A&H

Am I being too harsh/jumping the gun a bit?

U

Unbelievable

New Member
This season I have given five straight red cards in what is probably about 30-40 games, which feels like a lot, especially since four of them have come for offensive, insulting, or abusive language towards myself.

The four of them, for those wondering, have been "**** off ref" after a free kick was given against his team mate, "you're a ****" after I didn't give a goal line decision at one end and the other team went up the other end and scored, although the time he said it was just after they kicked off, "ref you're a ****ing ****" from a substitute after his team conceded, and "you're a **** ref" from someone about three minutes after he'd given away a free kick that led to his team going behind.

Dishing out five straight reds in a season (the other was for violent conduct, kicking someone's calf off the ball) and it only being March feels like a lot, and I can only think of two reasons for this: either I'm such a bad referee that I create this anger among people that few others can, leading to being sworn at more than other refs, or other referees are letting stuff like this go and being more lenient. In which case, should I, or am I doing the right thing?
 
The Referee Store
In my early years I think I had 20 reds in a season in 60-70 games, they were the lowest of the low estate type eyjits, IMO it could have been 50+ reds but country to popular opinion i have a generous streak.. This season, only 3 reds from a lot less games but if they know you won't accept it then they've only got themselves to blame!! Hopefully the penny drops!! Good man and well done!!
 
Mooseybaby said:
Or it could be the players are just idiots! ;)

Good for you for refusing to accept being spoken to like a piece of trash!
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Cheers! I have been wondering a little recently, especially after a referee only yellowed someone on the team I play for for saying "oh my god you're ****". I suppose now I'm more experienced than I was in the earlier years I'm getting feistier games than before too
 
Sheffields Finest said:
In my early years I think I had 20 reds in a season in 60-70 games, they were the lowest of the low estate type eyjits, IMO it could have been 50+ reds but country to popular opinion i have a generous streak.. This season, only 3 reds from a lot less games but if they know you won't accept it then they've only got themselves to blame!! Hopefully the penny drops!! Good man and well done!!
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I do always tell both teams before the game "if you swear at me or the linesmen you will be sent off" so I hoped it would be obvious enough. Hopefully I'll have none for the rest of the season now as I don't like sending people off, much less actually having to use the whole game system properly.
 
We all owe you and thanks - offinabus is in law for a reason and it sounds like you're doing a great job.

Only one of those I might "not hear" is "f-off ref" if it's sort of a dirty version of "come on" sort of right at the call. It depenss how loud and what the circumstances are...i might get crusified on here for that but if the player hasn't been a dissent machine to that point I can deal with that one.

Funny incident today- I sent someone off for a second dissent. He was shouting that I was a joke for all the county to hear after I failed to fall for a "head injury" ploy (not even close - I would never ignore this unless I was sure). Anyway after the match he storms up to me and asks why he got sent off - I explained - S7 etc second caution etc....he said why can't I say you're a joke, you are a joke, you were ****, why can't I say that? I actually laughed as it dawned on me...I don't think he knows dissent is a misconduct. He must get cards every week. I just looked at his manager (who had a small smirk on his face) and walked away. Of course same player found me in the parking lot and asked if I was going to put it through :)
 
WilliamD said:
We all owe you and thanks - offinabus is in law for a reason and it sounds like you're doing a great job.

Only one of those I might "not hear" is "f-off ref" if it's sort of a dirty version of "come on" sort of right at the call. It depenss how loud and what the circumstances are...i might get crusified on here for that but if the player hasn't been a dissent machine to that point I can deal with that one.

Funny incident today- I sent someone off for a second dissent. He was shouting that I was a joke for all the county to hear after I failed to fall for a "head injury" ploy (not even close - I would never ignore this unless I was sure). Anyway after the match he storms up to me and asks why he got sent off - I explained - S7 etc second caution etc....he said why can't I say you're a joke, you are a joke, you were ****, why can't I say that? I actually laughed as it dawned on me...I don't think he knows dissent is a misconduct. He must get cards every week. I just looked at his manager (who had a small smirk on his face) and walked away. Of course same player found me in the parking lot and asked if I was going to put it through :)
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The "**** off ref" came a few seconds after (as in I'd blown the whistle, the ball had been placed and he was jogging back into position, and he said it on the way past). I think the heat of the moment ones are easier to let slide but on that one I felt like he had enough time to gather his thoughts, especially as it wasn't even him who'd given away the free kick. That was an under 16 pre season friendly too, and his mum went bananas at me for it.

What did you put on your report today? For me, once he's said "you were ****" that's a game changer and I'm probably inclined to head down the extraordinary report road and report both the two yellows and what's happened after the game.
 
Unbelievable said:
Cheers! I have been wondering a little recently, especially after a referee only yellowed someone on the team I play for for saying "oh my god you're ****". I suppose now I'm more experienced than I was in the earlier years I'm getting feistier games than before too
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On this one, I'm with your ref - that's only a yellow for me. Good job on everything in your original post though.
 
You need to seperate frustation, dissent and OFFINABUS.

A shout of "f*ck off" (with or without the "ref") that happens immediately upon you blowing up for something, is very much more likely to be frustration, possbily dissent, but unless screamed at the top of their lungs inches from your face, I'm struggling to walk someone for OFFINABUS for it.
The same phrase uttered after you have just clarified your decision to a player is definitely dissent, possibly OFFINABUS depending on volume, agression etc.

Similarly "you're sh*t" is definitely dissent, possibly OFFINABUS depending on volume, agression etc etc.

A player pointing his finger at me and starting his rant with "You....." is far more likely to stray into OFFINABUS territory.....

And 5 reds is nothing to be concerned about.....I've had 5 in a game for one team before now.....

When I used to referee regularly Saturdays & Sundays, my season red card count was always 20 plus......didn't bother me a bit. Teams and players were well aware of my tolerance levels yet they couldn't seem to help themselves.......
 
WilliamD said:
Of course same player found me in the parking lot and asked if I was going to put it through :)
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I trust this was added to the report or lodged as an extra-ordinary incident report. Being approached in the car park afterwards, has to be a NO NO.
 
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