Question Number: 24612

Character, Attitude and Control 2/23/2011

RE: select Under 19

tony of north vancouver, bc canada asks...

During the game the referee has approached the team bench and advised the team officials and any players present that any further questioning of his calls will result in an automatic red card.Does he have the authority to do this? No insulting or abusive language was used.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Tony
There are two answers to this. The referee, when he believes that his authority is being undermined by constant questioning from bench personnel plus the calling has a detrimental affect on the game, can remove those technical staff that are persisting with the unsatisfactory behaviour. The Law is silent on whether a warning is required and in most cases the referee probably will issue a warning which he did in this case.
In the case of substitutes on the bench the questioning of decisions must be treated as dissent and as such the substitute has to be cautioned. A card must be shown to the substitutes and a repeat will result in a 2nd caution and a dismissal. A substitute cannot be dismissed for dissent. The behaviour does not have to include the use of insulting and abusive language which is a straight dismissal in its own right .
No cards are shown except to players and substitutes.

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

A red card cannot be issued for simply arguing with a referee, unless it's offensive, insulting, and/or abusive. Dissent is a cautionable offence - and players, substitutes and substituted players are all to be dealt with via cards. The only time a red would be issued is if there was a second yellow given to a player, substitute, or substituted player for dissent.

The law is a little less clear on team officials, and the referee is certainly within his rights to tell them that further outbursts will result in their removal from the vicinity of the field of play. Continued dissent not only undermines the authority of the referee but has a detrimental effect on the match as it does affect how the players intereact with the referee, the opposition and the game, thus a removal may well be justified. In no case may a card be shown to a team official.

Answer provided by Referee Gene Nagy

Tony, most soccer fans refer to 'red cards' as a dismissal. In the case of team officials there is no red card, just a dismissal.
Reading between the lines, I think what you are saying is that the ref told the team officials that any more nonsense from them and they will be dismissed.
Now you ask if the ref has a right to do this. You bet! I have done it myself. Think of the other option: no warning, just a dismissal! How would they like that?
We are talking man management here. The ref has had enough and he can't take it anymore. Some fur is going to fly so he better tell the perpetrators about it. I think it's perfectly sensible!

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

If the remarks were addressed to the team officials, this is the correct procedure. This is their warning, equivalent to a caution for a player. Cards are shown only to players. The ref should also have stated that the coach's actions were going to be reported.

If the ref meant to include players in his pronouncement, then no, that is not his perogative. (Was he bluffing, to see if he could get the behavior changed without cautioning the players?) He could start dishing out yellow cards for dissent, but can't go directly to a red, even with this verbal warning.

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 24662