The Ref Stop

"Mine" "I got it"

MattTheRef

Well-Known Member
Level 4 Referee
When a player says something similar to the above, what law is this breaking?

Do you give it?

Where do you stand on the shout 'Jacks'?
 
The Ref Stop
We've been here before - whatever is said/shouted you have to decide if it was an attempt to deceive/distract the opponent.

Despite what 90% of the football community think, its not what they say/shout but what they are trying to achieve - a shout to a teammate, even if audible to others is perfectly ok.
 
I'm sure we have, but searching for "mine" throws up a lot of thread comments, as opposed to what I'm looking for.

Sorry for asking!
 
Yep. Mine, leave it, etc...not putting a name to the ball....is not an offence and never has been. Yet it pervades.
As a young referee, it caused a lot of problems reffing O35 games when blokes who had been playing for longer than I was live wouldn't accept my answer when I said it's fine!

Now, if it's done to deceive or distract an opponent - eg standing behind an opponent and tell them to 'backheel' or 'leave it' and they think it's a teammate, that sort of thing, then it's an offence - but not a specific one; rather it's Unsporting Behaviour, as such it falls under the last IFK offence where an IFK is awarded when play is stopped to issue a card for any reason not otherwise mentioned in the laws. Without a card, you can't award a free kick.

And I've never seen an incident where I felt the need to intervene here. It's very rare.
 
The lad who picked up a lemon for calling me a ‘mong’ got it as a result of exactly this discussion.

He felt that his opponent couldn’t shout ‘mine’.....I, being reasonably competent in the LOTG, felt otherwise.......ultimately he carried on being ignorant, I left him £10 poorer.
 
i think I have penalised something like this twice in around 2000 games
So using my own percentage calculator, and then doubling the number to cover potential instances, I be surprised if a ref gives anything once in a career
 
The lad who picked up a lemon for calling me a ‘mong’ got it as a result of exactly this discussion.

He felt that his opponent couldn’t shout ‘mine’.....I, being reasonably competent in the LOTG, felt otherwise.......ultimately he carried on being ignorant, I left him £10 poorer.

Its amazing what they get worked up about isn't it? A penalty or a disallowed goal, you expect some 'reaction' but when they go off on one for something like this, you are left shaking your head at times. As we all know, the good old 'foul throw' is another one guaranteed to get the players/managers going!
 
Its amazing what they get worked up about isn't it? A penalty or a disallowed goal, you expect some 'reaction' but when they go off on one for something like this, you are left shaking your head at times. As we all know, the good old 'foul throw' is another one guaranteed to get the players/managers going!


There are some crowds here who its hilarious to watch then lose it over player taking a few yards at a throw, its like a chain reaction, Mexican wave style, they rise up, screaming and pointing and doing rain dances as the player nudges up the park. I normally let them do it, just cos am loving the reaction of the crowd and I want to see how far I can push them !!!
Of course when the ball goes out for THEIR teams throw, the same rules dont apply according to the crowd !!
 
There are some crowds here who its hilarious to watch then lose it over player taking a few yards at a throw, its like a chain reaction, Mexican wave style, they rise up, screaming and pointing and doing rain dances as the player nudges up the park. I normally let them do it, just cos am loving the reaction of the crowd and I want to see how far I can push them !!!
Of course when the ball goes out for THEIR teams throw, the same rules dont apply according to the crowd !!

So true - exactly what happens at Loftus Road every match!
 
Motherwell and Hearts are great for it, fans so close to the pitch, they rise up like Zulu Warriors assembling for battle, screaming, pointing and barely audible in English, however when their player does it, it seems the same rules dont apply.
 
When a player says something similar to the above, what law is this breaking?

Do you give it?

Where do you stand on the shout 'Jacks'?
A player who shouts, 'Mine' or 'I got it,' or 'Jack's' is not breaking any law unless they're distracting an opponent. If (and only if) what they say verbally distracts an opponent, they have broken the section of Law 12 that says:
a player must be cautioned for unsporting behaviour including if a player: [...] verbally distracts an opponent during play or at a restart

You only give the caution for verbal distraction if that's what happened, no matter what the actual form of words used.
 
A player who shouts, 'Mine' or 'I got it,' or 'Jack's' is not breaking any law unless they're distracting an opponent. If (and only if) what they say verbally distracts an opponent, they have broken the section of Law 12 that says:


You only give the caution for verbal distraction if that's what happened, no matter what the actual form of words used.



I think the time(s) I have experienced this event have been players just making loud noises, rather than words, whether its BOO or AGHHH or whatever the regional variation is where you are. I would be far more inclined to penalise anyone doing this, rather than just simply shouting.
if that makes sense!
 
I once had a goalkeeper rush out to challenge a forward for the ball screaming "aaaaaaagh!!" at the top of her voice. The forward visibly flinched and the ball ran on to keeper. I don't think it was a deliberate attempt to distract, more an instinctive thing. I stopped play, cautioned her (USB - verbal distraction) and then had to explain to aggrieved attacking team that it was only an IFK (could it be DOGSO...not in this case as several other defenders were clustered around, but otherwise?). To be fair, the keeper was the least moany of everyone on pitch, saying it had happened before and she was trying to correct it.
 
Yes it can be DOGSO as it is punishable by a free kick.

There has been several debates here if a technical offence can be DOGSO. The answer is yes.
 
I've cautioned a few times for a shouted 'BOUNCE' when they've given up on reaching a ball coming out of the sky and then they attempt to put off the awaiting defender, (usually).... They think its a laugh till Mr Lemon comes knocking!!!
 
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Similarly to most others here, the only one of these I've ever given is for a defender shouting "BANG" in the ear of a striker as they shot more than once in a match. Had one or two other occasions where I've pulled a player aside and explained that I wasn't sure, but I though they might have been trying to distract an opponent, and did they realise that would be a YC and IFK? But never had anything else where I've been 100% sure and felt the need to give it - and nothing approaching giving it for a "leave" or "mine".
 
Unfortunately a couple of promotion candidates have penalised this in games I've been observing on and just given the IDFK with no caution, and that is totally and utterly incorrect in law.

It's a pet hate of mine (no pun intended ..!) as I got pulled up for it a couple of times when playing. Including once when the resultant (incorrectly given) free kick flew straight in the goal and the referee (incorrectly) allowed it as he thought (incorrectly) it was a direct free kick offence. Worst of all my team mates blamed me as they didn't know the laws either .... :punch:
 
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