So I was working an employee tournament for a company today and had a situation I think I would handle differently if I had had the opportunity. This was a fairly informal, friendly match (unsanctioned, working as a dual) and no one had really outlined a substitution procedure so teams just subbed as they pleased (only at stoppages however). So at a stoppage a player tells me "ref I'm going off on this side" (the far side) and he steps off. Well, no one comes on for him so as play restarts he comes back on. He then receives a pass and crosses it into the box where a teammate heads it in. The opposing team goes nuts arguing that they stopped marking him because he said he was off. At the time I didn't think much of it but now I'm realizing I should have at least disallowed the goal. Any thoughts?
The substitution never took place, so the player is still a player, albeit one off the field with permission of the referee. If he returned without permission, play should have been stopped, the player cautioned for reentering the field without permission, and play restarted with an IFK from where the ball was when the infringement occurred. This is the book answer - bend as appropriate. If you gave him permission to reenter the field, the goal was good and you had nothing to do.
He did it before play restarted in a game where by the standards of the organizers permission to enter/leave was not expressly required (to prevent anyone from getting over heated, it was in the 90s), so at the time I did nothing because that was what seemed would be consistent.
I had a vaguely similar situation in a sanctioned youth game where substitution on the fly is allowed without the CR's permission. A player who is attended to on the field must be subbed out, but for one game a team didn't have any subs. When a player walked off injured after I waved the coach on, I just waived the player back on after the restart even though he wasn't ready to return yet and wasn't even looking at me. For another situation with the same team with no subs, I allowed a player who was attended to by the coach near the bench to remain in the game. I probably should have ordered him off until after the restart.
Well, that info would have been helpful in your OP... Lemma - you are right! I was too fast on the draw to make my wise-ass post. The substition process was never completed, hence the player in question never stopped being a player. I'd love to be there while you try to explain that to the scored upon team... "... the substitution is completed when a substitute enters the field of play • from that moment, the substitute becomes a player and the player he has replaced becomes a substituted player...."
That is true in all the sanctioned games we do. Being this is a non-sanctioned, informal match, I would think to take the scored upon team's pleas into consideration. It would be like stepping off the field to keep from being offside, or one of those tricky corner kicks that we have talked about before. If he left the field at his own request and with your permission, and the opponents are under the impression he is off, it should require your permission to return IMO.
Lemma's answer is perfect. To take it up a couple of levels of analysis: Setting all rule books aside--since the game wasn't that tight rulewise, anyway--was the outcome fair? That what refs are really for. (The answer is 'obviously' no. )
I read the first post and I can't help but thinking, "if the team went nuts, the rules should probably be tighter for this league" OR "if the rules are this loose, the team probably shouldn't be going nuts." That said, it's hard to argue with lemma's answer. It's the book answer for FIFA and it really wouldn't steer you wrong in this situation either. Though, as it's a "company game," I'm sure you could get away without giving the yellow card.
"Company game"? Soccer? I've heard of company teams, but both teams from the same company? That's new (for me). Outside of co-ed softball, and an excuse to have a picnic, I've never heard of such a thing. I would guess that the rules of corporate engagement (not wanting to tick off your boss, or your boss's brother in law's cousin's sister), would far outweigh the LOTG. Seriously, can you give some other insights into what a company soccer league looks like?
The FIFA LOTG do not apply to every situation where people throw down some cones and kick around a ball, no matter what they may call it. In a competition where rules are published, a referee has no business enforcing rules that are not specifically stated or cited. As such, these things are best left as call-your-own-fouls rather than officially officiated*. *Redundancy and ambiguity intended, in order to extend, and thereby expose, the low overall quality of this post.
It's the FC Dallas staff tournament. The 100 or so staff members are devided into 4 teams that play round robin then top two play in a final in the stadium.
I'm not sure I agree with you here. When people say they're going to play soccer, they mean the game set out by the LotG. They may not expect full enforcement of the Laws, but they are relying on them nevertheless.
FC DALLAS?!?! That's not a company! Exxon is a company. Staples is a company. You aren't a referee at a company tournament. You're running for office at the FOX News or MSNBC lunch counter. You are a snake in a pit of vipers! Seriously, it sounds like a blast. It also sounds like these people should have some passing familiarity with the LOTG (at least its existence, if not its particulars). Something tells me congratulations are due for such an assignment?????
It's really not as big a deal as it seems. I said "company" at first because I didn't want to sound like I was bragging.
(embarrassingly raises hand) That was me. I apologize - I thought I had asked permission back on when it was obvious that no one subbed on for me and I *thought* I got the ok, but I'll admit I was caught up in the emotion of "dammit, they didn't sub someone on!" I did ask permission - I know I verbalized that - but I can't say I made sure you heard me and can't remember hearing a response (I think I expected to hear a "wait wait" if you didn't want me on the field....). In the spirit of the game question - what is better - follow a technicality or have a team play down a player in a "for fun" game? That being said, I should have made sure you heard me and made sure you gave me permission. I apologize. Thanks, btw, for reffing with us - it is a fun tournament (everyone gets out of their departments and gets to know everyone, those who don't play or are new to the game get to learn on the fly, and the more experienced players usually do a great job of including everyone) and having officials really helps. Sorry again for the miscommunication (especially in the situation, but also in general about the sub policy).
I presume there is a Discipline Committee for this tournament to remedy these sorts of gross injustices. Please report your sin to them to receive your after-the-fact yellow card!
Especially the guy who is a licensed referee.....! (See my post above) The thing is, we do have over 120 people on staff and while a lot are soccer knowledgeable, not everyone is and this is a great, fun way to give people a chance to play and learn. And get to know co-workers they wouldn't usually work with.
I will. Odds are, though, that we'll end up playing that team in the final (assuming we can win our third group game) and they are strong, so they could certainly get the last laugh....
This is quite possibly the coolest topic I've seen on this board in a while. Much better company event than the "Quick Christmas lunch but we can't call it Christmas lunch it's a holiday lunch then get your a$$es back to work and don't even think of taking the afternoon off or even leaving early" event we have every year.
Credit goes to two places - the Inferno (FC Dallas supporters group) and our HR department. The Inferno because they organized a supporters tournament for the two years we hosted MLS Cup and it was so cool to see people from around the country come and play who had no idea who they were, had to come together on the fly, etc. Our HR department because when I told them about it, they jumped on it as a company get-together. Sixth year, iirc. Always fun.
Well, I was half right. Unfortunately, the part I was right about was the loss. We didn't play the team mentioned above, but another team. Hey, we had fun, met new people, got worked up over a game and enjoyed seeing new players and new employees work their way into the culture. Very fun. There are lots of times where this is a long and challenging job - but not today. (Other than having to go back into the office after the game to work for another three hours...) Thanks again to the crew - good fun all around.
