Question Number: 20519

Character, Attitude and Control 11/15/2008

RE: Competitive Adult

Jack of Sydney, NSW Australia asks...

I found an interesting video on YouTube:

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=KYTfLxH-LjU

How could the referee have better prevented the mass confrontation occurred? Was there any way? He ran in there very fast to try to divert players away, but instead it seemed every player rushed in.

I am confident the sanctions applied were correct (caution for the initial kick on the keeper, send-off for the keeper's violent swipe at the throat of the attacker), but do you believe further sanctions should/could have been applied to the team members that crowded the referee after the send-off? the fact the referee had to back all the way from the penalty mark to the corner of the penalty area seemed to detract from his authority a fair bit.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

These events need to be managed by actions from the league given clear video evidence of threats and intimidation.

This occurs because it appears unrealistic for the referee to caution or send off everybody since a few of the bodies are trying to get their team-mates to get away or separate the combatants.

There has to be a genuine constructive effort from the top to squash these things in a way those on the field will think twice about swarming the referee.

Personally I think all those who refuse to leave the area should be mandatory cautions to start with and any VC added. Team fines, point deductions, suspensions etc... Make it IMPACT behaviour BECAUSE it COSTS something dear.

I might consider whistling blaring and running in hard to the fray quicker than anyone seeing the potential for conflict. If we are awarding a caution for the reckless nature of the challenge to the keeper, one COULD try to intervene with the yellow card already out and verbally warn those who are nearby to, 'Stay away I have it!', and try separating the creator of our misadventure from the flash point ASAP.

However, at times these incidents are created by the stubborn refusal to clear the area or not accept the referee's intervention as sufficient. If you as a player, can draw a retaliatory reaction from your opponent after you just got caught out then you know you might not be sanctioned alone hence a bit of baiting and viola the other team suffers a worse fate even though they got the free kick.

I cannot disagree with your assessment the keeper KNOWING the referee was involved decided to add some sanctions of his own and flagrantly waved it in the face of the referee. Unless the league brass have the cojones to step-up and effectively deal with this it will continue and the referee will try to extricate himself as best he can without turning the game into a farce by sending off so many the game must be abandoned.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

We have no idea what the referee is saying while in the midst of this fracas, but it is obvious he is trying to control the situation. The red keeper surely knows this and acted like a fool when he took a swing at the white player. I suppose the referee could have entered the fray with the yellow card in hand but I'm not about to criticize him for the way he tried to calm things down. The players rushing the referee should be punished by the League for their actions

Answer provided by Referee Steve Montanino

This was from the second-leg of the USL 1st divison semi-final, and it was between the only two Canadian teams in that league. So tensions were already high.

I hate to see 10 players gang up against a referee... they should have been sanctioned severely.