first red card

Spring 2014, first USSF youth game in the middle. U13 girls, assignor assessing me. Girl handled the ball on the goal line preventing a goal. Lost the number, ran over to my 15 year old AR to ask her opinion on the red and identify the culprit. Looked like crap. Perhaps harsh at that skill level but mandatory.

 

Technically it was a 2CT to a coach in a HS match. I think I have told the story before. Coach is a PITA normally, boys team at the time followed his lead. I see a kid go through the handshake line before the game starts wearing postage stamps for shin guards. I tell the player those are not regulation no NOSCAE tag, and told him and the coach that they need to be changed before he takes the field. Both say "ok" I watch the kid go to the sideline and pull his socks down and right back up again wearing the same guards. He walks onto the pitch and I blow the whistle before the game even starts. Go over to the coach and show him a YC for illegally equipped player. He starts to argue with me that the card goes to the kid. I am discussing with him that the FIRST one goes to the coach, that is why we ask the coaches if their players will be properly and legally equipped by gametime. so he is still arguing as I go to start the game. I hear my AR1 tell the coach that I am right and there is a rule book in his bag. The coach tells him to "Shut up, he wasn't speaking to him and to go back to his line." Quite loudly, so I blow my whistle again and 2CT for dissent.

That was about 10 years ago now. Guy still coaches, but has calmed down MUCH more and his team has also done the same. He brings it up once in awhile and jokes about it. It has made me realize that I cannot always think that since a player or coach acting this way before doesn't mean I should hold a grudge against them and be quick with a response.

First players, I had to give out 2 at the end of a match One to the coaches player above. scorekeeper is counting down the last 10 seconds of a highly contested match keeper punts the ball and I can see my 2 troublemaker players jostling to get a head on it. Player one (who already had a YC) pulls down player 2 just as the ball arrives and the timer reaches 0 end of the game. I was going to give player one his 2YC because he literally put his arms around the guy and dragged him on top of him. But as player 2 is getting up, he throws his elbow back into player 1. Tweet, 2YC/ RC to player 1 and turn to player 2 with a straight RC for VC. Coach was perplexed why his player got straight RC (didn't see the elbow) I said "he can tell you". Which he did and the coach thanked me.

 

First year doing NFHS.

2CT. B JV. Two biggest soccer powers in the region, their JV teams would be decent varsity level teams.

Red captain with what I deemed an orangish tackle in the first half, but the game was under control and I showed yellow.

Game veered towards out of control in the second half, three more yellows between my dual partner and I, until Red captain nearly removes a white shirt battling for a 50/50 ball. 2CT for him, his coach was very understanding.

I had the rematch in a "JV Championship" tournament later that year. My partner showed that understanding coach red (deserved, he lost his mind), and that school's girl's varsity coach (who had a son on the other team) had to come down from the stands and fill in for him. The weird situation got weirder when we learned after the match that he had hidden in the coffin corner (dual system) by the parking lot and surreptitiously gave his team instructions. His contract was not renewed for the next year.

 

Last night in my high school dual game, in the second-half, I saw something shiny on a player's ear in the second half. Because it was a dual system, she had not been near her at all during the first half. When the ball went out of play, I told the player to wait and I asked the girl with the shiny ears if she was wearing earrings. At first, she said, "No," and then reached up to touch her ears and was in shock when she realized that she was. I stop the clock and go over to caution the coach. He said, "I know. It happens every game." I am thinking that if it is happening every game, you may want to check your players a little better before the match.

After the game, there were numerous spectators who came over and asked why the coach "got the yellow" when it was the player with the earrings on. I told them all the same thing. In NFHS rules, the coach gets the first yellow card for illegal equipment and then the players get any other yellow cards for illegal equipment. That is why we asked each coach at the beginning of the game, "Are your players properly and legally equipped?" Not that I expect spectators to know the rules, but it has been this way in NFHS rules for at least a decade!

 

So I was thinking of starting another thread, but I will put this here because a lot has to do with this subject.

I was AR1 on a D1 HSBV match. One player from visiting side is a piece of work. Yelling at everyone. Refs, other players, his OWN team. CR has one word to cool down and he really doesn't take it to heart. This players team is the favorite and should win this match easily. However, 20 minutes into the game and it s still 0-0. Visiting team players are fighting with themselves and this player after the home team gets a good shot on goal Yells ""C'mon you Pu%^ies! Play harder!!" Directed at his own teammates. Loud enough for everyone to hear. CR handed him a YC.

Anyone think that could be a RC in NFHS definition???

 

NFHS rule book states that "Using insulting, offensive or abusive language or gesture" is a reason for a red card. There is a massive difference between missing a shot and saying "********" loudly and yelling what that player said. Its offensive and frankly sexist language directed at people. There is no place for that type of language in a high school match, easy red for me.

Because I am curious, did the player calm it down after the yellow?

 

I was thinking about this earlier and wondering what becomes offensive and does age enter into it?

For example: Would you be more apt to deal with a 13-year-old yelling "C'mon you p###ies!" At his team rather than a 17-year-old? If so, why? "Offensive" is subjective, "God Dammit!" Might be more offensive to some people over others, but I'd think abusive is pretty clear.

I dunno...guidance, anyone?

I hear local college kids screaming naughties in Spanish and it ALWAYS gets ignored.

What's the line?

 

In my mind, in high school or youth soccer a very loud "come on you pussies" will always be a red card. Good point about God Dammit, to me if its directed at no one then its probably just a fly by with me saying "I'll give you that one but lets watch the language moving forward" , if its directed at a teammate its probably a yellow card in most situations.

Age is a factor but also the type of game. Remember that in youth and high school soccer, its about learning and growing so we should have a lower tolerance for language. In college, adult, and pro soccer we have a much higher tolerance because its not really about learning and growing its about winning and for adults its about letting out their stress.

 

if you have ever done Anglo-Men you know what's offensive is a completely different event. Even latino men as long as it is not directed at them. its honestly, what the competition demands. In our area our Junior College has a strict no cursing policy that is highly enforced. With the high turnover of players every year teams get a rude awakening when a player gets sent off for incidental foul language.

 

Only a bit. Coach kept him out for quite a bit after the YC. From what I heard from the 2 other refs and some other people after the match. This kid was a hot head, he was a very talented player, but was really yelling at his teammates a LOT. If I were the coach I wouldn't care how talented he is, he would be on the bench. At least I knew why he wasn't wearing the Captain band. He came back with about 10 minutes left in the 1st half and was pretty quiet. He came out in the second a little hot, but after a quick foul and a quick talk from the CR ( I assume he said something along the lines of "Do you want to finish this game?") he calmed down a bit. he was still arguing with his own players though. I have 2 more matches with that team this season and I am CR for both. It will be interesting.

 

I would say yes, but like anything else, it is ITOOTR. You might get some salty old former sailor who would say no RC, or some Jesuit priest who would show a RC for much much less.

Different referees will call this differently just like they call fouls differently and players will have to adjust. The only difference is that finding the referee's line for this has higher consequences than finding the line and committing a foul.

I had a HS boys JV game last week and a kid planted his foot wrong and twisted his knee. He went down in a heap, no contact. As he lay on the field he kept saying "Oh, I f#*%ed up my knee!" fairly loud. I think most on the field heard him, but nobody in the stands. I just went over to him and told him to hang on and try to calm down, the trainer was on her way...maybe not technically correct, but I wasn't giving him a card.

 

I've not done anglo-men, which I partly why I wonder about this. I was raised in Europe with an English Mum, and always have trouble understanding why Americans, in general, get so upset with certain words.

I agree totally, though about the age group differences. Then, again, it's ALWAYS subjective since everything is ITOOTR, right?

 

Puritan national roots? Or is it puritanical?

 

I work the local Latin/Anglo league in St. Louis area. You are welcome to come by anytime and experience the colorful choice of words from at least 2 dozen different languages on regular basis.

On similar note, about 5 weeks ago I centered a D2 College game where one of the home team players is from Estonia. About halfway through the 2nd half, he gets flagged for Offside by a National AR and he just kicks the ball away and yells out something that resembles offensive language in Estonian. I stop the match and loudly tell him, you want to repeat that, thinking that he will get the message. He doesn't he actually said, You wouldn't understand and actually repeats it. I don't speak Estonian, but I do speak 3 languages and I understand quite a few others. So I tell him in Russian, Spasiba and I show him a yellow card. I know that Russian and Estonian are quite different, but close enough for him to get the message.

I have had this team 2 more times since than and I haven't had a problem with anyone.

 

This could be in "Things You Heard".
Anglo Player: "They're swearing in Spanish!"
Me: "You guys are swearing in English!"

 

2CT in my first adult CR. Defender threw the ball away after his team was scored on which was seen universally as really helpful, then he blew me off in gesture and words when I beckoned him for the booking.

 

Methinks you don't know many Jebbies . . .

 

As a player my first and only RC was for 2YC. Well-deserved UB and, much later in the match, a dumb card for DT. "Professional courtesy" may have kept me from receiving more.

In the days of listservs my tag line was "referee and player - dr. jekyll and mr. hyde"

 

Not a Jesuit. I've heard them yell at kids, like "Get off the God damn lawn!" As one lay staff member said, "Oh, that's nothing. It's when they use the other word that gets your attention."

Maybe a Dominican.

 

Language has become so commonplace that in HS they have no idea what they just said. Boys Varsity games last week, I think I heard F*** about 5 times. I issued no cards. Just asked them not to do it again. And all five complied. They didn’t even realize they had said it.

We have had this discussion on here many times in the past. I’m not a language stickler, and it is Regional in nature. But, I know guys in my association who would have red carded these offenders.

 

Our Junior Colleges have a rule where any foul language is grounds for being sent off. Even in frustration and in other languages.

It's the worse because a lot of international players go to community college before they go to a NCAA school and needless to say there is a lot of colorful language. As an association we are pretty consistent. But a lot of times as referees we have to stop the match "say we don't know who is saying the cuss words" but we have to make a formal declaration that if any player cusses from this point forward it will be grounds for a send off if we can identify the player.

 

I'm not sure this is the best place to put this but I was wondering if anyone had ever heard of sending someone off for DOGSO while having the restart be an IDFK in the PA?

 

Yes.

Any of the IDF fouls or misconduct on a breakaway in the PA. Ex. Breakaway. No defenders back. Keeper on his goal line. 1 defender gets close behind the attacker, who is about to shoot inside the PA, and the defender screams "miss it" or something of that nature. Attacker is so startled and phased by this he shanks or misses the ball completely. Normally a yellow for Unsporting Behavior for the verbal distraction, but in this case a Red for DOGSO-F. Restart for the UB is an IFK.

I think that checks all the boxes.

 

I have not heard of that, and I am trying to do the thought experiment to try and come up with a situation when it could happen. SourtherYank's example might be the best that I can come up with...

the LOTG says that GK handling inside the PA is not grounds for DOGSO, so all fo those IDFK situations are out.

Impeding without contact might be a possibility, but then the defender would have to be between the attacker and the ball and/or goal, so you would have a hard time justifying the "location and number of defenders" unless the GK was somewhere else and out to lunch.

You might be able to have a PIADM....maybe a defender flopping on top of the ball or a high boot....but again the "location and number of defenders" might be hard to justify if they are between the attacker and the goal. If they are coming from behind and doing those things, I am likely going to find some contact and a reason to have a DFK.