OK, for those doubting Thomas' among you, I'm going to put my points across as much on a line by line basis to demonstrate that this shouldn't have been a dismissal
So there I was, enjoying my time on the line in last nights cup final.
Big game? You were up for it. Players were up for it. Possibly players who aren't used to working with neutral assistants? One of those neutral assistants gives a decision, which if he'd been as far away as the referee, he may not have given or probably wouldn't have heard the comment afterwards?
Half time whistle blows. Lovely.
We walk back out and get the game underway. Greens (attacking), Blues (defending). The ball has been pumped upfield by the greens goalie, the drop zone is ten yards inside the blues half and about ten yards out from myself. Green and blue both jump to challenge. Green looks at the ball, then the player, then the ball again...
So player looks at the ball, then his nearest opponent, then the ball, then challenges for the ball and the opponent falls to the ground.?
He bundles over the blue, referee looks at me and I give the signal for the free kick (to blue). Player reacts angrily. "What are you on about lino".
First thing, why are you hanging about? Surely when the decision has been given, you should be on your toes and up the line to re-position in line with the 2nd rear most defender?
"Player, you've gone through the back of him".... "But I wasn't even facing the ball". "Which is why you've gone through the back of him".... I look at him, he looks at me.. there's a pause... he's thinking...
Second thing, why are you engaging with the player? He’s not going to be happy with you, is he? Considering the context of the game and his age, he’s always going to have a smart comment to come back with, isn’t he? Another reason to be on your toes up the line
How loudly? And yes, in a Cup Final it does matter.
He then throws his arm up in the air and turns his back to me... The little tinker!!
The classic dissent by action… punishable by a caution. Take this in context again. In a Cup Final, everyone and everybody gets just a little more lee-way, everyone, even the officials. It’s an occasion to be managed. It’s a very different sort of game from a semi-final or a promotion/relegation decider.
I flag the ref over, he approaches and turns next to me, facing the field of play. I explain what was said. "It's your call DB".
Big mistake. HUGE MISTAKE. It’s his Final, it’s his call, it’s his match control that will go out the window
Another mistake, you should tell him what happened, not what you want
This referee isn’t so daft. He knows the effect of this decision. He offers you a way out, but you charge headlong
"Absolutely. I won't be spoken to like that, in that situation!"
I’ve worked with some pretty senior people in work and football and a single uttered comment like that would not even register as a dismissal/disciplinary offence. It might be a caution or a b*ll*cking, especially if it comes from an U18. Or maybe that’s the issue, you didn’t like a youngster speaking to you like that?
Player gets dismissed (he's unhappy).
I’m not surprised, his hormones, adrenaline and overzealous officiating may have just cost his team the Final.
A few shouts from the crowd on my side, nothing like I expected though.
Maybe because they didn’t hear it
How can you be sure? Did you ask them or did you have to tell them why he’d been sent off?
The rest of the game, not a peep.
10 minutes before full time, it's 1-1. Referee awards a penalty. I remember his pre match briefing regarding the procedure. Before the ball is kicked, the keeper is 4 yards off his line and subsequently saves the shot. I flag, penalty retaken.
What were the pre-match instructions regarding the taking of penalties and the leeway, the referee would allow? Also 4 yards? That lad should sign up for Rio if he can move that far, that fast. If the referee has asked for a flag when you want a penalty re-taken, he’s hanging you out to dry. You should merely stand still, use a buzzer (if you have one) and not return to your patrol path on the line.
Keeper does exactly the same thing but the ball goes in the net.
Got to love keepers who do that and then it’s the referee’s fault for not taking it again…
Queue the shouts from the bench.
Greens went on to win 3-1 with 10 men.
Thank goodness for that or things might have been less than friendly at the end of proceedings if they’d lost
You know what annoys me? As a player, I don't put myself in these situations. If I did, I would accept whatever disciplinary sanction came my way. But the guys I've been officiating recently just seem to have no regard whatsoever for their own actions.
That’s right. It’s a common train of thought with many referees I speak to. There is no doubt indiscipline is on the rise. Times they are a changing. Now like you I wanted to be the protector of standards, to rage against every little instance of indiscipline, but I found out pretty quickly that waging a one man war wasn’t going to solve things.
There's a few ways that you can get away with telling me to f-off. In the instant I blow the whistle, if it is frustration, I will manage it. A quick word and maybe a caution would be suffice depending on the nature of the player. Perfectly manageable situation. Absolutely depends on the nature of it. But I certainly won't tolerate being told to f-off when I am in conversation with the player and the incident had passed. That is completely manageable by the player.
Maybe for you as the player, but not for a 17/18 year old who might be playing in his first cup final and got a bit annoyed at you signalling he’d pushed an opponent?
All parties at the game agreed with my my "match-changing" decisions. The ref, asst, 4th official (RDO) and the head of the youth competition who was behind the goal for the penalties. Yet, it was me that ruined the game. The penalty was to even it out... Y'know, all that rubbish!
Nevermind, it comes with the territory. Apart from that, I hope you enjoyed the game overall
