Red card, really?

[MWN]

I appreciate your explanation although just to be clear, I'm not coming at this from the angle of someone who doesn't understand the LOTG. I've been a referee for over 20 years and have officiated with hundreds of refs in both the UK and US, including professional and international teams.

Your points are all 'by the letter of law' which I understand and appreciate. As referees, we are allowed an element of discretion and opinion, otherwise we are robots. In my opinion, it would not be a red card based on the circumstances and I would have made the same decision in the live game at that speed, regardless of the replay we all watched. If you put the LOTG up in court and showed the video, you could argue a red card, sure. But you could equally argue a yellow.

I would suggest most experienced officials would give a yellow card in that situation but because it is not cut and dry, there will always be a difference of opinion. I respect yours.

Fine, and we have not really touched on the bigger issue that can't be addressed in 5 seconds of video, Game Management. We don't know what this Referee was dealing with with this particular player and/or the temperature of the game. Had the Referee warned the player previously? A teammate? Was this a pattern that had emerged on breakaways for this defensive line? What other nonsense may have been going on?

What I know from my experience is that "jersey pullers" tend to be the same players over and over. I'm constantly warning and talking to the same players.

I agree that 30 yards out for girls is on the edge of the DOGSO "Obvious" line, and it looked like the strikerhad control of the ball (in front of her), whether she would have been caught before her shot or not has some weight but is not dispositive. My ultimate problem here is the OP's belief that the trailing defenders should be considered at the time of the foul. If the OP was incensed because the foul occurred 35 yards from goal and the attacker was having trouble controlling the ball, then I think it becomes less obvious. But, this attacker was going to be on the 18 about a second later.

 

[soccer dude]

I won't ref bash but the decision depends largely on your understanding of the game and this situation. If you've played the game, it is clear that the covering defender is going to get back to cut her off (due to the attacking players' first touch not being great), so it's not DOGSO. If you haven't played the game and/or don't fully understand the situation, you perhaps just see an attacker running toward goal and likely give a red. Again, I'm not ref bashing (I was one for a long time). All of that said, it is open to interpretation and opinions will vary, as they always do in these situations. The sensible (and fair IMO) option? Give a yellow. Kicking the ball away for a potential 2nd yellow? Hardly, it goes about 5 yards but again, an overly officious referee might see it differently.

The "yeahhh" and "wooooo" reaction to the red card made me laugh, then cringe. I always wonder why parents 'cheer' yellow and red cards in youth soccer.

Yeah, I don't understand parents cheering to kick a player off especially when it's not a physical confrontation. It was a simple shirt tug, no hair and no dissent. I agree with the above interpretation. I also see the other red carder's opinions. I would, however, challenge anyone to find a premier level game where a red card is given in this same situation, where 2 (almost 3) defenders are side-by-side when the call is made. Even at the pro level, reds are only given when it's an "obvious" goal scoring opportunity and not "well, the 2 other close defenders really weren't involved in the play".

 

[outside!]

Soccer is a low scoring game. The offensive team managed to split the defenders. One of the defenders made a conscious decision to reach out with her arm and grab some jersey. The referee that was closer than the out of focus camera shot decided it was DOGSO and gave a red card. I have no problem with that. Jersey tuggers are lame.

 

[Toch]

That should be a double red

 

[coachrefparent]

Soccer is a low scoring game. The offensive team managed to split the defenders. One of the defenders made a conscious decision to reach out with her arm and grab some jersey. The referee that was closer than the out of focus camera shot decided it was DOGSO and gave a red card. I have no problem with that. Jersey tuggers are lame.

I agree. Put another way, pulling a jersey, or any of the other dark arts in soccer have nothing to do with playing the ball. It's just an acknowledgement that you were burned, and a last ditched, desperate attempt to save your ass.

 

[forsomuch]

As a former defender, you only pulled the jersey from behind when thought they were going to score. You knew what you were doing and knew the punishment that was coming.

 

[jrcaesar]

As a former defender, you only pulled the jersey from behind when thought they were going to score. You knew what you were doing and knew the punishment that was coming.

True. I watched my son's team lose a 1-0 match in a nearly identical situation (maybe 5 minutes to go) when the center back chose not to make any contact at all. You've got to risk being sent off in that situation (not a hard foul, just the right kind of shirt pull).

 

[Eagle33]

True. I watched my son's team lose a 1-0 match in a nearly identical situation (maybe 5 minutes to go) when the center back chose not to make any contact at all. You've got to risk being sent off in that situation (not a hard foul, just the right kind of shirt pull).

When Suarez saved the goal with his hand, he knew he would be send off and he knew penalty would be given. However, he at least gave his team a chance not to get scored on.

 

[outside!]

Sorry, but not a fan of cheap shots on the offensive players or handballs in the box to try to win. It is classless, disrespectful and in my opinion not in the spirit of the game. Now if the player that violated the laws of the game were to voluntarily admit to the ref and ask for a red card, maybe they could salvage some respectability. Win at all costs is just not cool in my book.