A&H

Junior/Youth Manager/spectator incident

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SLI39

Well-Known Member
U15 local derby this morning, which the home side won 4-2
I was anticipating a tough game, but overall it had gone well.
With two minutes to go, as I'm following the flight of the ball from a goal kick, I hear some commotion. The home manager had entered the pitch, aggrieved that three away defenders had ganged up on his striker. A spectator from the away side challenged the manager, who then retorted something along the lines of '**** off, you p****'.
I immediately blew my whistle and again for good measure because it looked for a moment as if a mass confrontation could break out (no players involved). I told them to stay apart, behind the respect line, so we could finish the match peaceably. I offered them the opportunity to relate their account in confidence post-match. I restarted with a retaken goal kick, but it should have been a free kick for the manager's entering the field. Thoughts?

Since I didn't see the initial incident, I cannot report anything, but do you think the county FA should know about the aftermath?
One worry is that lately I seem to be missing a few off the ball incidents. Is this mostly down to positioning?
 
The Referee Store
Yes, you definitely need to report the manager, stating that he has encroached onto the field of play, and used abusive language towards a spectator (make sure you quote the exact words used).
 
SLI39 said:
U15 local derby this morning, which the home side won 4-2
I was anticipating a tough game, but overall it had gone well.
With two minutes to go, as I'm following the flight of the ball from a goal kick, I hear some commotion. The home manager had entered the pitch, aggrieved that three away defenders had ganged up on his striker. A spectator from the away side challenged the manager, who then retorted something along the lines of '**** off, you p****'.
I immediately blew my whistle and again for good measure because it looked for a moment as if a mass confrontation could break out (no players involved). I told them to stay apart, behind the respect line, so we could finish the match peaceably. I offered them the opportunity to relate their account in confidence post-match. I restarted with a retaken goal kick, but it should have been a free kick for the manager's entering the field. Thoughts?

Since I didn't see the initial incident, I cannot report anything, but do you think the county FA should know about the aftermath?
One worry is that lately I seem to be missing a few off the ball incidents. Is this mostly down to positioning?
Click to expand...

There is your first, and most important, learning point right there in bold.

Don't watch the ball....watch the players/drop zone.....nothing is going to happen to a ball in mid air....plenty can happen with a group of players all trying to get to the dropping ball.

I'd be having stern words with the home manager for coming on to the pitch......telling the away manager to sort his spectators out.....definitely wouldn't be offering either one of them the opportunity to continue the complaints after the match. Probably be submitting a misconduct report for the home manager for his foul mouth.....especially considering he shouldn't have been on the pitch in the first place.
 
I'm lucky to have never had this happen to me before, but I've always thought that any manager entering the FOP without permission needs to have a very very good excuse not to be immediately sent away. Throw in the language and yeah, I think you definitely need to be submitting a report. Ideally, you would have realised this at the time, got the managers name and informed him that he was being reported, but it's still better to put the report in than fail to do so just because you didn't tell him.

It doesn't sound like the spectator in question did a huge amount wrong, so I wouldn't worry about him.

Restart depends if the ball had reentered play (in this case, that includes leaving the penalty area) before or after the manager stepped on the pitch. If the ball was fully in play, then yes, new laws allow an IFK from where he stepped onto the pitch. If not (and it does seem very possible that this was the case), then retaking the GK is correct.
 
Hi
Interesting point in that did the manager interfere with play? If so it is a direct free kick not an IDFK restart from where the interference took place. The manager IMO according to the LOTG should be removed from the game and reported for his actions.
 
Thanks, I appreciate all the advice. Although I've developed over the past year, as the matches have become harder I feel I have reached a slight plateau and need to work harder to improve henceforth and ensure I don't switch off in the final minutes.
I know this manager reasonably well from previous games, and this was out of character. Although the coaches spoke amicably after an emotional finish, I think the offensive language took his conduct over the edge.

And the manager didn't interfere with play, so it should have been an indirect free kick according to the new laws.
 
@SL139 - I agree with @Padfoot, the manager should be reported for entering the FOP without permission. If you don't then managers will feel that they can enter without punishment. The only time they could enter is for a serious injury.

I would add on to the report his comments to the Away spectator, without the club officials following the RESPECT code what is the point of it.

As other have said, don't watch the ball on flight. Watch either the departure point with the trailing eye for afters, or the dropping zone for early contact.
 
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