Question:
What does a player have to say to be sent off and shown a straight red card for the “use of offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or gestures”?

I watched the New York at Colorado game on MLSLive.tv and in the 81st minute Colorado defender (and USA National Team player) Pablo Mastroeni felt AR1 Bill Dittmar missed a clear offside call and began screaming at Dittmar from across the field, and clearly saying (from the replay) “F#@# You!” directed right at Dittmar. Dittmar does nothing. Only after the next minute or so when Mastroeni continued to scream at him for the “missed call” did Dittmar finally get Weyland’s attention and indicate to him that Mastroeni needs to be cautioned for dissent. Caution? So what does a player have to say to actually be sent off for the language they use toward officials?

Is USSF reviewing this and punishing Mastroeni further? And how could the CO coach protest and give the 4th official an earful after Mastroeni was cautioned? My question is why wasn’t Mastroeni sent off?

Do players cuss on the field? Of course. But directed toward an official!? That shouldn’t be. I’m reading a book by former English Premier League Referee David Elleray and I know by the things he’s said in his book that Mastroeni would have been sent off right away.

Have things changed that much since the early to mid 90s when Elleray was around?

USSF answer (July 8, 2008):
One of the things we need to remember when watching professional and international games is that the game is called differently at every level of play, whether it is the pros, top senior amateur, other amateur, top-level youth play, lower-level youth play, etc. The pro players are more experienced and are willing to put up with and dish out more than the referee will allow at the senior amateur level of play (and so on down the line) and a lot more than referees should or will allow for younger, less experienced and conditioned players. In any event, the MLS looks at all instances of this nature and deals with them through its disciplinary process.

The matter of dissent and how the professional-level referee should judge it was covered in the “Referee Week in Review 14,” under Dissent, which you can find at this URL:
http://www.ussoccer-data.com/docfile/LessonsLearnedWeek_14_2008.htm

When deciding whether a player’s actions are cautionable for dissent (by word or action) or can be red carded for offensive or insulting or abusive language and/or gestures apply the following criteria:
〈        Public
Are the player’s actions public in nature? From a visual perspective, can others see it and, if so, what message is the player sending? Verbally, who can hear the comments (other players, spectators, television) – consider the volume of the comments? Are the actions or comments meant to “show the referee up?” Consider whether the actions/comments create a negative impression/attitude towards the referee in general.

〈        Personal
Are the comments directed at the referee or just said as a reasonable emotional reaction to a poor play? Consider the tone of voice and the derogatory content of what was said. Are the actions of the player aimed at the referee or merely personal frustration?

〈        Provocative
Are the comments or actions intended to incite further misconduct or heighten the tension level? Do the comments elicit anger and potentially provoke further conflict on the field? Consider the ramifications of racial or gender based comments.

Overall, are the comments and actions disrespectful to “any referee” – not just to the referee to whom they were addressed? Officials must be aware of actions/comments that undermine the position of the referee and must take the appropriate action that matches the actions of the player.

As to Mr. Elleray’s book, we do not comment on the works of retired referees from other countries.…

Question:
situation: girls age14/16 rec game.
tight game 2- 1 going into 4 period (extremely hot that day, halves broken into periods). last 30 sec. of game a corner is awarded to the team down by one. goes of defending team, down team awarded another corner. kick is good this time. there are probably 12 to 15 players in front of the goal. in the melee the ball is almost caught by a member of defending team and immediately dropped out of surprise by the action. parents and spectators witnessed the infraction. I was out of position and had no idea that anything had happened. nothing was called by the referee. the game ends.

upon shaking hands with the ref at centered field, he tells me,”i know your parents are going to complain, but with that many players in the box, you are not going to get that call.” I still had no clue what he ws talking about. after talking to parents and other spectators and hearing about what they saw, i put two and two together.

Question:
Did the ref see something and not call it because of the situation?
Wouldn’t a valid hand ball be a valid hand ball regardless of the situation?

USSF answer (July 7, 2008):
Girls 14-16 rec game? Hot day? The referee probably saw the possible infringement as an accident.

However, let’s look at the possibilities. If it was seen and:
– if a defender “caught” the ball and then, in surprise/shock/embarrassment, dropped the ball, it should have been a penalty kick (and a red card if, but for the handling, the ball would have gone in the net).
– if the ball was kicked into the crowd of assorted attackers/defenders and struck the hand of a defender who pulled her hand back in surprise/shock/embarrassment, there was no foul or misconduct and the match ended properly.…

Question:
I was working a tournament and the field that I was on had the temporary style goals. Because of the style of goals and the way the ground was the top right corner of the goal was leaning back from the field. We had a player come down the left side of the field and at about 5 feet off the end line took a shot. The ball crossed the opening of the goal and hit the inside of the upright near the top on the right side. Due to the angle of the shot the ball then bounced back toward the player that took the shot. With the amount that this corner was leaning back when the ball hit the inside of the post the ball had fully crossed the line. My A/R was right on the line and put his flag up. When I looked at him he sprinted up the field and I awarded the goal.

Some referees say this is a good goal and others say it was not. In your opinion did we call this correct?

USSF answer (June 23, 2008):
The Law requires that the ball cross the entire goal line, below the crossbar and between the goal posts. If that was the case in your game, then the goal was legal.

Your question brings up an important point regarding the pregame inspection: If the referee inspects the field and finds it meets the standards required by Law 1, when in fact it does not, then he or she places his or her authority and credibility in danger when a situation like this occurs. Lesson to be learned: Be certain that both teams know of the condition and how you will call goals. This, of course, violates our general instruction that referees not lecture the players or make “promises” as to what they will do, but this is the exception that proves the rule.

Even if the referee has inspected the field before the game, this sort of thing could happen if a player had run into the temporary goal just a moment before the situation you describe occurred. We believe that the whole of the ball crossing the whole of the goal line between where the goal posts SHOULD be is enough to call it a goal.…

Question:
The referee calls half-time in a game between reds and blues.
A blue player had been badly fouled just after the whistle. He then reacts and punches the red player in the face in the tunnel on the way to the changing room.
The players come out for half time, but the blue’s manager decides that he knows the player will get sent off and tries to substitute him before the restart.

Would the red player be booked for the late and bad challenge on the blue player?

Would the blue player get sent off before the sub can be made?

Would the substitute get sent off after it has been made?

Would the manager be sent off for unsporting conduct?

USSF answer (June 16, 2008):
The referee’s power to show cards and mete out punishment begins during the period immediately prior to the start of play and extends through the period of time immediately following the end of play, i. e., the end of the game, while players and substitutes are physically on the field but i the process of exiting. Any misconduct by a player that occurs during the halftime interval may be punished as if it had occurred when the ball was in play. To prevent misunderstandings, the referee should inform officials of both teams before the first period of play begins of any cautions or send-offs occurring prior to the start of the match; the same is true of any cautions or send-offs occurring during the halftime interval.

Under no circumstances could the act in question be considered a foul, as the ball was out of play. The act you describe would be considered violent conduct, a sending-off offense. The blue player should be sent off prior to the beginning of the second half. No substitution would be allowed. There would be no need to do anything to the manager, whose action would be common sense, not irresponsible behavior.…