USB/AA is just a cop-out.Yo, I mean, there is USB however. Fairly unsporting behaviour if you ask moi. Anyway, every incident is on its own merits. I don't like to get pigeon holed by that crappy book however

You're such a loose cannon BC.


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USB/AA is just a cop-out.Yo, I mean, there is USB however. Fairly unsporting behaviour if you ask moi. Anyway, every incident is on its own merits. I don't like to get pigeon holed by that crappy book however



There isnt but it could be AA. It could be lack of respect for game or it could be Unspecified behaviour.To hop on this thread I had a junior game a while ago (I think U13) and one player whenever he misplaced a pass would moan and say " oh for f***s sake" or "f**k off"
The other teams manager wanted him sent off for this.
I opted not to. My reasoning being that he wasn't saying it to anyone and therefore it didn't constitute OFFINABUS.
Was I wrong?
Put this post in your pipe and smoke itYou're such a loose cannon BC.![]()

There isnt but it could be AA. It could be lack of respect for game or it could be Unspecified behaviour.
You also have the lovely USB ‘other’ option too.If you really wanted to caution for this, you could probably just about fit it under "Adopting an Aggressive Attitude"?
It's not our job as referees to police the standards of language in society as a whole. "Unacceptable language" is not defined as a red card offence in the LOTG - our job is to judge if it meets the Offensive/Insulting/Abusive criteria laid out in the book, and that includes taking account of context and reaction to help us decide if the criteria have been met.I think I must be alone here, I fully agree with the referee, this language at that age group directed at another player is unacceptable, red card.
It's not our job as referees to police the standards of language in society as a whole. "Unacceptable language" is not defined as a red card offence in the LOTG - our job is to judge if it meets the Offensive/Insulting/Abusive criteria laid out in the book, and that includes taking account of context and reaction to help us decide if the criteria have been met.
I'm not outright saying you're wrong to show red here BTW - it's a judgement call and may be appropriate in some situations. I'm just urging a degree of caution in terms of overstepping the line of what you're actually being employed to do.
I can see your point, I really can. In the same way I could see the point of the referee who I talked to initially. After all, clearly a player was offended enough to complain, so OFFINABUS definitely has an argument. But for me, still I wouldn’t red card here.I think I must be alone here, I fully agree with the referee, this language at that age group directed at another player is unacceptable, red card.
I can see your point, I really can. In the same way I could see the point of the referee who I talked to initially. After all, clearly a player was offended enough to complain, so OFFINABUS definitely has an argument. But for me, still I wouldn’t red card here.
I don’t agree that the language is unacceptable either. Well, I guess it is, but these kids will be hearing far worse all the time. I was in Year 8/U13s in 2015-2016, so not a million years ago, and I can tell you “**** off” isn’t exactly the worst thing kids hear. They will hear far far worse insults on the playground, and I can say I’ve overhead phrases I would be More offended by on the pitch at that age group as well. “**** off“ is like a standard saying for a lot of these kids.
Is it right? I’m not here to condone it. I’ve never had a dirty mouth, so sending off for swearing wouldn’t have affected me. I’m just saying these kids hear that a lot, and will say it a lot. So I don’t think it’s quite “unacceptable language that leads to a red.” In the same way I disagreed with the referee in my original post saying he’d send kids off basically for any swear word. A yellow card for USB/AaAA does the job here for me. Calms the situation down, let’s the kid know he shouldn’t say it without going the extreme of sending him off.
But I can completely see your opinion. As I mentioned in another post, OFFINABUS is such a subjective call, that’s why I find it so interesting, because we as refs won’t see eye to eye on it. The good book doesn’t have a list of banned words. Obviously there’s some e.g. Discriminatory words, that should all warrant a red from us, but in terms of swearinf I think it’s quite an interesting debate.
Your statement about industrial language not being a sending off offence will be read by many less experienced referees, who sadly will believe it to be true because you have said so here.The posts are proof in type that some referees do consider themselves as some kinda ethical guardian,
The reality is we are there to adjudge the lotg to the best of our consistent and neutral ability, not introduce our own personal viewpoint in the supposed guise of development.
If along the way, we get the chance to develop, thats a bonus.
industrial language, for this is all the post is regarding, is not a sending off offence. No matter if as referee we think it should be, and the offensive, insulting law sweeps across the board, it is not age dependant.
Teacher, parent, coach have the moral responsibility here, not, ' football referee' unless we upgrade our position in our own head.
i dont like spitting and i dont think 13 yos should be spitting, however, unless its a breach of the lotg. i cannot red card for it, anymore than i can ignore someone scoring the winner in the cup final taking his shirt off and running to the crowd even tho i might consider the mandatory yc to be harsh. Thats the beauty of a universal law book.
Your statement about industrial language not being a sending off offence will be read by many less experienced referees, who sadly will believe it to be true because you have said so here.
If a stranger tells me in the street to "F### off", that's offensive in most people's opinion.
If a player tells a referee (or a student tells a teacher) "You're f###ing useless", that's in most people's opinion offensive/abusive/insulting.
Whatever the age of the players, the LOTG specify the action to take. More and more referees are electing to ignore that part of Law 12, and
when challenged quote "industrial language" as their excuse.
My local Step5/6 league have mandated observers to comment when O/I/A language and/or actions are not dealt with in an appropriate manner by the referee, and adjust the mark accordingly. Referees were told the same, in advance, but several have chosen to continue ignoring Law 12.
Appropriate action may include a warning early in the game (to the offender but heard by others), a reminder to the captains, and/or a dismissal.