Question:
During a recent away game for a U-14 boys team, both teams arrived at the field in time, but the referees did not show up. Us being the visiting team, waited about half an hour for them to contact other referees. They showed up close to an hour later, after the coaches from both teams agreed to forfeit the game.
The referee that showed up told the teams that there was no special provision in the rules as to how long should a team wait before conceding the points, and therefore, the game had to take place of be rescheduled for a later day.
My question is: is there an specific amount of waiting time for this, and how the league should handle such a matter according to the rules?
Thank you.
USSF answer (July 21, 2009):
We wonder at the referee’s audaciousness in saying that the teams had only a choice between playing the game that day or rescheduling for another day. This is far outside the referee’s level of competence. Only the league (or other competition authority) can make specific decisions rules on situations like this.
What bothers us is the failure of the referees to turn up on time. No team can be forced to forfeit a game when the referee and assistant referees are late. This would appear to be a problem of communication between the league and the assignor or between the assignor and the referees.
