Not removing shirt but revealing a phrase

[ladbroke8745]

Title may explain it but here it goes.

A player gets a caution for removing their shirt.
Cool, we all know that. Though would you caution if it was compassionate grounds (like for a loved one just passing away maybe)?

But what about if the message revealed is provocative to fans and/or players alike?

I daresay it's not happened or that it ever will, but imagine a tense Turkish game, or even the Glasgow derby.. if a player lifted their shirt but not over their heads (as defined in the laws, this too is a caution), and revealed a message like "rangers are rubbish", or "you lot are easy"... what the sanction be, if any?

Technically he (or she) hasn't committed what is written by lifting the shirt over the head and/or removed it. I'd have thought a caution still is warranted and maybe for showing lack of respect to the game.
Anyone disagree?

 

[RobOda]

But what about if the message revealed is provocative to fans and/or players alike?

I'm pretty sure they wrote this scenario into Law 4 either last season, or the season before that. Peter Grove will know.

But basically, Law 4.5 covers it, if it is a provocative or inflammatory message, then we caution them.

If it is OFFINABUS, then we dismiss them.

 

[Peter Grove]

The amendment referencing cautioning or dismissing players for revealing an unacceptable slogan or message came in 2018.

Before that (starting in 2007) the law just said that any punishment was up to the competition organisers, the national FA or FIFA, with the most recent wording as follows:

Equipment must not have any political, religious or personal slogans, statements or images. Players must not reveal undergarments that show political, religious, personal slogans, statements or images, or advertising other than the manufacturer`s logo. For any offence the player and/or the team will be sanctioned by the competition organiser, national football association or by FIFA.

However, I'm not sure how wise a move this was by the IFAB as I think it asks the referee to shoulder too much of the burden. As the amended text itself says, it can be difficult to decide which exact statements or slogans fall within the criteria and if the wording is in a language that the referee doesn't speak, then doubly so. I thought it would probably have been better to leave this up to the other footballing authorities, as it was previously.

 

[Nij]

Title may explain it but here it goes.

A player gets a caution for removing their shirt.
Cool, we all know that. Though would you caution if it was compassionate grounds (like for a loved one just passing away maybe)?

But what about if the message revealed is provocative to fans and/or players alike?

I daresay it's not happened or that it ever will, but imagine a tense Turkish game, or even the Glasgow derby.. if a player lifted their shirt but not over their heads (as defined in the laws, this too is a caution), and revealed a message like "rangers are rubbish", or "you lot are easy"... what the sanction be, if any?

Technically he (or she) hasn't committed what is written by lifting the shirt over the head and/or removed it. I'd have thought a caution still is warranted and maybe for showing lack of respect to the game.
Anyone disagree?

Law 12.3 is pretty clear.
"A player must be cautioned, even if the goal is disallowed, for ... gesturing or acting in a provocative, derisory or inflammatory way [or] removing the shirt or covering the head with the shirt".

I've emphasised the important words and phrases. The referee does not have discretion here at all.

Celebrate goal + remove shirt = caution.
Celebrate goal + revealing PDI statement = caution.

 

[afronaut81]

So if they lift their shirt (not over head) to reveal a dedication to some poor kid in hospital we can just let them carry on right?

 

[RobOda]

So if they lift their shirt (not over head) to reveal a dedication to some poor kid in hospital we can just let them carry on right?

Technically it would count as a 'personal' or 'political' statement by the definitions within 4.5.

Personally, I would find it fairly unlikely to happen, but if it did, I would probably not sanction it, but mention it in the match-report, especially as it isn't provocative etc. I'd be fairly surprised if the county/league were interested in taking action on your example, especially not at grassroots.

 

[Dino Ref]

So if they lift their shirt (not over head) to reveal a dedication to some poor kid in hospital we can just let them carry on right?

This happened in a match I played in but basicly someone scored and lifted their shirt to reveal a message for a teammate who passed away.

The ref didn't book him and noone complained.

 

[Sheffields Finest]

Hands up who would book for this memorial to his dead son! I’ll wait!

 

[QuaverRef]

So if they lift their shirt (not over head) to reveal a dedication to some poor kid in hospital we can just let them carry on right?

Benrahma did exactly this on the weekend when he scored a hat trick against Hull. First goal, took his shirt off and showed a message dedicated to his father who recently passed away. He was booked
Goals 2 and 3, lifted the front of his shirt over his head to show the message. No bookings

 

[Grayson]

I was heading back to halfway and writing down the goal, I didn't see anything.

 

[Peter Grove]

Benrahma did exactly this on the weekend when he scored a hat trick against Hull. First goal, took his shirt off and showed a message dedicated to his father who recently passed away. He was booked
Goals 2 and 3, lifted the front of his shirt over his head to show the message. No bookings

Are you sure? I don't have a clip to hand to verify but I seem to remember that he was careful on the subsequent occasions to only lift the shirt to under his chin, presumably to avoid what is otherwise an automatic caution for covering the head with the shirt.

 

[Peter Grove]

OK, couldn't find a similar image for his second goal but on the third, he definitely didn't lift the shirt over his head, just to chin level


Also, I think this goes back to what I said earlier about putting the decision onto the referee's shoulders when the message could be in a foreign language that the referee might not understand. OK, I think most English people probably know what "Je t'aime, papa," means but what if he'd put it in Arabic, for instance? How is the referee supposed to decide whether it's worth a caution or even a red card, if they've no idea what the words mean?

 

[Sheffields Finest]

OK, couldn't find a similar image for his second goal but on the third, he definitely didn't lift the shirt over his head, just to chin level
View attachment 4056

Also, I think this goes back to what I said earlier about putting the decision onto the referee's shoulders when the message could be in a foreign language that the referee might not understand. OK, I think most English people probably know what "Je t'aime, papa," means but what if he'd put it in Arabic, for instance? How is the referee supposed to decide whether it's worth a caution or even a red card, if they've no idea what the words mean?

Another stupid rule made up by spoilsports, have the sanction yes but not make it mandatory!

 

[QuaverRef]

OK, couldn't find a similar image for his second goal but on the third, he definitely didn't lift the shirt over his head, just to chin level
View attachment 4056

Also, I think this goes back to what I said earlier about putting the decision onto the referee's shoulders when the message could be in a foreign language that the referee might not understand. OK, I think most English people probably know what "Je t'aime, papa," means but what if he'd put it in Arabic, for instance? How is the referee supposed to decide whether it's worth a caution or even a red card, if they've no idea what the words mean?

Just to be a bit pedantic, putting your shirt behind your head isn’t in the LOTG and is different to covering your head