This one will divide opinion...

[RegalRef]

Last RA meeting there was some intense debate about a particular scenario, and one that I was met with at a game yesterday. Interested to see how others view it.

The question is this; you see a player or players urinating in the bushes before a game.

Do you act and if so how?

 

[DaveMac]

If I thought this happened pre game I was probably mistaken, and by the time I've looked in that direction again a few minutes later said player will have gone.

No chance I'm pulling anyone up for this as I've had to do it in the past. When you're stuck in a field in the middle of nowhere with no facilities what other options are there?

 

[SM]

Quickly erect an electric fence in front of them...

That'll learn 'em

 

[RegalRef]

Had the same situation yesterday.

Cut them a little slack as the changing rooms were literally 20 miles away, but decided a firm word and threat of caution for next offender would be enough. There were no additional offenders.

Used it to my advantage to assert control from the start which it definitely did, but can imagine it having the opposite effect if it came to issuing cautions. Although obviously wouldn't have a problem doing so if one of them had tested my resolve after the warning.

 

[Isaac]

No chance would I say something. As a player I almost always have a wee in a bush before the game. If I got booked for it me and my team mates would loose all respect for the ref

Also I have occasionally had to do it whilst reffing.

 

[CapnBloodbeard]

I don't see any particular concern here. It may be a little unpleasant, but it's fairly common. Some things just don't ask for the referee's intervention.

 

[Padfoot]

How about where the CFA issues an instruction that players seen doing this should be reported?

 

[Peter Grove]

How about where the CFA issues an instruction that players seen doing this should be reported?

Then I would report them.

 

[Tealeaf]

Firmly in the don't go looking for trouble camp.

They're doing it in the bushes? Provocative statement (debate causing) but suggests they're trying to be discreet.

 

[Kes]

None of the referee's business.
If, as Padfoot has said, a CFA directive exists for reporting such "incidents" then fine, report it after the match, but the incident itself is innocuous enough to have no bearing on the outcome of the football match and certainly doesn't require involving yourself with prior to the game.
Any referee that did, (in my opinion of course) would stamp his card as an overly officious spoonhead before the whistle and would (I'm guessing) reap the benefit of that for the 90 minutes that followed.....

 

[Charlie Jones]

well I suppose one things for sure, we cant relate to the premier league officials for it! haha

 

[lincs22]

The question is this; you see a player or players urinating in the bushes before a game.

I recall an incident from 25-30 years ago at RAF Binbrook in Lincs. The pitch was in front of the RAF on-site family houses and the changing rooms were again miles away. On the top of the Wolds, there were no bushes for cover.

A player urinated away from the pitch. Match played, no incidents.
Following week, letter via the CFA and league, from the Senior Officer of the RAF base demanding to know what had happened and why nothing done.
The player had done it in sight of the CO's wife.....

Warning was issued to all clubs, players and referees - a repeat offence would result in a civil charge against all concerned as you were technically on MoD land

 

[Kes]

I recall an incident from 25-30 years ago at RAF Binbrook in Lincs. The pitch was in front of the RAF on-site family houses and the changing rooms were again miles away. On the top of the Wolds, there were no bushes for cover.

A player urinated away from the pitch. Match played, no incidents.
Following week, letter via the CFA and league, from the Senior Officer of the RAF base demanding to know what had happened and why nothing done.
The player had done it in sight of the CO's wife.....

Warning was issued to all clubs, players and referees - a repeat offence would result in a civil charge against all concerned as you were technically on MoD land

Miserable old cow.

(The complaint was probably really from the CO himself after becoming sick of his wife talking about how he lied to her for 20 years and how thrilled she'd been that day).

 

[RegalRef]

I recall an incident from 25-30 years ago at RAF Binbrook in Lincs. The pitch was in front of the RAF on-site family houses and the changing rooms were again miles away. On the top of the Wolds, there were no bushes for cover.

A player urinated away from the pitch. Match played, no incidents.
Following week, letter via the CFA and league, from the Senior Officer of the RAF base demanding to know what had happened and why nothing done.
The player had done it in sight of the CO's wife.....

Warning was issued to all clubs, players and referees - a repeat offence would result in a civil charge against all concerned as you were technically on MoD land

Just to drip feed the final piece of information from the tale - during the discussion at the RA meeting (chair of my RA being quite senior in referee circles within the county, so I do trust his statement as fact) 3 referees within Cheshire have apparently been suspended so far this season for the same thing.

Thoughts?

 

[Kes]

Just to drip feed the final piece of information from the tale - during the discussion at the RA meeting (chair of my RA being quite senior in referee circles within the county, so I do trust his statement as fact) 3 referees within Cheshire have apparently been suspended so far this season for the same thing.

Thoughts?

Wow, that's pretty severe.
Is there a county directive that they should have been aware of, giving instruction that this urinating thing was to be clamped down on?

 

[Mooseybaby]

Just to expand on the subject....

Whilst public decency dictates players are discreet, at what age of the player does this become offensive?

Players having a p in the bushes/trees/against the fence etc is regular occurrence at all levels especially kids/youth level and often the sight of a line of players taking a pre-match/half time p draws nothing more than a few laughs from spectators/parents.

 

[jofusref]

looking at your watch/ notebook didnt see a thing, not the referees problem

 

[DaveMac]

Just to drip feed the final piece of information from the tale - during the discussion at the RA meeting (chair of my RA being quite senior in referee circles within the county, so I do trust his statement as fact) 3 referees within Cheshire have apparently been suspended so far this season for the same thing.

Thoughts?

Wow they must have a real abundance of refs to be looking to get rid of some for something like that.

 

[SM]

I remember being told when I started by a colleague that a player peeing publicly by the side of the pitch was a straight red offinabus (if memory serves).

A referee who may or not be me has come across this situation many times usually on isolated pitches, a distance from a toilet, man and a dog spectating. Not one card produced because it is asking for unnecessary problems.

If it was a more public place though or had houses or spectators nearby. Different story. But that situation has never arisen. Usually because there is a toilet nearby!!

 

[Russell Jones]

Just to drip feed the final piece of information from the tale - during the discussion at the RA meeting (chair of my RA being quite senior in referee circles within the county, so I do trust his statement as fact) 3 referees within Cheshire have apparently been suspended so far this season for the same thing.

Thoughts?

Wow, that seems like a significant over-reaction unless there's been prior communication to that effect.

Frankly I think the County FA are just taking the piss