A&H

Cautioning an injured player

Tom_R

Tom_R

Member
Level 5 Referee
Free kick awarded to team A for a reckless challenge from a team B player. Team B player is injured and receives treatment. When can the team B player be cautioned? When they're on the floor (generally I see referees wait for players to stand up before showing a card)? Do you wait until the next stoppage if they've left FOP for more treatment? Also if a player was stretchered off? Do use a bit of empathy and not bother with the card? Can't seem to find an answer for this is in LOTG.
 
The Referee Store
If it’s reckless, it’s reckless - and the player should be cautioned, regardless of whether or not they’re injured.

Typical protocol from what I know seems to be to wait until they’re stood up. If they’re being helped up by physios etc, show it then as they get up. I’ve seen refs show a card while a player on a stretcher is being lifted up too, but yet to come across that myself personally.
 
Tom_R said:
Free kick awarded to team A for a reckless challenge from a team B player. Team B player is injured and receives treatment. When can the team B player be cautioned? When they're on the floor (generally I see referees wait for players to stand up before showing a card)? Do you wait until the next stoppage if they've left FOP for more treatment? Also if a player was stretchered off? Do use a bit of empathy and not bother with the card? Can't seem to find an answer for this is in LOTG.
Click to expand...
I've seen stretchered players issued a yellow. Only time I wouldn't bother is youth games or very low level games if the yellow wasn't a strong one.
 
Even if a player is leaving on a stretcher (and barring obvious broken legs), there's always a small possibility they just got the wind knocked out of them and will be back on the pitch in a few minutes. So I think you need to be really confident before choosing not to show a card.

Only time I've ever had this choice is a player who threw himself into a tackle, landed on his own wrist and broke it with an audible crack. I ended up not showing a yellow - in part because in my head it was only "probably" a yellow rather than definitely, and in part because it was very obvious he wasn't coming back on. But I'd always err on the side of showing the card regardless if there's any doubt.
 
Tom_R said:
Free kick awarded to team A for a reckless challenge from a team B player. Team B player is injured and receives treatment. When can the team B player be cautioned? When they're on the floor (generally I see referees wait for players to stand up before showing a card)? Do you wait until the next stoppage if they've left FOP for more treatment? Also if a player was stretchered off? Do use a bit of empathy and not bother with the card? Can't seem to find an answer for this is in LOTG.
Click to expand...
I'll wait for the day ifab puts empathy as one of the criteria for sanctions 😂

As stated above avoid showing cards to players unless they are up on their feet. One of the main reasons behind this is so that you don't come across to lack empathy. Kind of like not kicking someone while they are down. And that's as far as you should go in showing empathy to a player who has committed a cautionable offence.

socal lurker said:
where necessary and unseemly to show after a significant injury, wait till the player is gone, call the captain, show the card and indicate it is to the departed player.
Click to expand...
Depends on the significance of the injury. Agree when for example a player is unconscious. But a say torn ligament, I'd still show the card before they leave the FOP.
 
Tom_R said:
Free kick awarded to team A for a reckless challenge from a team B player. Team B player is injured and receives treatment. When can the team B player be cautioned? When they're on the floor (generally I see referees wait for players to stand up before showing a card)? Do you wait until the next stoppage if they've left FOP for more treatment? Also if a player was stretchered off? Do use a bit of empathy and not bother with the card? Can't seem to find an answer for this is in LOTG.
Click to expand...
Law 5:

  • if the referee has decided to caution or send off a player who is injured and has to leave the field of play for treatment, the card must be shown before the player leaves
    ​

Probably a bit of other circumstances to take into that as well, depending on the significance of the injury, as one said
 
Sometimes if the player is down for a very long time it’s easier to tell them they will be getting a caution and take details etc when they are on the floor, so you can just flash the card when they get up.
 
Best practice is to take the card out early and hold it by your side until the player is up. It leaves no surprises, gets the oppones off your back asking for it and prevent the player's team telling you you are carding him in response to the opponents' reaction.

Again, horses for courses. This won't be good practice in a serious injury when it will take a long time to take the player off the field.
 
one said:
Best practice is to take the card out early and hold it by your side until the player is up. It leaves no surprises, gets the oppones off your back asking for it and prevent the player's team telling you you are carding him in response to the opponents' reaction.

Again, horses for courses. This won't be good practice in a serious injury when it will take a long time to take the player off the field.
Click to expand...
I have heard of this impacting a couple youth games this year. Not for the injured player though, but the 'offending' player.

In both instances:
  • game was stopped for around half an hour while the injured player was attended to, and prepared for ambulance/cart/etc.
  • While the game was stopped, referee spoke to both benches/coaches/players involved and gave no indication of any sanction (in one instance, the referee spoke to a tournament official).
  • The injured player was removed from the field of play (around 20-30 minutes later), and the 'offending player' was given a red card (in one of these instances, the referee had not awarded a foul, but instead a throw in).
  • Once the red card was issued, the game was abandoned (in one instance, the field did not need to be used later).
 
one said:
Best practice is to take the card out early and hold it by your side until the player is up. It leaves no surprises, gets the oppones off your back asking for it and prevent the player's team telling you you are carding him in response to the opponents' reaction.

Again, horses for courses. This won't be good practice in a serious injury when it will take a long time to take the player off the field.
Click to expand...
Exactly that. You can also use the "I don't want to be doing this, but ..." language with anyone complaining.

I once had to do it with someone that had very badly dislocated their ankle in making a foul. Every sinew in me was saying "put the card away", but it was a blatant caution. I showed the card so that the injured player couldn't see it, making sure his captain was with me.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top