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Sanctions for wearing OneLove armbands

C

CaptainsPlease

Well-Known Member
Level 6 Referee
Various outlets are reporting that team captains at the World Cup are under threat by FIFA of receiving a caution or suspension if they wear armbands supporting the OneLove campaign. And it looks like the national associations have dropped plans to wear the armbands in response.

In terms of Law 4, is this how it fits (I have added some bold for emphasis)? And if not allowed at the World Cup, what implications does that have everywhere else?

1. Safety... If a player is wearing or using unauthorised/dangerous equipment or jewellery... who refuses to comply or wears the item again must be cautioned.
...
5. Slogans, statements, images and advertising... Equipment must not have any political, religious or personal slogans... For any offence the player and/or the team will be sanctioned by the competition organiser, national football association or by FIFA.

But then directly under that there is

The following are (usually) permitted:
  • the player’s number, name, team crest/logo, initiative slogans/emblems promoting the game of football, respect and integrity as well as any advertising permitted by competition rules or national FA, confederation or FIFA regulations
 
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latest is that they're not going to wear it, and I agree (purely from a footballing perspective). it's not worth starting a game on a yellow!
 
I don't see how this is a caution offence.

Captains Armband = Compulsory so it isn't unauthorised equipment.

So it's 5.4 that applies which means any punishment would have to come from FIFA via their normal judiciary process ie charge, hearing etc. And not from the referee with an in game sanction. The referee need only report the slogan appearing on the Armband and then over to the competition organiser.

I imagine punishments are laid out in the competition rules but I'd imagine a suspension could be one of those. But they would need to follow their own rules.
 
protests (which this essentially was framed as) typically involve some form of personal sacrifice. If the captain isn't willing to get a yellow to show his solidarity with the cause (even for just one game) then it's clearly not the important to him. It's virtue signaling as he was only going to do it if there were no personal consequences. A shame.
 
Townie said:
protests (which this essentially was framed as) typically involve some form of personal sacrifice. If the captain isn't willing to get a yellow to show his solidarity with the cause (even for just one game) then it's clearly not the important to him. It's virtue signaling as he was only going to do it if there were no personal consequences. A shame.
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nah, can't agree with jeopardising your captain's position in this and future games for this or any protest. on a sporting level it isn't worth it
 
JamesL said:
I don't see how this is a caution offence.

Captains Armband = Compulsory so it isn't unauthorised equipment.

So it's 5.4 that applies which means any punishment would have to come from FIFA via their normal judiciary process ie charge, hearing etc. And not from the referee with an in game sanction. The referee need only report the slogan appearing on the Armband and then over to the competition organiser.

I imagine punishments are laid out in the competition rules but I'd imagine a suspension could be one of those. But they would need to follow their own rules.
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Captains aren't required to wear an armband in the LotG. All competitions obviously permit and tend to require a captain's armband, but when is an armband not a 'captain's armband' (nightmare!)
 
If Harry Kane cared that much, he wouldn't have gone to Qatar in the first place. All it would have taken was one big name to boycott the world cup and others would have followed. That would have been the powerful message Kane is looking for.
 
es1 said:
nah, can't agree with jeopardising your captain's position in this and future games for this or any protest. on a sporting level it isn't worth it
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Totally understand that pov, and it'd be a non-story for me if we'd heard nothing previously about how important it was for england to show solidarity with the lgbtq community. But we now see them as totally transparent words. I'm not saying the plan to wear them, or the potential bookings are right or wrong - It is just that personally for me I tend to prefer people to have the courage of their convictions.
 
I've seen FIFA are pointing out their equipment regulations specify they provide the armbands to be worn in Final competitions.

13.8
Captain’s armband:
13.8.1 For FIFA Final Competitions, the captain of each Team must wear the captain’s armband provided by FIFA. If FIFA provides a choice of captain’s armbands, the captain should wear the one that contrasts most clearly with the Sleeve on which it is worn.

13.8.2 In other Competitions and in International Friendly Matches, any captain’s armband worn by the captain of a Team:
13.8.2.1 must be of a colour or colour(s) so as to ensure a clear contrast with the Sleeve on which it is worn;
13.8.2.2 may not be incorporated into but rather must be separate from the Shirt itself;
13.8.2.3 must not include any Manufacturer Identifiers, Sponsor Advertising or Decorative Elements;
13.8.2.4 may display the word “captain” (or an abbreviation or translation thereof) in a legible font and with lettering no higher than 5cm
 
CaptainsPlease said:
I've seen FIFA are pointing out their equipment regulations specify they provide the armbands to be worn in Final competitions.

13.8
Captain’s armband:
13.8.1 For FIFA Final Competitions, the captain of each Team must wear the captain’s armband provided by FIFA. If FIFA provides a choice of captain’s armbands, the captain should wear the one that contrasts most clearly with the Sleeve on which it is worn.

13.8.2 In other Competitions and in International Friendly Matches, any captain’s armband worn by the captain of a Team:
13.8.2.1 must be of a colour or colour(s) so as to ensure a clear contrast with the Sleeve on which it is worn;
13.8.2.2 may not be incorporated into but rather must be separate from the Shirt itself;
13.8.2.3 must not include any Manufacturer Identifiers, Sponsor Advertising or Decorative Elements;
13.8.2.4 may display the word “captain” (or an abbreviation or translation thereof) in a legible font and with lettering no higher than 5cm
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But surely that would be a breach of competition rules and therefore a fine rather than bookable offence
 
Embarrassing climb-down. Hiding behind petty regulations is a distraction. First the "air conditioned summer tournament", then the beer, now this - if I were a gay person who had travelled to the WC under Qatari promises that I would be safe for the duration of the tournament, I'd be very worried about my safety given how little interest they've shown in honouring their promises so far.
 
CaptainsPlease said:
Captains aren't required to wear an armband in the LotG. All competitions obviously permit and tend to require a captain's armband, but when is an armband not a 'captain's armband' (nightmare!)
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You're right. But I think most comps I officiate in mandate the captain wears an armband but doesn't normally state what it has to look like...
My point is this is a competition rule breach, not LOTG.

Bit of digging and comp rules for WC state:

2.
FIFA will provide each participating team with a set of special equipment upon
arrival in the host country (e.g. drinks bottles, drinks coolers, medical bags,
captain’s armbands, etc.). This equipment shall be used at the stadium and
official training sessions, to the exclusion of any other similar items.
 
How about wearing it, and when asked by the referee to leave the field to 'correct the equipment' agree to do that.
Makes the point, and avoids a caution....??
 
It is bully boy tactics by FIFA, pure and simple. They know that no team will risk losing their captains to suspension, or even picking up a second caution in the game and getting sent off. Would they have gone through with ordering referees to caution as soon as the game kicks off? I believe they would, even if the referees were against it. If push came to shove they could just tell them to use USB showing a lack of respect for the game.

Infantino's position has become untenable in the past few days in my opinion. He moved to Qatar last year and is clearly bowing to last minute pressure from the hosts, probably worried about his own personal situation. Who knows if he would have taken the same actions, like agreeing to the last minute alcohol ban, banning the one love armbands even more last minute, and that ridiculous and cringeworthy speech, if he still lived in Switzerland, but I have real doubts.
 
It’s total 🐂💩. FA folded like a cheap deck chair. There was never a chance Kane was wearing that armband. It’s all just grandstanding ******** from all involved. Including pundits. The only care about any of the issues as long as it doesn’t effect them personally.
 
To paraphrase from twitter:

Things football players are prepared to accept a caution for:
* The right to recklessly tackle an opponent
* The right to take their shirt off to celebrate a goal
* The right to aggressively posture towards opponents
* The right to dissent referees decisions

Things football players aren't prepared to accept a caution for:
*The right to show solidarity with people killed for their sexuality
 
JamesL said:
I don't see how this is a caution offence.
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Could they stretch the definition of 'showing lack of respect for the game' under Unsporting Behaviour as the caution offence?

Agree this is finding a punishment to fit the 'crime' - FIFA well aware the association's would all have swallowed the fine for wearing them and they (probably under significant pressure from the host nation) had to do something to prevent it from being worn.
 
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