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Junior/Youth Sin Bins In Academy Football?

H

Harv

New Member
Hello everyone,

I've just begun refereeing and have been assigned games for youth academy football. In a conversation with another referee who officiates academy matches, he mentioned they don't use sin bins and instead issue yellow cards for dissent. Can anyone confirm if this is accurate? I'm having trouble finding a clear answer.
 
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Harv said:
Hello everyone,

I've just begun refereeing and have been assigned games for youth academy football. In a conversation with another referee who officiates academy matches, he mentioned they don't use sin bins and instead issue yellow cards for dissent. Can anyone confirm if this is accurate? I'm having trouble finding a clear answer.
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A lot of the time academies do friendlies (not always). They do this because they want to try out a lot of players and get through them. In my experience academies are calm, and the coaches crack down on dissent very well. So treat the benches a little like how you might treat a captain.

If I need to book for dissent I caution them not sin bin. If I think someone is trying it on again, I tell the bench, and the player is swiftly hooked off, logic behind this is the academy hardly want to be assessing 10 v 11. They want their opponents and themselves at full strength.

Generally I just try to keep a good relationship with the academy. Unless they ask me to do league fixture or something, then it is league rules.

Typically means sin bins are in play. So act accordingly.
 
Yes they are exempt:
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I think this is because academies are (mostly) run py professional clubs who play in the top 4/5 tiers. Step 5 is tier 9 overall. I don't know if it is still Step 5 and below or if it is Step 3/4 now but it definitely isn't academies.
 
“Not wanting to play 10 vs 11” is a minefield.

I send a lad off in an academy-style friendly between the u20 and u17 teams of a well known team. Then I had both benches asking to keep it 11 vs 11. I said no. Slippery slope. If they didn’t want the LotG to be applied they shouldn’t have asked the league to provide a trio officials.
 
santa sangria said:
“Not wanting to play 10 vs 11” is a minefield.

I send a lad off in an academy-style friendly between the u20 and u17 teams of a well known team. Then I had both benches asking to keep it 11 vs 11. I said no. Slippery slope. If they didn’t want the LotG to be applied they shouldn’t have asked the league to provide a trio officials.
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exactly !!!
 
There's a directive from the EFL for Academy football between U9-U16 to have no cards shown during games and enforced substitutions to be in place.

All games played on a friendly basis and no results to be published externally. I've attached the Matchday Provisions pack if that helps (and is relevant to your clubs)
 

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  • Matchday Provisions 2023.24 (1).pdf
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JA1989 said:
There's a directive from the EFL for Academy football between U9-U16 to have no cards shown during games and enforced substitutions to be in place.

All games played on a friendly basis and no results to be published externally. I've attached the Matchday Provisions pack if that helps (and is relevant to your clubs)
Click to expand...
Interesting that it only says for Cat 3 Academy Games, is there anything for Cat 1 or Cat 2?
 
JA1989 said:
There's a directive from the EFL for Academy football between U9-U16 to have no cards shown during games and enforced substitutions to be in place.

All games played on a friendly basis and no results to be published externally. I've attached the Matchday Provisions pack if that helps (and is relevant to your clubs)
Click to expand...
Not sure what sort of football works on a non card system, I wouldn't enjoy to be in the middle for that...
 
BCMilan said:
If they are only on a friendly basis, they should ref it themselves then. They either want a qualified ref to do the job properly, or they don't !
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Think this is the most sensible suggestion.

"We want qualified officials, but we want to be able to dictate our own rules" (purposely used the word rules here and not laws).

I'm sure there are many on here that have reffed Academy games and have enjoyed the experience, I imagine the level of talent is impressive.

However, to me it seems like it makes it seemingly impossible for referees to have any level of authority, enforce the correct laws, as well as for players to learn from their mistakes.

A couple of scenarios I can think of;
  • A player commits a red card offence, instead of going through the character building and learning process of being dismissed, they are simply substituted and then get to play again next week.

  • Surely this also goes against the respect campaign, as again makes it really difficult to clamp down on dissent, being subbed off for dissent and told "don't do that again" doesn't wash for me. Surely the learning aspect of the sin bin is the impact it has on your fellow team mates and the potential result.
I assume Academies don't use sin bins because this reflects the laws in the professional game (that they are aspiring to) and not the amateur/grassroots laws.
 
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