Question:
I actually have two questions-
1- We just recently had a game where the line ref raised his flag for off side on our player and rightfully so; the middle ref did not see it until after the person who was off side had an accidental collision with a player from the other team, no call was made. Once the ref saw that the line ref was holding his flag up for off sides; he blue the whistle. As the ref was giving the other team a kick for the off sides, there coach ran onto the field and started arguing in the ref face for a reason I do not know. At that time the Ref tossed the Coach, who walked of the field. Once the Coach was off the field, a parent of that team came onto the field and did the same thing.
The ref was going to give there team a kick because of off sides, but instead gave our team a kick because of the parent being on the field. Was this the correct decision?
2- If any member of a team physically harms a player of the opposite team; by clawing them in the arms or scratching whenever they had a chance. Is a player aloud to let the ref know this is going on; especially if it is leaving visible marks on the player?
USSF answer (October 23, 2008):
1. More inventive refereeing. Once the referee has stopped play for an infringement (in this case the offside), the restart may not be changed, no matter what happens. The coach was expelled for behaving irresponsibly and so was the parent who took his place. While that is behavior that must be included in the referee’s match report, it in no way changes the restart. Correct restart is an indirect free kick against your team for the offside.
2. Well, the player can certainly complain, but the referee cannot act solely on the basis of whatever a player says without corroboration from the referee’s own observation or observation by an assistant referee (or fourth official). But if the referee and assistant referees were actually watching the game there would be no need for it, would there? In any event, the player should not retaliate, as that might lead to his or her dismissal (red card).
