Question Number: 9850

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct

RE: Pro Other

Dennis Griffin of Trenton, NJ asks...

You forum (and Law 12) has always stated that cards(red/yellow) are for players and substitutes. But I read (see below) that a coach received a red card in a WC qualifier..."After a goalless first half, Saturday's game changed in the 49th minute when Bulgarian Blagoy Georgiev was sent off for a bad tackle on Arsenal midfielder Fredrik Ljungberg. The sending off enraged Stoichkov who in turn was shown a red card.".."Belgian Referee Frank de Bleeckere showed a red card to Stoichkov during the World Cup qualifier versus Sweden"..Was this bad reporting or bad officiating?

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Bad reporting, as usual

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

If the referee did show a card to the coach he'll still be explaining his action to the match inspector. This is something the Laws of the Game do not allow him to do. ..Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Victor Matheson

The referee may dismiss coaches and bench personnel from the field, but is not supposed to actually display or show them the red card. The effect is the same as a red card to a field player or a substitute, so in common language, one might say the coach has been "red carded" even if no red card was shown. While I try to use precise language when writing up game reports, when I am simply telling colleagues that I had to get rid of a coach, I usually say "I red-carded the coach" rather than "I dismissed the coach from the field of play."