A&H

U14s swearing

S

Scottybee

Member
Level 7 Referee
U14s yellow vs blue, blue player tackled and feels he’s fouled by yellow defender I don’t agree and it’s play on, blue player shouts at defender “you C.nt” loud enough for some parents on the sidelines to hear. I stop game. As I’m walking over to him half my brains saying straight Red offinabus, other half saying I don’t want to be sending a 13 year old off so I give a yellow USB and a good talking too. His coach chooses to take him straight off also.

later in game yellow keeper gets his team out of a defensive crisis and shouts at his team to “fu..ing sort it out” I have a public word with him - no card.
A blue player takes exception to this perceived double standards and talks his way into the sinbin followed by red for further swearing at me.

I tried explaining to him there are different levels of swearing and also context/who it’s aimed at are important factors (evidenced by the fact I didn’t yellow card 3 of his players for shouting “fu..ing get in there” when they had earlier scored an equaliser)

obviously any of this sort of language from 13 year olds is disgusting so I left the game thinking I should of gone red with the first C bomb, pulled the captain’s in to send a message to their teams any further swearing will be sanctioned?

thoughts and advice pls all
 
The Referee Store
The issue is you are trying to sell this because it's 'swearing'. There is nothing in law about swearing. Call It what it is and deal with it accordingly.

Food for thought. How do you justify sending someone off for swearing at you but not swearing at another player. Keep the lotg in mind.
 
Scottybee said:
U14s yellow vs blue, blue player tackled and feels he’s fouled by yellow defender I don’t agree and it’s play on, blue player shouts at defender “you C.nt” loud enough for some parents on the sidelines to hear. I stop game. As I’m walking over to him half my brains saying straight Red offinabus, other half saying I don’t want to be sending a 13 year old off so I give a yellow USB and a good talking too. His coach chooses to take him straight off also.

later in game yellow keeper gets his team out of a defensive crisis and shouts at his team to “fu..ing sort it out” I have a public word with him - no card.
A blue player takes exception to this perceived double standards and talks his way into the sinbin followed by red for further swearing at me.

I tried explaining to him there are different levels of swearing and also context/who it’s aimed at are important factors (evidenced by the fact I didn’t yellow card 3 of his players for shouting “fu..ing get in there” when they had earlier scored an equaliser)

obviously any of this sort of language from 13 year olds is disgusting so I left the game thinking I should of gone red with the first C bomb, pulled the captain’s in to send a message to their teams any further swearing will be sanctioned?

thoughts and advice pls all
Click to expand...

As alluded to in another thread, "swearing" as and of itself cannot be sanctioned. It's the manner and context in which the language is delivered that is key. If it's not (in your opinion) Offensive, Insulting or Abusive then let it go. ;)
 
  • Like
Reactions: one
I had a very similar incident last week. I sent an U14 player off for calling opposing player a "ginger c@nt", it wasn't an instant reaction either, foul that i blew the whistle for so he had about 10-15 seconds to think as i checked the injured player then pulled him to one side to have a word, before i could open my mouth out it came. My response was "sorry pal, but we cant be having that" "off you go". The player accepted it and so did his coach, the assistant coach (who was his father tried to defend him by saying that "the injured player said 'arsehole'" as he was holding his foot in pain so his sons outburst was justified and that also the lad had a ginger sister.
 
Scottybee said:
U14s yellow vs blue, blue player tackled and feels he’s fouled by yellow defender I don’t agree and it’s play on, blue player shouts at defender “you C.nt” loud enough for some parents on the sidelines to hear. I stop game. As I’m walking over to him half my brains saying straight Red offinabus, other half saying I don’t want to be sending a 13 year old off so I give a yellow USB and a good talking too. His coach chooses to take him straight off also.

later in game yellow keeper gets his team out of a defensive crisis and shouts at his team to “fu..ing sort it out” I have a public word with him - no card.
A blue player takes exception to this perceived double standards and talks his way into the sinbin followed by red for further swearing at me.

I tried explaining to him there are different levels of swearing and also context/who it’s aimed at are important factors (evidenced by the fact I didn’t yellow card 3 of his players for shouting “fu..ing get in there” when they had earlier scored an equaliser)

obviously any of this sort of language from 13 year olds is disgusting so I left the game thinking I should of gone red with the first C bomb, pulled the captain’s in to send a message to their teams any further swearing will be sanctioned?

thoughts and advice pls all
Click to expand...

Offensive, Insulting or Abusive Language or Behaviour is the send off offence.

My opinion - shouting "You C***" at someone ticks all 3 boxes, so it's a clear Red Card offence.

Also my opinion - shouting "F***ing sort it out" is does not tick any of the boxes for OFFINABUS. In the context you've described the only offences it COULD fall under are either Showing a lack of respect for the game or dissent (but only in my view if you've already issued public warnings on the subject of language. Even then it can be a contentious sell and you really have to set the player up for it first.
 
Justylove said:
Also my opinion - shouting "F***ing sort it out" is does not tick any of the boxes for OFFINABUS. In the context you've described the only offences it COULD fall under are either Showing a lack of respect for the game or dissent (but only in my view if you've already issued public warnings on the subject of language. Even then it can be a contentious sell and you really have to set the player up for it first.
Click to expand...

USB for sure, but not dissent ... ;)
 
Justylove said:
Offensive, Insulting or Abusive Language or Behaviour is the send off offence.

My opinion - shouting "You C***" at someone ticks all 3 boxes, so it's a clear Red Card offence.

Also my opinion - shouting "F***ing sort it out" is does not tick any of the boxes for OFFINABUS. In the context you've described the only offences it COULD fall under are either Showing a lack of respect for the game or dissent (but only in my view if you've already issued public warnings on the subject of language. Even then it can be a contentious sell and you really have to set the player up for it first.
Click to expand...
Venue and context are important - using the F-word in a game in a barracks in Aldershot is one context, a player shouting it in a public park with ladies and children passing is another.
Two grounds of the latter kind have been visited by police requested by the residents whose gardens border the park, and football was stopped at those grounds as a result. The referees had totally ignored the offensive language.
In my son's second season, when he was 15, an 11-year-old told him loudly to "F**k off, ref"
My son walked across and said to the player "Shall we pretend I didn't hear that?"
The reply was "I said 'F**k off, ref"
Red card, followed by an unsuccessful appeal.
 
I did a u14 youth game last weekend and was called ”a f*cking pr*ck“ by a player so he was given a straight red.

Someone confronted me after the game and wanted to know why I sent him off. I asked him who he was and he told me that he was the boy’s dad. To his credit he made the boy apologise to me in front of his team but he tried to defend it by saying it was said at another player rather than me. Funny he didn’t say that when I had a word with him and sent him off on the pitch!
 
Mada said:
I did a u14 youth game last weekend and was called ”a f*cking pr*ck“ by a player so he was given a straight red.

Someone confronted me after the game and wanted to know why I sent him off. I asked him who he was and he told me that he was the boy’s dad. To his credit he made the boy apologise to me in front of his team but he tried to defend it by saying it was said at another player rather than me. Funny he didn’t say that when I had a word with him and sent him off on the pitch!
Click to expand...
I also sent someone off for calling me a p***k. It was an OA game. Player, to his credit was very apologetic, but as I said to him, I am not there to be called that, and it was a red because it was a personal verbal attack on me and shouted straight in my face too. His team mates asked me "why have you sent him off ref?!" I said, I am not here to be called a "p***k" mate. They agreed.

His dad was the manager and we had a good chat about it at half time - and to their credit they agreed with my decision. I am pretty thick skinned, but I don't want a new, 16 year old ref going to the game next week with players thinking it is ok to speak to people like that.

In the past when I have done U16 and under, I have always said if you are big enough to swear at someone, you are big enough for the consequences of that.

In terms of YC to RC for me, if it is a personal insult like p***k, c**t, w****r that is said directly towards me, they will walk. If players are using grotesque language towards each other, I will be having a word in the first instance, and escalating depending on the severity. Absolutely agree with @ChasTutorObserver .

I would like to see it penalised more at the top level, but I think with the background noise etc. it is often not heard, but also, it is not often foul language directed directly at officials, but more when they walk off having a sulk.
 
sorry but u should have a word with him and the captain to tell him any more of that langues and ur off ............ but as u gave him or she a yellow then u should of given a red
 
for swearing and useing the c word if ur not going to have a chat and ur going to pull a card then red it should be letter of the law saids red
 
gaygus91 said:
for swearing and useing the c word if ur not going to have a chat and ur going to pull a card then red it should be letter of the law saids red
Click to expand...
Tbh, I agree that you will pull a card....

However, letter of the law says if it is “using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or gestures” It doesn’t say swearing is an automatic red which is what I am inferring from you.
 
Justylove said:
Offensive, Insulting or Abusive Language or Behaviour is the send off offence.

My opinion - shouting "You C***" at someone ticks all 3 boxes, so it's a clear Red Card offence.

Also my opinion - shouting "F***ing sort it out" is does not tick any of the boxes for OFFINABUS. In the context you've described the only offences it COULD fall under are either Showing a lack of respect for the game or dissent (but only in my view if you've already issued public warnings on the subject of language. Even then it can be a contentious sell and you really have to set the player up for it first.
Click to expand...

Offensive language is always "in the opinion of the referee" but, as JL alluded to:

The C-word is pejorative and derogatory - it's an insulting slur. And it's misogyny (insulting to women).
The f-ing word is "just" swearing.

I think it's easy to give a red card for OFFINABUS for the C-bomb - especially in youth football, anywhere on the field.

The "f-ing" word though - all about context - where it is delivered, how, tone, who to. For a red card though, "f-ing" probably has to be accompanied by something else offensive/insulting/abusive or very aggressive.
 
  • Like
Reactions: one
Where you are in the world is important too. Send someone off for swearing in Liverpool leagues and you might not make it home.
 
  • Like
Reactions: one
JamesL said:
Where you are in the world is important too. Send someone off for swearing in Liverpool leagues and you might not make it to the end of the game.
Click to expand...
Fixed for you. Even same city, different areas. And it's the same down under.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top