Question Number: 27789

Mechanics 9/20/2013

RE: High School

Michael of Monroe, CT United States asks...

In a Varsity game, defending team commits a technical foul, deserving a yellow card. I whistled the foul ran to the spot with my yellow card out. I could not see a number on the offending player and in the ensuing mess of players he disappeared. The attacking team were giving me a number. I declined to use their information. The captain of the offending team would not give up the player. I carded the captain.
Help!

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

Carding the captain is not appropriate under TLOG, high school (NFHS) or college (NCAA) rules. Moreover, it is usually unwise. A card to the captain turns a potential ally in dealing with future issues into an unhappy victim, and risks losing credibility with both teams since everyone knows the captain isn't the one who did it.

There are a few options. The opponents gave you the number. Go to that player and ask 'why did you do that?' You may get an answer - and the answer is a confession. You can then card based on the admission.

High school (NFHS) provides you with another option. Rule 12.8.4b allows you to caution or disqualify the head coach for team misconduct or for bench misconduct that 'cannot be attributed to a specific player.' IMO, it is bending the rule to conclude that the failure to identify who committed the original misconduct is indeed 'team misconduct', but there is a value to carding the coach. The perp may confess rather than face the wrath of the coach.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Michael
Interesting learning point here. Always identify the offender in a caution situation and make the mental note. When that does not happen the offender can slip away into the group of players which means that the referee is then dependent on others for information which is not a good position to be in. ARs can and should help but in the absence of independent advice the referee has to either by deduction arrive at an answer or just ignore it.
Personally I would have taken the opponents' opinion and spoken with that player to ascertain his take on what happened. He will either plead total ignorance (unlikely) or say that he went for the ball or give another excuse. that confirms the decision.
The more difficult one is the dismissal / red card. Clearly 2nd hand information is not good enough there to write up a report. that places the referee in an impossible situation.
BTW a player should not be sanctioned for an offence he did not commit and that includes the captain.
I once had an unseen minor VC incident behind my back and I had a fair idea that a certain player committed the offence which was confirmed by the opponents. The captain informed me that I did not see it and that I could not take action. I told the captain that if player x as much as sneezed for the last 20 minutes he was going to be dismissed. The team substituted the player about 2 minutes later. As I did not see the VC and without neutral ARs I was unable to do anything. I got a bit of a result which helped the match control and I later apologised to the opponents for the incident which happened behind my back which they fully accepted.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

The Captain has no obligation to give up his teammate and,in fact, may not have known. Carding him was improper.
I would have taken the player identified by the opponents and talked with him. You may have been able to tell if he was indeed the perpetrator.
NFHS allows you to card the coach for team misconduct but that seems a stretch here.
Take home point is not to lose the player in a crowd

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

See Question: 27818