Recent content by ARF

I'd wholeheartedly disagree with you. Had it been at grassroots level, Mitrovic would have had a minimum 112 days' suspension (would be a minimum 182 days if it happened now). It's ridiculously lenient. Yet, as always, the professionals get treated softer.

Sadly this (and the associated sanction range) is only applicable at Step 5 and below, hence the (IMO) lenient 8 matches that Mitrovic got a couple of years ago.

To the best of my recollection, I've never gone to the wrong ground or turned up on the wrong day (yet, anyway...), but: - I've had an AR arrive at 1:57 for a 2:00 ko (long injury delay in his morning game) - Had the ref arrive at 7:30 for a 7:45 ko (traffic) in the first month of my first...

Would it though? Out of everything I've seen posted online about it so far, it certainly appears that "football expects" a red card here - the only ones arguing against a red seem to be a minority of referees.

This is more than minimal/negligible force and should be a sending off IMO. The fact that it wasn't done in an aggressive manner towards the referee is a mitigating factor, but there is no way that this shouldn't be a red. Bear in mind that for those of us operating at grassroots level in...

That would be difficult given that leagues do not handle discipline and suspensions (not to mention that it was a FA Cup match, not a league game)! 😉

Showing a lack of respect for the game? 😏

Not sure what the problem is here - the shot deflects off Red #4. Notice how none of the Red players are surprised or argue that a corner is given. Not to mention that Nyberg has been in the Elite category for nearly three years now.

31 games as referee and 10 as AR this season. On a forced sabbatical from L4 after heart surgery in 2024 - still hopeful I'll eventually be able to pass the fitness test again.

I don't think so. Taken from the BBC's article: Seems pretty cut and dry to be honest.

Tried that on one of my old ones that was almost ready for the bin... it only hastened its demise.

Along similar lines, can anyone point me in the direction of a cheap circular/oval red card? Cheapest I can find the card alone is £5.98 inc. p&p, or £6.99 for the cheapest hockey set!

I think the announcement of the decision should have emphasised the excessive force aspect of it - the high (glancing) contact wasn't the main reason it was SFP rather than reckless IMO.

From memory, for Palmer's caution the whistle went just after the goalkeeper had released the ball - it should be pretty exceptional circumstances for a referee to play advantage when a team are in their own defensive third, and I don't think the referee was wrong for stopping play to caution...

The defender’s actions were reckless IMO, nothing more than that. I'd also argue that the only reason anyone's safety was endangered was the attacker attempting to head the ball at waist height, threatening injury to himself.