Kes
I'll Decide ...
I don't do many youth matches. Nearly all my fixtures are adult ones and I prefer it that way.
Was asked to referee an U15's match at the weekend and did so. The match itself was a pretty one-sided affair but something occurred during it which was new to me so obviously I feel compelled to share it here in the hope of garnering useful feedback.
Twenty minutes in. Player through on goal into the penalty area, casually dribbles the ball around the floundering goalkeeper but slightly loses control of the ball which gives said goalkeeper that extra second to scramble back and bring down the player quite deliberately with his arms. The player had by this time regained control of the ball and was about to sidefoot it into an empty net. Definite penalty, definite DOGSO. No question.
After blowing for the penalty, I call the( grinning) goalkeeper over to me and explain to him that his foul play has prevented a goal being scored and proceed to take his name before showing him a red card. His reaction was one of complete amazement. "Aren't you going to just yellow card me then ref?" he said. I explained to him that his offence was an automatic red card and that he should leave the field.
Another player then exchanged jersey and gloves with him and took over in goal for the penalty which was duly scored. As I walked back to the centre circle, the dismissed player's coach called me over and enquired as to why I hadn't just shown their goalkeeper a yellow "as is normal for youth games" and/or just simply insisted that he be substituted instead rather than send him off? I replied to him that I'd acted according to the LOTG and that if any "special rule" regarding Law 12 offences for youth matches existed for this particular league, then I hadn't been made aware of it. The coach seemed to think that there was some sort of unspoken rule that players in youth matches weren't ever sent off but rather were cautioned and then subjected to compulsory substitution by their coach at the request of the referee. (?) He walked away shaking his head, as did I.
Before I contact the league in question and enquire, has anybody else ever encountered something similar with youth or indeed any other leagues/matches?
Was asked to referee an U15's match at the weekend and did so. The match itself was a pretty one-sided affair but something occurred during it which was new to me so obviously I feel compelled to share it here in the hope of garnering useful feedback.
Twenty minutes in. Player through on goal into the penalty area, casually dribbles the ball around the floundering goalkeeper but slightly loses control of the ball which gives said goalkeeper that extra second to scramble back and bring down the player quite deliberately with his arms. The player had by this time regained control of the ball and was about to sidefoot it into an empty net. Definite penalty, definite DOGSO. No question.
After blowing for the penalty, I call the( grinning) goalkeeper over to me and explain to him that his foul play has prevented a goal being scored and proceed to take his name before showing him a red card. His reaction was one of complete amazement. "Aren't you going to just yellow card me then ref?" he said. I explained to him that his offence was an automatic red card and that he should leave the field.
Another player then exchanged jersey and gloves with him and took over in goal for the penalty which was duly scored. As I walked back to the centre circle, the dismissed player's coach called me over and enquired as to why I hadn't just shown their goalkeeper a yellow "as is normal for youth games" and/or just simply insisted that he be substituted instead rather than send him off? I replied to him that I'd acted according to the LOTG and that if any "special rule" regarding Law 12 offences for youth matches existed for this particular league, then I hadn't been made aware of it. The coach seemed to think that there was some sort of unspoken rule that players in youth matches weren't ever sent off but rather were cautioned and then subjected to compulsory substitution by their coach at the request of the referee. (?) He walked away shaking his head, as did I.
Before I contact the league in question and enquire, has anybody else ever encountered something similar with youth or indeed any other leagues/matches?