A&H

Goal celebration

colindotcom

colindotcom

Active Member
Last few minutes of a tight cup game away team number 15 scores and wheels away, shirt off round his head. Look over CAR flag up confirming my suspicions off side. Caution for shirt off?
 
The Referee Store
This is somewhat similar to the DOGSO by handball from IFK thread we had recently.

It can't be a goal celebration if no goal, but on the other hand you're not allowed to take your shirt off (unless changing for blood injury/torn etc) so I guess it has to be. Never seen why it has to be a yellow card myself, so in this instance it would be the most apologetic yellow card I've ever issued - not great for match control either but hey ho 'Rules is rules" I suppose.
 
What law does that fall under? Unsporting behavior?

I've never understood why its a yellow card but at the same time, I've never understood why they take their shirts off!
 
PinnerPaul said:
This is somewhat similar to the DOGSO by handball from IFK thread we had recently.

It can't be a goal celebration if no goal, but on the other hand you're not allowed to take your shirt off (unless changing for blood injury/torn etc) so I guess it has to be. Never seen why it has to be a yellow card myself, so in this instance it would be the most apologetic yellow card I've ever issued - not great for match control either but hey ho 'Rules is rules" I suppose.
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I went over to him after he realised it had been disallowed and the look on his face was of a resigned one. And it was one of the most apologetic cautions I will give all season!
 
I think it was introduced as a yellow card in the higher levels due to some players displaying political and/or controversial messages on undershirts
 
QuaverRef said:
What law does that fall under? Unsporting behavior?

I've never understood why its a yellow card but at the same time, I've never understood why they take their shirts off!
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Yeah, goal celebration is under unsporting behaviour and the LOTG set out four (I think!) specific things that qualify.

I wouldn't be overly apologetic about it really. The world and his wife know it's a yellow card. I had a guy a few weeks ago score his first goal for his club and swing his shirt round his head. After he'd done celebrating, he very politely walked over and told me his name and number without prompting, and explain he was happy to take the fine as he was so happy to score his first goal.

On the 'but it wasn't a goal' argument I'd say two things. First, if the player thinks he has scored a goal and takes his shirt off then I think it's justified to give the yellow card anyway, even if the goal is subsequently ruled out. Second thing is that the LOTG say that every player has to be wearing a shirt, so you can't restart the game until they put it back on. So now the removal of the shirt has delayed the restart ;)
 
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@Paul March @UKColt Have seen footage from a professional match where a player receives a second caution as he's leaving the pitch to be substituted for removing his shirt.

Edit: Here's one -
 
That's really interesting.

Not sure if the laws have been altered, but I've just checked and the only place that removing the shirt is listed as a cautionable offence (or an offence at all!) is directly in the section about celebrating a goal. I've put the full section below, but I don't think the ref was justified in giving a yellow card simply because he removed his shirt (assuming that is the reason), as my reading of the laws is that it's specifically in relation to celebrating a goal where it becomes a caution.

Celebration of a goal

Players can celebrate when a goal is scored, but the celebration must not be excessive; choreographed celebrations are not encouraged and must not cause excessive time-wasting.

Leaving the field of play to celebrate a goal is not a cautionable offence but players should return as soon as possible.

A player must be cautioned for:

• climbing onto a perimeter fence
• gesturing in a provocative, derisory or inflammatory way
• covering the head or face with a mask or other similar item
• removing the shirt or covering the head with the shirt

END
 
It might well be the caution for removing the shirt during a substitution was deemed delaying the restart.

The law only talks about goal celebrations.
 
alexgr said:
@Paul March @UKColt Have seen footage from a professional match where a player receives a second caution as he's leaving the pitch to be substituted for removing his shirt.

Edit: Here's one -
Click to expand...

Nothing in law to warrant the card, unless......... He has warned the player a couple of times to get off the pitch quicker and he felt that him taking off his shirt was just a way of slowing the substitution procedure even further. Even so it was very harsh, i don't even think Padders would give that one!
 
I could get on board with delaying the restart if he was walking slowly, but he was actually jogging which isn't something you see from subs. And the fact that he was basically on the touchline when he got the caution tells you everything you need to know.

Really poor refereeing IMO!
 
UKColt said:
That's really interesting.

Not sure if the laws have been altered, but I've just checked and the only place that removing the shirt is listed as a cautionable offence (or an offence at all!) is directly in the section about celebrating a goal. I've put the full section below, but I don't think the ref was justified in giving a yellow card simply because he removed his shirt (assuming that is the reason), as my reading of the laws is that it's specifically in relation to celebrating a goal where it becomes a caution.

Celebration of a goal

Players can celebrate when a goal is scored, but the celebration must not be excessive; choreographed celebrations are not encouraged and must not cause excessive time-wasting.

Leaving the field of play to celebrate a goal is not a cautionable offence but players should return as soon as possible.

A player must be cautioned for:

• climbing onto a perimeter fence
• gesturing in a provocative, derisory or inflammatory way
• covering the head or face with a mask or other similar item
• removing the shirt or covering the head with the shirt

END
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By that logic "gesturing in a provocative......way" is OK if not a goal celebration?
 
PinnerPaul said:
By that logic "gesturing in a provocative......way" is OK if not a goal celebration?
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No, because that would be covered by other laws like OFFINABUS, dissent etc. Likewise, 'climbing on a perimeter fence' would be covered under leaving the field without permission if they did it at any other time (however odd that might be!)

There isn't any other law that covers removing the shirt, except in reference to celebrating a goal. Now the ref may have judged he was delaying the restart by taking his shirt off and that is what the 2nd caution is for, but there is nothing in the law that requires him to give a yellow for the removal of the shirt itself.
 
UKColt said:
No, because that would be covered by other laws like OFFINABUS, dissent etc. Likewise, 'climbing on a perimeter fence' would be covered under leaving the field without permission if they did it at any other time (however odd that might be!)

There isn't any other law that covers removing the shirt, except in reference to celebrating a goal. Now the ref may have judged he was delaying the restart by taking his shirt off and that is what the 2nd caution is for, but there is nothing in the law that requires him to give a yellow for the removal of the shirt itself.
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But like the gesture it can be done to delay play, show disrespect for an opponent, as a show of dissent, as a form of provocative gesture etc - I don't actually agree with the law, as I said above, but its not correct to say its OK to take your shirt off if not celebrating a goal.
 
All I've ever said is removing your shirt is not a caution in and of itself, except if done when celebrating a goal. From the clip that was posted it doesn't appear that the player has done anything else to justify a yellow card, so if the card is simply because he has removed his shirt and nothing else then there is nothing in law to justify it.
 
UKColt said:
On the 'but it wasn't a goal' argument I'd say two things. First, if the player thinks he has scored a goal and takes his shirt off then I think it's justified to give the yellow card anyway, even if the goal is subsequently ruled out
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UKColt said:
All I've ever said is removing your shirt is not a caution in and of itself, except if done when celebrating a goal
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I don't think you can have it both ways :). Personally, I would simply have a strong word, reminding the player that IF it had been given as a goal then he WOULD have been cautioned. I think with both this situation and the 'DOGH' from an IFK thread, it's worth remembering that things generally work out best when we apply the minimum intervention required in a particular situation. In both cases, opposition players won't be screaming for a card and your match control will be best served by keeping your cards in your pocket. There are PLENTY of other occasions in a match where giving out cards will quite rightly be the only option available to us ... let's not add to them :)
 
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