Question Number: 14580

Character, Attitude and Control 12/12/2006

RE: Under 16

John of larne, Northern Ireland asks...

two players go for the ball, in a good competitive tackle, the referee sees nothing wrong and allows play to continue. As one player gets up (team A) he pushes the other one (team B), who puts his hands out to protect himself. This player (team B) is then headbutted in the chest by the player from (team A). A youth comes on to the pitch from (team A's) sideline and grabs the player who has been headbutted in the chest (team B) and brings him to the ground, the centre forward of (team A) rushes over and stamps twice on the head of the player from (team B). The youth (team A) who brought the player from (team B) to the ground proceeds to stamp a further two times on the head of the player from (team B).
The ref has seen the player from (team A) and the youth from (team A's) sideline stamp on the player from (team B). A number of players from (team B) go to try and help their player, who is on the ground and surrounded.
By this time some players from (team A) and (team B) are jostling with each other and as the incident was on the far corner of the pitch from (team B's) sideline it has taken the officials of this team time to cross the pitch, to attend the player from (team B) who is lying on the ground with blood pouring from a head wound.
What is the referees course of action in this situation. ?
Can he abandon the match?
Can he report what he has seen?
Is he entitled to leave the youth match and walk away?
Does he have a duty of care?
Is his safety first?

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Referees are told NOT to intervene but to watch carefully in order to be able to punish the proper people. AT a youth match, about the time I see 2-3 players from one team stomping an opponent, you can bet your butt I'm gonna be manhandling a few players of Team A and slinging them across the pitch. This is nothing more than mob/thug behavior. The 3 persons from Team A that the referee knows were involved are sent off and shown red cards for Violent Conduct. Whether or not the referee terminates the match has to do with whether he can resume control. If not, everyone goes home. Of course he must write this up and file a report with the proper authorities. the thugs that were doing the stomping will hopefully be beanned from play for life. I would have hoped the referee would have intervened BEFORE the head stomping occurred.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

I wonder why we got beyond the 2nd or 3rd sentence of the description. This wasn't a case of misconduct occuring away from play, unseen by the refs. The ref had just viewed a tackle which he judged fair and consequently made no call. Watching the two for a couple seconds more is the wise thing to do, either by the referee or the nearest AR.

If we got all the way down to the end of the paragraph, I would be hard pressed to see how the game could continue. The ref would probably need to terminate it because there would be no way to control it after that. It may be abandoned because 5 or more players from one team were sent off.

I would also hope that the referee would write his report in no uncertain terms so that the head-stompers would receive a long-term ban on playing. Perhaps until the next century or so.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

This is one of "those" incidents where I will put myself in harm's way. I will get in the middle of this and it WILL cease. My report will indicate my FAILURE to watch a second or so after the ball was gone because that would have prevented the altercation.

If the idiot from the touchline got there before I did he would he explaining things to the local authorities. If I got to the player on the floor before him he would be doing his kicking AFTER he went through me. In both cases he would require treatment by medical personnel.

The match. We'll do this another day and without the services of those who kick things other than the ball...

Note: these actions are not sanctioned by my national organisation nor by yours. I have a hard time watching when someone is attacking anyone who is unable to defend himself or herself. It just works that way in me. Someday I'll draw the short stick and be the one injured, until that time you engage in an assault on my pitch and you have to deal with me.

Regards,