The Ref Stop

Sending off situations: How common are they?

J

jayfry

New Member
Level 4 Referee
Okay, so, probably going to be long-winded but here goes. I'm a new referee in Queensland, Australia. I understand setups, leagues, and referee levels are all different here than in the UK, but football is football. I really have two questions and a bonus third.

1. It seems we see a red card every other game in the Premier League, Championship, etc. Obviously, a completely different level of football, but how often (from U13+) do you encounter red card scenarios (again obviously less likely at younger ages but I ref U13 and above).

2. How many games can I expect to go in proper club football without having to show that dreaded red card? I'm confident in myself, even as a "new" official (I've been reffing unofficial comps/social football for years), but I think we can all agree we never want to have to send someone off. How many games did you go before you were forced into going to the back pocket?

3. Do you have any advice for me when I inevitably am forced to send someone off for the first time? Again, confidence isn't an issue, a red is a red, but I'll take any feedback I can from more experienced refs if I can.

I just turned 22 by the way. As stated I've been refereeing on and off unofficially in leagues and tournaments/competitions, including school tournaments, not administered by a state or federal football association, they're legal but not recognised, and social football, and have been doing so for about 7 or 8 years, but I expect proper club football, even at U13 level to be a completely different monster to tackle, and games to have much higher temperatures.

Anywho, thanks for sticking this one out. I look forward to your answers and feedback.
Jesse
 
The Ref Stop
Red cards are not rare. Issuing them, when the laws require, is part of the job.
It is not personal and you should not allow it to become personal, despite the any effort by the player to do so.

It probably only took me a few weeks. It slowed down considerably when my man-management improved. That was not because I 'managed' issuing cards, but because I had more control.

Even now, though, I probably whip one out every 5 or 6 matches. Sometimes more. Some matches, more.
 
I probably issue 4 or 5 a season. It's a very well run league with old clubs who have multiple teams and who take behaviour seriously.

I briefly did a midweek league where I was issuing a red card every other game, including an abandonment when a player knocked my red card out of my hand.

I have never issued a red card below U15. (I don't do youth games very often.)

So it does depend quite a bit on football culture. But here's an important thing to remember: I have never regretted giving a red card. I have really regretted not giving one a couple of times.
 
I've given five this season, including a few double-yellows, most of which were for a single team who are known for awful discipline.

Ultimately, we're all out there to enjoy a good game of footy, and the red card is the last resort tool we have to make sure that's possible. If the game needs one, it needs one - that's up to the players, they (should!) all know the laws.
 
As others have said, it is very age and level dependent. I don’t think I’ve ever given a red in a16U or below game. They do happen, but they are very rare, In youth games, in my experience (in the US), directing that parents be removed for misbehavioris far, far more common than red cards
 
jayfry said:
Okay, so, probably going to be long-winded but here goes. I'm a new referee in Queensland, Australia. I understand setups, leagues, and referee levels are all different here than in the UK, but football is football. I really have two questions and a bonus third.

1. It seems we see a red card every other game in the Premier League, Championship, etc. Obviously, a completely different level of football, but how often (from U13+) do you encounter red card scenarios (again obviously less likely at younger ages but I ref U13 and above).

2. How many games can I expect to go in proper club football without having to show that dreaded red card? I'm confident in myself, even as a "new" official (I've been reffing unofficial comps/social football for years), but I think we can all agree we never want to have to send someone off. How many games did you go before you were forced into going to the back pocket?

3. Do you have any advice for me when I inevitably am forced to send someone off for the first time? Again, confidence isn't an issue, a red is a red, but I'll take any feedback I can from more experienced refs if I can.

I just turned 22 by the way. As stated I've been refereeing on and off unofficially in leagues and tournaments/competitions, including school tournaments, not administered by a state or federal football association, they're legal but not recognised, and social football, and have been doing so for about 7 or 8 years, but I expect proper club football, even at U13 level to be a completely different monster to tackle, and games to have much higher temperatures.

Anywho, thanks for sticking this one out. I look forward to your answers and feedback.
Jesse
Click to expand...
Like most people have said, giving a red if required is all part of the job.
With youth football, if the players are starting to become slightly reckless/bordering a yellow potentially a red, I will usually go and explain to the coaches about it because lets be honest, not many youngsters are going to really know the laws of the game.

It took me almost a year to issue my first red card. This was for a mass confrontation in a Sunday league game. It was a lot but I had to give 2 players a red for violent conduct after punches were thrown. I would've abandoned the match but on my watch I had 5 minutes left to play and thought I'm just going to get to the end.

My advice for sending people off, just explain the reasons before you show the red between you, the player and potentially the captain. You don't want their whole team or the opposition surrounding you whilst you're trying to talk to the offending player. Just explain about the reasons and where it falls under LOTG for example "You've gone into that challenge with excessive force with no intent of playing the ball. Due to this I've got no other option but to send you off". Get their details and then present the red. Don't let players crowd you to try change your mind. Send them from the field and the best thing to do then is get play rolling as quickly as possible so they don't have the opportunity to keep crowding you.

I'm also 22 and I only qualified in October 2021 so I know as a young adult how daunting some situations can be especially if you're dealing with adults in their late 20's/30's! Keep it up mate and hope you carry on enjoying it!
 
This season I've shown 6, and had 3 shown whilst I have been acting as an AR. I average one every 4 games, and that's mainly across means and U21/18s, and I gather that's higher than the league average.

Ultimately, players give you a game to referee, you just enforce it :)
 
It may surprise you but reds are often ‘easier’ to give than yellows.

VC, OFFINABUS, egregious SFP and spitting (although I’m yet to encounter the latter) are such nailed-on reds that you won’t feel guilty or controversial in sending the offender for an early bath.

The exceptions to this rule, particularly at youth/lower levels, are DOGSO and silly second yellows, where some may claim you’re being overzealous by correctly applying the laws. So long as you have the confidence to ignore/deal with those who disagree, you’ll be fine.

Ps, I used to referee in Oz and found it much the same other than players were more polite!
 
JoeyR1708 said:
Like most people have said, giving a red if required is all part of the job.
With youth football, if the players are starting to become slightly reckless/bordering a yellow potentially a red, I will usually go and explain to the coaches about it because lets be honest, not many youngsters are going to really know the laws of the game.

It took me almost a year to issue my first red card. This was for a mass confrontation in a Sunday league game. It was a lot but I had to give 2 players a red for violent conduct after punches were thrown. I would've abandoned the match but on my watch I had 5 minutes left to play and thought I'm just going to get to the end.

My advice for sending people off, just explain the reasons before you show the red between you, the player and potentially the captain. You don't want their whole team or the opposition surrounding you whilst you're trying to talk to the offending player. Just explain about the reasons and where it falls under LOTG for example "You've gone into that challenge with excessive force with no intent of playing the ball. Due to this I've got no other option but to send you off". Get their details and then present the red. Don't let players crowd you to try change your mind. Send them from the field and the best thing to do then is get play rolling as quickly as possible so they don't have the opportunity to keep crowding you.

I'm also 22 and I only qualified in October 2021 so I know as a young adult how daunting some situations can be especially if you're dealing with adults in their late 20's/30's! Keep it up mate and hope you carry on enjoying it!
Click to expand...
We teach that with a red card situation the referee should isolate the offender(s), take the details, then explain the offence and the fact it’s a dismissal and show the card.
 
jayfry said:
Okay, so, probably going to be long-winded but here goes. I'm a new referee in Queensland, Australia. I understand setups, leagues, and referee levels are all different here than in the UK, but football is football. I really have two questions and a bonus third.

1. It seems we see a red card every other game in the Premier League, Championship, etc. Obviously, a completely different level of football, but how often (from U13+) do you encounter red card scenarios (again obviously less likely at younger ages but I ref U13 and above).

2. How many games can I expect to go in proper club football without having to show that dreaded red card? I'm confident in myself, even as a "new" official (I've been reffing unofficial comps/social football for years), but I think we can all agree we never want to have to send someone off. How many games did you go before you were forced into going to the back pocket?

3. Do you have any advice for me when I inevitably am forced to send someone off for the first time? Again, confidence isn't an issue, a red is a red, but I'll take any feedback I can from more experienced refs if I can.

I just turned 22 by the way. As stated I've been refereeing on and off unofficially in leagues and tournaments/competitions, including school tournaments, not administered by a state or federal football association, they're legal but not recognised, and social football, and have been doing so for about 7 or 8 years, but I expect proper club football, even at U13 level to be a completely different monster to tackle, and games to have much higher temperatures.

Anywho, thanks for sticking this one out. I look forward to your answers and feedback.
Jesse
Click to expand...
I can go 50 games without a red card... but then I had 5 in a game a few weeks ago.
Please do not dread. Yes, it can be hard to cope with some situations. But it is the "job". Red cards, like goals, good tackles, bad tackles, violent conduct, nice coaches, evil coaches... all these things are part of football.

As a new referee you must be ready to use your cards. They are there to help you keep control, they are there to sanction players for not playing to the laws.

Just take your time! Think. Learn the DOGSO law. Know the difference between SFP and VC. Be ready to recognise low level dissent. Be ready to act and have zero tolerance for pejorative language. If you know the laws well, you will be confident, you will be able to "sell" your decisions. But it all comes with matches - it takes time to get more confident. The only shortcut is to run the line for more experienced referees. And ask questions. Do it!
 
Since August I’m shown or been involved with 14 reds. They happen

Side fact of 39 reds I’ve shown, only 3 have been for SFP
 
I dont keep a record but I imagine it's 1 in 4/5 games at step 5/6. Not given one in Sunday League for a couple of years now. Not even considered it due to a mixture of man management, knowing when things may escalate and some good luck.
 
Thirty odd games in the middle this season..... Mixed bag of 10x Step 5, a bunch of County Level OA games and Midweek Floodlit Youth
ZERO reds (but averaging about 3.7 yellows (which is high)) (and 7x TA yellows, which reflects my tasty Club Marks)

I've got some curious numbers TBH..... Not least, 250 career middles but only one red card for SFP!
 
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Same as you Big Cat. I’m over 400 middles now and I can only recall 2 reds for SFP in that time, although perhaps there have been more.

I’ve had about 20 middles this season with 4 reds.
VC: 2
DOGSO: 1
OFFINABUS: 1

And three of those reds were for the same team in the same match!
 
Refollie said:
In the context of easy to sell reds, I’d argue that some SFPs can be harder to explain at a lower level if you’re a new ref. Not the blindingly obvious though.
Click to expand...
I guess it depends on what you mean by low levels. At what I think of low levels, any SFP is going to be blindingly obvious.
 
3 reds so far this season after 14 games. Not one for SFP, 2 for VC and 1 for OFFINABUS
 
At the (near) top level OP has over estimated the number of red cards - only 56 so far in the Championship and only 35 of those straight reds

We've done 38 weeks so 38 weeks x 12 games a week = 456 games, so only a red card (Inc the 2 x yellow ones) in 1 in 8 games.
 
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