Dave Jones and the actual offender is Roberto Zanetti you aren't going to be the most popular person at your CFA, as it will be abundantly clear that you didn't follow the correct procedure.

Taking names on the field does nothing to solve that issue. If a manager is capable of writing "Dave Jones" next to the shirt number of Roberto Zanetti, he's also perfectly capable of reminding Robert that his name is Dave Jones for the day.

All the name-taking caution procedure does is force the referee to spend more time with and interact more with a player who's probably annoyed to be booked. When you give a contentious penalty, the best advice you can give is to not loiter by the penalty spot - move away and that way anyone who's following you to complain is clearly dissenting. If you decide to give a contentious caution? You're obliged to engage the player. Best case scenario that player just wants to get back in position - worst case you're inviting him over to give you an earful and are then required to patronisingly ask for their name. Either way, you're annoying them unnecessarily.

There's a reason PL refs often flash a card and run away - because that's by far the best and cleanest way of dealing with a difficult caution. It's archaic that grassroots refs are forbidden from a perfectly sensible change in leagues where team sheets exist.

 

[zarathustra]

I appreciate that new referees need to master the basics, I.e. proper caution/dismissal procedure and team work and communication without relying on buzzer flags etc.

But, for me, in a league where team sheets are used and given to the referee before the game, providing each player has a number against them, if the referee books someone just taking their number and the name is wrong then that should be the clubs issue to deal with.

As pointed out by @GraemeS taking a players name doesn’t mean the name they give is correct, if the club field an ineligible player the only way to know is if we examined player registration cards etc before the game.

 

[Anubis]

I appreciate that new referees need to master the basics, I.e. proper caution/dismissal procedure and team work and communication without relying on buzzer flags etc.

But, for me, in a league where team sheets are used and given to the referee before the game, providing each player has a number against them, if the referee books someone just taking their number and the name is wrong then that should be the clubs issue to deal with.

As pointed out by @GraemeS taking a players name doesn’t mean the name they give is correct, if the club field an ineligible player the only way to know is if we examined player registration cards etc before the game.

This has always been and will always be my stance, at every level, in any game

Am cautioning number 5, I dont care who that may be, its number 5

if the team sheet is found to be incorrect, thats an admin issue between club and league, fa or whoever

A lot of refereeing is stuck in, " this is how its done", just cos

Agree there are basics to learn, but when am watching, if the referee demonstrates the correct caution procedure, am content, if he then goes to on flash the next 2 cautions, or, prevents mass confrontation by flashing a red instead of doing the procedure, am more than content

 

[RobOda]

I don't know Comet. We use a program called Gameday for entry of results/cautions/scorers and another called Schedula for letting everyone know what games they have been allocated. It's all very easy, and totally paper free.

Ah, ours is comet which is basically both of those apps combined into one I guess. Games allocated via comet, and then we put the discipline/result in via that post-match as well. Mobile app and PC versions, all paper free as well.

Not ideal in places with no signal though!

 

[RustyRef]

I wasn't suggesting that taking the name stops a false name from being given, as clearly it doesn't. But it does stop the problem where the harassed captain or manager has accidentally written number 6 next to Bill Smith when he was actually wearing number 7. Consequently you have cautioned number 6 and reported Bill Smith for it, but you actually cautioned David Jones, and a quick check of the name at the caution would have prevented this. Yes, it is the club's fault for the mistake, but you will get part of the blame as it will be clear to your RDO that you haven't followed the correct procedure. It creates extra work for CFA staff, and no one likes extra work.

At step 1 and above it will be extremely rare for the numbers to be wrong on team sheets, at grass roots it is very common. I don't agree with the requirement to tell them they are being cautioned as that will be abundantly clear when you shove the yellow card up his nose, nor telling them what it is for as 99% of times that will be obvious, and warning them about their future conduct is arguably a bit pointless as the yellow card does that. And to be honest observers won't be looking for that anyway, but they will be looking for an actual conversation with the player, and they certainly will be sharpening their pencils if you flash the card from a distance (unless it can be argued it was done to prevent a potential flashpoint).

There's also a risk of flashing cards, which I have seen happen, and that is that the player doesn't realise it was aimed at them. You then give them another and all hell breaks loose when the second yellow leads to a red card, you will have everyone telling you that you have made a mistake and written the wrong number down the first time. Another risk is if you have neutral assistants, if they can't be sure who you have cautioned they can't bail you out if you do a Graham Poll and issue another yellow without a subsequent red. Not a problem at step 1 and above as they have comms kit so assistants can ask if they aren't sure. I've certainly been on the line, before flashing cards at contrib and panel was banned, and I haven't had a Scooby who the referee has cautioned.

 

[Dan56]

Here in Western Australia we use team sheets, entered online by clubs pre match, and when we caution or dismiss a player we merely show the card and make a note of their number. This is at all levels, including grassroots. We have never had any problem with it, and clubs know that if they made a mistake in allocating numbers then it's their fault. I find this far easier than having to get an excitable or angry player to give their name.. I know, because if we book a team official we need to ask the name, and twice when I have done it it has been tricky. As for the danger of flashing cards, we are taught that we still need to eyeball player and explain what the card was for.

 

[PinnerPaul]

As many have said, competition rules will state what information should be provided to you AND what you are expected to provide back to the league post game. YMMV significantly based on the competition.

Having said that, the baseline for what you need to provide back is names of players that you've cautioned or sent off.

Team sheets are a good way of being able to double check names of players you've had to sanction, but should not replace the right cautioning method.

Names of subs are good to have (some leagues want you to advise on subs on a match card.

The things I write down every game (regardless of standard):

Team names
Team colours
Manager names (useful if you have to speak to them at all)
Captain names and number
Who is kicking off first

The rest will vary depending on my role in the game.

I'm sure you know this but names of subs are actually a LOTG requirement and not down to the comp.