A HS/College Referee asks:
I was officiating a U15G game. Before the game even started, I and my ARs took our positions on the field. I blew my whistle to get the teams to take the field. The Home team came right out and took their side of the field. The Visiting Team stood on the sideline listening to their coach give last minute instructions. I proceeded to wait another 15-20 seconds (to let him complete his instruction) then I blew my whistle a second time … no response. I then waited another 15-20 seconds and whistled a third time and stated loudly and within 10 yards of the team “Coach, let’s get your team on the field” … still no response. I then stepped closer and said “Coach, let’s go,” but he stuck his head up and stated “What???” I said “Let’s go” … but he proceeded to keep coaching. I said “Coach, you have a warning. Let’s get them on the field” but again only “What??” I gave him a yellow card for dissent. Is this the correct procedure, or is this a delay of game?
Answer
First off, any answer to this has to depend on a critical issue — namely, who or what was the competition authority? In other words, (a) what set of rules were you under and (b) did those rules involve any local exceptions? We ask because, although none of the standard rule sets (IFAB, HFHS, NCAA) has an explicit rule or ruling pertaining to a team failing to take to the field when requested by the referee, each rule set provides different tools the referee can use in such a case. Moreover, specifically with respect to IFAB’s Laws of the Game as practiced in the US, many local competitions (leagues, tournaments, etc.) have special rules which can and do provide recourse. Indeed, we are not familiar with a single tournament in this country which does have some sort of unyielding mandate to start and stay on time.
For example, many youth and adult amateur leagues around the US require that a game must start on the scheduled time and that, if a team does not or cannot field at least the minimum number of players at the scheduled time (or within some certain number of minutes thereafter), the referee is authorized either to consider the match as forfeited then and there or to go ahead and start the clock (this would apply to any period of play, not just the starting period) until some point is reached after which the match is considered abandoned by the players. This can cover not only situations in which a team doesn’t have enough players present to start and either knows no more will appear or is waiting to see if more will appear. This would also cover the situation you describe where a team refuses to take the field when required (which can also happen at any stoppage — a coach might decide to withdraw his or her team due to disagreement with circumstances or some specific decision with which the coach vehemently disagrees).
So, we cannot answer the core question without knowing the rules applied to the game. And, if there are such rules, our answer would have to be, first, know what they are ahead of taking the assignment and, second, simply and faithfully follow them. You might even engage the coach of the team which is ready to play in an effort to advise the visiting team of these rules. However, if there are no local or competition-specific rules pertaining the scenario, we suggest you look to common sense and what you would do if, at the scheduled time, there was only one team present. How long would you wait? What reasonably could you do to ascertain the circumstances for the absence? If this involved the very beginning of the match, could you adjust the length of the periods of play to accommodate the delay? Are there following games which would be adversely affected by the delay? Is it late enough in the day that the delay could result in unsafe lighting?
There is another approach that might be considered. Even though the opposing team in your scenario is there, technically they are not “there” because “there” is defined as “on the field of play” and, as long as they are not, they are in effect not there at all. This means that they are subject to any requirement that a game start on time or at least within some specified grace period … and that might become the most potent item of information you could bring to the attention of the recalcitrant coach. “Coach, the game must begin in [x] minutes. At exactly that time, I will whistle to start play, note the absence of the minimum number of opposing team players on the field, terminate the match according to Law 3.1, and include full details in my report to [the competition authority].” Nothing needs to, nor should be, added to this little speech. Then follow through. Period.
By the way, don’t even consider formally cautioning the coach in this scenario. First, it is not permitted under the Laws of the Game. Second, it will only step on the tail of the dragon.
