A&H

Swearing incident

B

bradjolly

New Member
Level 7 Referee
I had a youth (U18) game today. It was quite a feisty, close game that ended 1-1. It had four yellows and one red - and I'm not a card happy referee by any means.

It is the red card incident I would like to share for clarity. I'd like to see what users on here would have done.

Late in the first half, there has been one bad tackle in the game so far. Player A is fouled. It is a foul, nothing more. He reacts by squaring up and pushing Player B so I am whistling furiously. I am five yards away btw.

Player A then shouts loudly (enough for everyone on pitch and in dugouts, which were right by the incident too, to hear): "F*ck off, you c*nt" at Player B right in his face. From what I had heard and seen, this was purely in reaction to the tackle, which I had given a foul for anyway.

Obviously you can only give what you see and hear so I sent Player A off for foul and abusive language. To which, their management erupt.

They later claimed at FT the red was harsh and that there was lots of swearing during the game and I was "listening to a different game". There were one or two times a player would swear in frustration after missing a shot or unhappy with a pass etc but nothing abusive AT anyone else. I have always been told not to caution or red card for this because it is in frustration. Does anyone manage them types of situations differently?

I also had a spectator say at the end they were unhappy with the amount of swearing (in frustration) in the game and that there were children and women nearby and watching and I needed to do more to stamp this out but as I say the only FOUL and ABUSIVE language I heard was the Player A incident.

So was I too harsh? What would have you done? Thanks
 
The Referee Store
Player A's outburst was not simultaneous with the challenge, therefore it can't really be classed as frustration. Also he uses one of the magic c words. Dismissal all day long. By the way the offence is offensive, insulting and abusive language and/or gestures
 
Sounds right for the red
About the ambiance of the game, hard to say anything as we weren't there, in your opinion, was it too much frustration swearing ? Never been in that situation but if I were, I'd say I'd call the two captains, maybe with the coaches as well and say to them that it's enough swearing for the day and anyone who would express his frustration by swearing will expect a caution. But again, I imagine here a game with a really abnormal level of swearing
 
Are you expecting one of the 7 caution code or that i'll try to make up a sub-code that doesn't exist where I'm from ?
 
Yacinho said:
Are you expecting one of the 7 caution code or that i'll try to make up a sub-code that doesn't exist where I'm from ?
Click to expand...

it's just that there is, arguably, no halfway house (caution) for offinabus. Perhaps our disrespecting the game usb does the job
 
Red cardfor swearing at another player, not at you? From what I've read?

I've never sent aplayer off fo rswearing at another player - only player-on-player verbals I've ever sent off for are when someone told an Aisan player to '**** off and eat a curry' (racism).

Is this a common occurence? I'd be slauightered I feel for that.
 
Most definite sending off for foul and abusive language...... In my mens match today i noticed another match just starting on next pitch, it was ( by the looks of it) a U10 match with parents and children watching. I said to both teams that i didn't want any swearing especially the " C" word and pointed out the match on the next pitch. I did get two frustrated not too loud ' F ' s but both players apologised. Not much in the way of sanctions if they did start swearing though.... i just made them aware of parents and young children on the next pitch so i was not put in the position of dealing with angry parents.
 
Last edited:
haywain said:
it's just that there is, arguably, no halfway house (caution) for offinabus. Perhaps our disrespecting the game usb does the job
Click to expand...
Disagree with this - it could be USB. USB covers pretty much anything we want.

Swearing incidents are a bit tricky - swearing is pretty much a part of the game now. I don't care for the 'spectator' argument either. Don't want to hear swearing? Go somewhere else.

But there's always a level where everybody knows the line has been crossed. It's usually a mix of volume and the words used. The 'c' word is generally particularly bad.

I think it's one of those situations where any decision could be correct, just depends on what you think is acceptable for that match and game.

One of those things where the level of play probably has an impact upon what's acceptable.
 
CapnBloodbeard said:
Disagree with this - it could be USB. USB covers pretty much anything we want.

Swearing incidents are a bit tricky - swearing is pretty much a part of the game now. I don't care for the 'spectator' argument either. Don't want to hear swearing? Go somewhere else.
Click to expand...

already reeling from the fact that you disagree with me...before agreeing with me, you then appear to argue that parents watching their little darlings on an adjacent pitch should 'go somewhere else' because of your apparent refereeing inadequecy and social irresponsibility

Ok, you didn't imply that last bit but that's what I took from your argument ;)
 
CapnBloodbeard said:
I don't care for the 'spectator' argument either. Don't want to hear swearing? Go somewhere else.
Click to expand...
I don't think it is fair to ask other users of a public park to "go somewhere else" if they are offended by loud swearing. Several of the pitches that I referee on are next to childrens' playgrounds and I will ask teams to try not to swear and point out the reason. Almost always get the same reaction as mikedn - the occasional frustrated expletive followed by an apology.
 
As a parent, and paying for my child to play in a team i would expect to be able to watch my son/daughter playing, if there was loud continuous swearing on another pitch its not the sort of language i would expect my child to hear so i would expect some referee control there...... I done it yesterday (told them not to swear loudly)....and the players respected that.....
 
mikedn said:
As a parent, and paying for my child to play in a team i would expect to be able to watch my son/daughter playing, if there was loud continuous swearing on another pitch its not the sort of language i would expect my child to hear so i would expect some referee control there...... I done it yesterday (told them not to swear loudly)....and the players respected that.....
Click to expand...

That's the key point, players do usually respect that. I regularly ref U18's games on a pitch next to a mini-soccer pitch; a quick word about language before the game is usually all that's required.

Why should parents who come to watch their young children play, or the children themselves for that matter, have to listen to incessant swearing from the next pitch?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top