A&H

Foreign players

Status
Not open for further replies.
L

LC

Active Member
Level 6 Referee
This has never happened to me but it was an incident I thought of and I don't know what would be acceptable.

If there was a player who had English as their second language. You give a decision against them and they say something in their first language. Presuming you don't also speak their first language and you don't know what they are saying which means they could be saying something which would normally result in a red card but you don't know about it. Would it be acceptable to tell them that if they want to say something to you then they say it in English otherwise it will be classed as dissent and they will get a booking?
 
The Referee Store
Offical language of the FA and LOAF is English.

Despite what is actually said (hard one to prove), if they say it in a way that is undermining etc then you can YC for dissent. Again, if how they have said it contitutes being offensive, or that it was ment to be offensive, then RC.

Each situation is defferent, and is taken at face value at the time. But lets face it - you RC them for OFFINABUS, following our decision on a tackle - he;s ranting and raving in your face, and sterly, looking you in the eye says what he says with a wave on an arm - he's not saying "You are bang on there Ref - never seen the laws enforced so correctly and this is a perfect application. Congrats.....).

Plus Dissent or OFFINABUS are by word or action. My book, held be walking. If they want to appeal it then feel free, but show me the evidence or the word or action.
 
  • Like
Reactions: LC
I think that's getting into discimination territory. If you have no idea what he said then he hasn't offended you nor undermined your authority, so let it be. If he's being a bit aggro, gesticulating etc then that could be enough to book him for dissent based on his manner.
 
  • Like
Reactions: LC
I find it offensive to be spoken to in a foreign language when the person speaks English a second language and as such would deem it to be OFFINABUS. You want to talk to me about my decision? Do so in English.

(If they speak no English then its a different matter of course)
 
Not at all. Its offensive in the same way that whispering about somebody is offensive. If you speak English and talk at somebody in a foreign language, you are deliberately doing so and it is inflamatory. As I said if they dont speak English at all, then its different. But if they speak two languages, one of them being English, and they deliberately question your decision in a foreign language? Thats offensive all day for me.
 
Couldn't agree more with @HertsFinest. If you're playing for a club in England, and you speak English you have no excuse to discuss the referee or say something towards the referee in a different language.
It happened once when my school hosted some French students from some academy (basically our team played theirs). One of the players said something in French to the referee. Little did he know the referee was a teacher at the school who taught French ! (What are the odds) he was quickly binned :)

And if anyone complains with the whole "well how do you know he's saying anything offensive" - well next time tell him to use English and there won't be any confusion next time !
 
Wow, have I stumbled onto the English Defence League page by mistake?

People can speak in whatever language they like, I'm stunned to see the blatant racism being thrown around on here.

And frankly, claiming that it should be an automatic red card for speaking in a foreign tongue is far and away the stupidest thing I've ever heard of.

A few people need to take a good look at themselves.
 
Getting a red card for speaking your own language ?...That's not what we're saying at all. I'm making the point that why would someone choose to speak to you in a foreign language, knowing or assuming full well you can't understand ?
It's PURE ignorance from THEM !!!
I'm not saying automatic red card, but should it happen in one of my games you can rest assure something will be done about it.
I reffed a game from a club called the "young Asian voices" last season. Cracking bunch of lads, and not once did they speak to me or my assistants in ****stani/Indian (they were a mix of races).

Also,Get off your high horse Captain, no one is dishing out good citizen/anti-racist awards tonight.
Oh and the oscars have been and gone so drop the dramatics too.
 
Tbf the chef I work with is polish and he often slips into polish mid conversation, or if he has to shout something across to me and he is stressed... Not once have I found this offensive. That would be absurd
 
Wow, you leave the forum for a couple of hours and while you're away it all kicks off!

My personal opinion would be that it's entirely feasible to caution or bin someone even if you can't understand what they are saying to you .. just by gauging the distance it's shouted from and the aggression with which it is said. And a player who has been happily conversing in English all game suddenly switching to a foreign language to complain about a decision is giving a clear indication that he's saying stuff that might get him in trouble if said in English. But, as HRW said above, each situation on its merits.

And one point worth clarifying. Being uncomfortable with someone's choice of which language to speak, is AT WORST mildly xenophobic ... certainly no indicator of racism at all .. the example of the French exchange students from Hartlepool Ref should make that point pretty clear!
 
Thank you @Russell Jones !
That is everything I was trying to say :)... COMMON SENSE AT ITS FINEST !
It would depend on the situation: for example, like jones said, if a player suddenly changes language and begins shouting or adopting a more aggressive tone then yes that is absolutely a caution/RC.

It's a shame when people try and make points of opinion on here and certain people climb right on those high horses and act like you've just joined the neo-Nazis.
I'll say it again, no one is handing out prizes for being a keyboard warrior so don't bother yourself.

Going off topic, people like that is what's driving this country into the wall. You're so quick to brand people racists it goes beyond common sense and into the realms of complete political correctness chaos. So much so that nothing can be done to tackle issues because everyone is so terrified of being branded a racist if they try and do something !
 
The racism comes in when people start saying nonsense like 'speaking in a foreign language is offensive', or talking about expecting people to speak in English just because 'this is England'. If the shoe fits and all that.

Of course you can book somebody if you don't know what they're saying. Dissent can be shown by gestures, and from somebody's manner and tone of speaking and/or gestures you can tell they're dissenting. I can't see OFFINABUS being possible.
 
Personally i would say to the player "Please show me the decency by talking in english so i can understand you"
If then he stood there shouting and yelling at me in his native tounge i would inform him if he continued, i would show him a yellow for unsporting behaviour.Then inform him if he repeated it then it would be a second yellow followed by red.
 
I think this is an interesting one. I don't think I could sell a red for something said in a language I don't understand as the report would be wooly. But a yellow is possible depending how it was said. At the weekend I had one player ask if I was joking when I gave a free kick. I explained I wasn't. His mate who decided to moan then throw a strop and shout this is a joke from 15 yards away did go in the book. For me dissent is more about how something is said not what is said.
 
And thats time gentleman!! Want to call each other names, feel free, just dont do it on the forum. Simple really fellas.

No warnings dished out this time, but wont be so lenient next time
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top