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Law 5 - The Referee - Clarification of Duties
There seems to be confusion on what the correct procedures are when dealing with the behavior of a coach and/or bench personnel. Law 5 outlines the authority of a referee in dealing with these individuals. Specifically it states that a referee “takes action against team officials who fail to conduct themselves in a reasonable manner and may, at his discretion, expel them from the field of play and its’ immediate surrounds”. Please pay special note to the two highlighted words.
The Laws of the Game are written in broad terms to encompass many situations. For further help a referee should seek guidance from other resources. The first resource should be the Advice to Referees. You may access this resource book at:
Advice to Referees - 2011
To help clarify the highlighted words above, the Advice to Referees offers the following guidance; “the referee should only take action against coaches or other team officials for irresponsible behavior or for actions that bring the game into disrepute. A coach or other team official may not be cautioned or sent off, nor shown any card; however, at the discretion of the referee, such persons may be warned regarding their behavior or expelled from the field of play and its’ immediate area. When a coach or other team official is expelled, the referee must include detailed information about such incidents in the match report.
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Irresponsible – every referee will have a baseline criterion for irresponsible behavior. As the old adage goes; does the dog wag the tail, or does the tail wag the dog. As referee, it is your game; take control when necessary. |
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Bring the game into disrepute – the beauty of the game is paramount. Actions by players, coaches and team officials must not be allowed to impinge on the flow of the game, the play of other players and the spectacle of the match. |
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May not be cautioned or sent off, nor shown any card – Law 12 states that the only individuals that are subject to Disciplinary Sanctions are a player, substitute or substituted player, therefore, the only individuals who can be shown a yellow or red card. |
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Expelled – The Laws of the Game do not speak to a coach or team personnel being “ejected”, but Law 5 does speak to them being “expelled”. Using the correct terminology in your reports is paramount. |
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The referee…detailed information…match report – the referee does not use the “Ejection Report” for this purpose. Detailed information about the incidents must be put in an email and sent to the following: (a) SRA – wwilson@nebref.org, (b) NSSA – director@nebraskastatesoccer.org, (c) the league contact (ENSA, NSL, etc.). |
Advice to Referees - Ask, Tell, Dismiss (new language)
In a news release from the U.S. Soccer Federation Referee Program dated May 2012, a new term has officially been introduced. This term is a modification to The Advice to Referees, Section 5.10.
While the basics of the Section 5.10 remain generally the same, the “Ask, Tell, Remove” process is being replaced with the ASK, TELL, DISMISS concept. See the attachment for a copy of the news release. Read it carefully and be ready to apply this revised concept on the field and in any incident reports that you file.
In addition to the attachment, you should also review the video presentation at the following link: http://www.brainshark.com/ussoccer/vu?pi=zHTzFZPXiz31xyz0 .
Dates to Remember:
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The Nebraska Championships (State Cup) for ages U13/U14/U19 will be held May 30, 2012, through June 10, 2012. If you would like to be considered to referee in the tournament, contact Wayne Wilson at wwilson@nebref.org or Jason Francois at jfrancois@nebref.org. |
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The mandatory USSF Physical Fitness Test for Grades 5 - 7, and any referees seeking an upgrade for 2013, will be given on June 2, 2012, and June 9, 2012. More information about the fitness test can be found on the Fitness Test Information page. |
If you have any questions about anything mentioned above, please contact Wayne Wilson, SRA, at wwilson@nebref.org.
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