Showing the wrong card

[Duncan Francis]

I find it hard to believe that some of you on here don't consider being called a ***** a straight red. Why do you allow yourselves to be abused like that ?

 

[HoofItYouDonkey]

I agree with the Cap'n and B'stard here. The context, the manner in which it is said and the frequency with which it is said all have to come into play. If a player responds quickly and one time after a decision is made with a "F*ck off" he'll get a sharp warning from me and if it happens again, he will go into the book, but I'm not aiming to send anyone off for having a quick, impassioned response when there's nothing particularly threatening about it. Now, if it's a fifteen second diatribe from the player, he will probably be walking. Just a quick response like "F*ck off that was never a foul ref" will meet with a public chat involving: "Whether you think it was a foul or not, I won't be abused. Mind your mouth next time and we won't have a problem."

I had one Saturday, an impulsive "F**k Off, ref" after I gave a foul. I gave the bloke a warning. A non-impulsive "F**k Off, ref" and he's on his bike.

 

[Top man in the parish]

Back in the dark ages when I took up refereeing, I was given some advice regarding (what was then foul OR abusive language) of which no strict or definitive list has ever been produced by The FA, even after morphing into Offensive, Insulting or Abusive language as it now exists.

PERSONAL
PROVOCATIVE
PUBLIC

Perm any 2 from those 3 = red card.

33 years later, still works well