A&H

Off the ball incidents and out of view of the referee

joe cunningham

joe cunningham

Well-Known Member
Hi all,
Quick question I've been wondering about. Say if 2+ players started to fight behind your back and parents/coaches alerted you of it. You look round and see a player on the floor with Bleeding or other signs of assault. You stop play and go over to see what's happend but as you didn't see what's gone on you are not sure who committed the offence. Parents tell you that number x as just punched him. Would you be correct to go with the word of the parents and coaches and send the player off for violent conduct or would you allow the injured player to get treatment and not send anybody off as you didn't see it?

Sorry it's quite long winded
 
The Referee Store
You can't send a player off on the word of the spectators - how do you know the other guy didn't start it? Would be pretty unfair then. Perhaps that guy was choking the 'assailaint' and he had no choice?
Not seeing it, you can't do anything about it. Some on here would suggest trying to at least get an admission of the punch - pull him aside, 'why did you punch him?', if he admits it then that's sufficient for a red card. Others would argue against it.
Let's assume this has happened. Moving forwards in the game, you'd want to be keeping a very, very close eye on off-the-ball incidents, and always leave a trailing eye on these 2 in particular, in case somebody else retaliates. You may need to adjust your positioning - move into a position that allows you a wider view keeping an eye on things. You may need to move wider and/or deeper. It may compromise your other positioning a little - but positioning is always a tradeoff - do you prioritise X or Y? I'm not saying you must do this, just consider it.
I'd want to tighten up on the game for the next ten minutes or so, make sure there's no silly business - although again, sometimes you can find this makes things worse. What do others on here think about that?
Also, would probably be worth getting the captains in at this point. Let them know that you didn't see it, but you're going to be keeping a very close eye on things and you'll be quick to deal with even a hint of aggression. Let them know that it's better for them to deal with their players before you have to, but you want them to help you keep everybody on the park.
You're going to need to look very confident in this situation - your authority has already been badly undermined by you missing this. The only thing that's going to get the players to accept your decision is how you handle this exact moment, and how you look doing it.
Finally, you'd want to reflect - what occurred earlier in the match? Why did you miss this incident?

Additionally, this is important for the AR's and 4th officials. You should CONSTANTLY be scanning the field. Focus on your primary task, of course, but when you can afford to take your eye off the offside line, scan the field. AR's in particular often have more luxury to use the 'trailing eye' - and this goes for the far AR as well. Even the 4th official needs to consciously, constantly scanning the field, and not ball watching. Spectators pay at the gate.
 
CapnBloodbeard is right.
You can't make a decision to show a red card based on something which you yourself didn't see, unless the information comes from a properly qualified (and appointed) assistant on that game.
I know it's difficult, especially when you're feeling under pressure to do something "expected" of you by parents/coaches and when the evidence you have seen suggests there is so obviously a culprit to be dealt with, but you are the eyes and ears of the match - not the spectators. All you'd be able to do really in the example you describe is loudly and publically warn both players that you are now "on their case" (perhaps not the best choice of words ;) :D ) allow play to continue as per the LOTG and, as advised above, employ that trailing eye and be extra vigilant.
If it were me, regarding the accusation of assault by one of the players on another (because that's exactly what it is remember) I'd make sure I recorded the exact time of the incident and post-match write down my exact recollection of the whole thing. ;) :)
 
Would you believe it? This ACTUALLY happened in tonight's A-league match (Australian professional competition), between Central Coast Mariners and Wellington Phoenix.

CCM and WP have a bit of a grab and push, nothing major, ball in play, free kick is correctly awarded to WP. As they're releasing, WP throws an elbow to the face os CCM. Inexplicable, the referee missed it - inexplicable because, seconds after you've given a foul, how can you NOT be looking at the relevant players? and if he was unsighted, how did the near AR not offer his opinion? His view certainly wasn't blocked.

Anyway, a few seconds pass, and it looks like the referee (and all officials) has taken his eye off the players. Next thing, crowd shouts out. WP player is on the ground, CCM standing, holding his head, blood pouring from his eyebrow. Referee has no idea what happened. No immediate response from the other official. Referee eventually runs over to the AR, but I feel like if the AR saw it, he would have signalled straight away.

What happened was WP ran up to the CCM player again, and as he got near, CCM headbutted him. Disgraceful. But none of the officials saw it.

So what did the referee do after consulting with the AR? Caution both players!!! I can accept a caution as a kind of understandably wrong decision for the elbow, but for a headbutt? Not at all. To me, this is a painfully obvious 'I have no idea what happened, I'm sure both players did something so I'll just book both' decision. Utterly ridiculous.

But here's the rub: The Match Review Panel can act upon incidents that the referee hasn't taken action on. Even if the referee has seen it but not made a decision, they can act upon it. So, both players could have been suspended. But, by cautioning both, the referee has made a decision.

What this means is that by making an appallingly bad, 'NFI what happened so I'll just card anybody involved' decision, he's ensured that a player who elbowed an opponent to the face - and a player who headbutted an opponent - can't be suspended. big impact.

Disturbingly, this is the second major incident in 2 weeks that was completely missed by all the officials. I can kind of understand the elbow, may have just looked like flailing limbs - but the headbutt being missed? Each official at that match has completely failed there.
 
What id do is if you haven't spotted what has happened call captains and say look I've not seen what's happened but i will not tolerate anything and from now on I'll be blowing for everything until you can be trusted again
 
If I havent seen it, then I'm not giving it. Yes in the short term it can make you look like a chump. But I've actually found match control is better by admitting you havent seen something, rather than guessing and making decisions. No one likes that. I've had two major incidents of not seeing something, one was an elbow from the striker when lining up for a freekick. I took him aside and said I didnt see it, so I couldnt give it, but I'd watch him like a hawk for the rest of the game and had nothing else from him. Other was a handball, where a defender apparently caught the ball in the penalty area. I had a decent position etc, just didnt see it. I could tell by the attacking teams reaction a few seconds later I'd missed something big. Half time both their captain and manager and fuming and come to talk to me. I say I was unsighted, so couldnt give what I didnt see. Both pretty much accepted these things happen. Its when you try and pretend you've seen something you get yourself into trouble, in my experience.
 
DaveMac said:
Other was a handball, where a defender apparently caught the ball in the penalty area. I had a decent position etc, just didnt see it. I could tell by the attacking teams reaction a few seconds later I'd missed something big. Half time both their captain and manager and fuming and come to talk to me. I say I was unsighted, so couldnt give what I didnt see. Both pretty much accepted these things happen. Its when you try and pretend you've seen something you get yourself into trouble, in my experience.
Click to expand...

Yep. On more than one occasion during matches I've had the ball blasted/clipped into a bunch of players with their backs to me, the ball disappears for a second and then several loud shouts of "handball!!". Maybe there was, but if I don't clock it, I'm not giving it. I'm always careful to move position quickly and immediately shout "Not seen gentlemen" amid any protests. Sometimes it just happens. Nothing you can do about it. :)
 
Exactly. The one I missed I had a great view of the attacker in the area, any touch I'd have spotted for a penalty. Just as he hit the ball across goal a defender ran in my line of vision, so missed what happened. By all accounts the defender caught the all with both hands and dropped it. Didnt see it at all, but the second I start giving things that probably happened on a pitch is a fairly slippery slope of refereeing!
 
I had one where the ball took a wicked deflection off someone and came towards me, so I did my best to try and get out of the way as there was a player from each team bearing down on me, one on either side. Both players crunched each other right behind me. Cue one set of players and supporters going ballistic and the other side being suspiciously quiet. I looked a right idiot when I had to play on as I hadn't seen the incident. At least the assessor agreed with my decision though.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top