Question Number: 29411

League Specific 5/16/2015

RE: Adult

John of London, Buckinghamshire England asks...

In regards to the Scottish Football Association rules does a straight Red Card in the last match of the normal season give an automatic 1 or 2 match ban in the play offs.
I assumed that if a player got a Red Card in the last match of the normal season it ended at that point and did not carry over into the play offs.
Knowing me, probably wrong.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi John,
unfortunately a straight red, he is missing, at minimum, the very next match playoff or not!
Unless there is a weird bylaw within the Scottish pro league I am unfamiliar with. There are procedures to overturn or dispute cards , cost money, must be filed by certain time, which might suspend the red card until a committee ruled on it but highly improbable.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi John
The Scottish FA deem that play offs are part of the League competition so a player that is sent off in the last game of the season will miss the required number of games in the play offs. If the player was sent off for two cautions he will miss the first game of the play off. A straight red card for denying an obvious goal scoring opportunity will result at a minimum of one game while serious foul play will result in a minimum of two games.
That is also in keeping with the FIFA rule that any player sent off must miss the next game in that competition.