(Orignally posted on 7/5/17, “Operation Restore”)
Kristen, an adult pro fan, asks:
Can a coach who has been dismissed from the game watch the remainder of the game from the stands?
Answer
Maybe, maybe not. First of all, a huge percentage of soccer games governed by the Laws of the Game don’t have “stands.” Second, many local competition rules include specific restrictions on where a dismissed player or team official can or cannot be (e.g., at many tournaments, a dismissed team official or player has to report to the tournament tent for disposition). Finally, the only general guideline available for dismissals (players or team officials) is that they must be “out of sight, out of sound” — meaning basically that they must be far enough away from the field and its immediate environs that they can take no further part in the match (which includes communicating through any electronic devices with “undismissed” players or team officials). Violating this guideline, by refusing to leave or by returning or by attempting prohibited contact while the match is in progress, could be the basis for at least suspending play until the situation is corrected or by terminating the match altogether.
