March 2nd,
2007
Nobody likes paperwork. But when a team official is dismissed
or you show a red card and
send-off a player it is not only important that you promptly and properly
complete the paperwork, it is required. It’s part of the job of
the referee.
We hope the following information will be helpful to both beginning
and experienced referees. One of the frustrating things for those
involved in the administration of this sport are send-off reports that are
poorly written, don’t provide the information needed and are not on the
appropriate form. Both experienced and inexperienced referees create
these frustrations.
You are to complete and forward to the appropriate authority a
report of any send-off you have in a match within 24 hours of the
incident. When you are involved with a tournament, you need to
complete the report as soon as the match is completed, if possible. Not
only is timeliness important for administrative purposes, but the sooner
you complete the report after the incident, the better your memory is of
the specifics.
Who are the “appropriate authorities”? Typically, it is a PAD
Committee, with PAD meaning Protests, Appeals and Discipline. If you have
a send-off and don’t know to whom to forward your report, check with the
assignor of the match. They should know, and they might also be a good
resource for checking your information.
Make sure you have blank copies of the CYSA “Referee’s Send-Off
Report”. If you are reading this you have access to that report. There’s
a link to the approved form at the beginning of the Referee Page on this
website. This report is the only one to be used for send-offs involving
youth play in
Northern California .
Essentially, the form is divided into three sections: Game and
Player Information, Reason for Send-off, and the Explanation.
Additionally, there is space on the first page of the form for information
concerning the name and phone numbers of the referee and assistant
referees. The referee needs to provide that information to the committee
in case they want further clarification. Also, on the bottom of the
second page there is space set aside for notes concerning the disciplinary
committee action. The referee leaves this space blank.
Under Game and Player Information, the referee is
required to list a number of pieces of information, none of which should
be difficult to provide. The “Registration # ” is on the player pass, and
the player pass MUST be submitted with the report. This is why you
collect the player passes prior to a match – so that if you do need
to keep a player pass you have it. After a game during which you have a
send-off, consult with your Assistant Referees to assure that the crew of
officials agree that the pass you are maintaining and not returning to the
manager of the team is indeed the player in question. The information you
forward to the Disciplinary Committee includes the report, the player pass
and the game card (properly completed, of course).
Please note that the “Time of Foul” means the point during the
match that the send-off occurred. During what minute of the match was the
player sent-off?
At the bottom of Game and Player Information is a box you can check
as to whether the send-off is a player or a coach. Technically, a coach
is not “sent-off”, they are “dismissed”. As you know, yellow and red
cards are for players and named substitutes only, so if you do dismiss a
coach, it is not correct to show them a red card. CYSA allows you to use
this report form for the dismissal of a coach, even though it should be
labeled as an “incident report” and not a “send-off”. The important
issue, however, is that if this does involve a coach that you provide the
scope and type of information needed by a disciplinary committee to
appropriately deal with irresponsible behavior by team officials.
The next section lists the seven Reasons for Send-off listed under Law 12
of the Laws of the Game. If you send-off a player, it must be for
one these reasons. Do you know the difference between Serious Foul
Play and Violent Conduct? If not, you need to find out.
Consult the “Advice to Referees on the Laws of the Game” for additional
guidance. If you don’t have a copy, you can obtain one through the
United States Soccer Federation, or view it online at:
The final, and most important section, of the
report is the “Explanation” of the situation that created the need for a
send-off. What you need to do is paint a picture with your words of why
the player was sent-off. You need to include when
the event occurred, who was involved, how the
violation took place, and what was the aftermath of the
occurrence. The Disciplinary Committee relies on the information you
provide to determine how many games the player will be suspended. If you
give the Committee little or no information to go on, then they will be
forced to minimize the suspension.
It is not your job to recommend how many games you
think the player should be suspended. Never indicate your opinion on this
matter when you complete a report. If you feel as though the send-off was
for a particularly egregious foul, for example, make sure the Committee
knows what happened in detail and let the process take its course.
Here’s a sample of what should be included in an explanation on a
referee’s report. We don’t have space to give you samples of every type
of send-off. But make sure that every report you write contains the key
elements that are within the following:
“In the 79th minute of play, the Red team was building
an attack near midfield. Red player #19 was in possession of the ball at
his feet and was looking downfield to distribute the ball. As he was
doing so, Blue player #7 (Bob Martinez) tackled Red #19 from behind, with
cleats up, making forceful contact with the player’s calf and clearly
endangering the safety of the opponent. Play was stopped, and the trainer
for the Red team was called onto the field to treat #19. Mr. Martinez was
shown the red card and sent-off for Serious Foul Play under the provisions
of Law 12. Mr. Martinez did not leave the field of play immediately.
Rather, he remained on the field for thirty to forty seconds, haranguing
the referee concerning the red card. After being restrained by his
teammates, he did finally leave the field without further incident. Red
player #19 was assisted from the field with an apparent injury to his left
calf. After a substitute entered the field to replace the injured player,
play was restarted with a direct free kick for the Red team at the spot of
the foul.”
Are you able to visualize the event after reading this
explanation? That is the purpose of the report, and should be your goal
every time you have to issue a send-off. Also, if there is offensive,
insulting or abusive language involved in your send-off, you need to
specifically spell out what language was used and to whom it was
directed. This, again, is important to the disciplinary committee.
None of us enjoy sending off players. But when you do, it is very
important that they be dealt with appropriately and that his or her
punishment is commensurate with the type and nature of the offense.
That’s why we have reports. And it is your job as a referee to do the
best job possible in completing those reports. MAKE SURE THAT WHAT YOU
WRITE IS LEGIBLE!!! None of this will matter if the committee can’t read
your writing.
.pdf
documents.
