Discipline
Issuing a Yellow Card
When you issue a Yellow Card (YC), record: player number, time in game, offence. Ensure that the player number is unique, or if necessary record name if no numbers (school, age grade, veterans in various old strips). You will need these details if you have to issue the player a second YC.
If you have a second watch, set it to count for the yellow card sanction time for the game you are refereeing (10 minutes for senior games). When the ball is dead after the sanction playing time has elapsed (and the non-offending team is not taking a quick throw-in or quick tap FK/PK), you may allow the YC player back onto the field of play. Have a short chat, reminding them that you will not hesitate to issue a second YC (= RC) if necessary.
Have a plan to separately record the time elapsed for subsequent concurrent YCs, to either team.
Issuing a Red Card
When you see it, you know if an incident requires a Red Card (RC)! Player protection is essential. Every RC issued must result in the submission of a Red Card Report, even in ‘Friendly’ matches, or those when appointed by the club, and even if you subsequently realise that it was issued in error (e.g. wrong person, wrong incident). The Discipline Panel can rescind such RCs in that week.
When you issue a RC, record: player number, the offence, time in match and score, impact on other player(s) involved, the player’s reaction (abusive/apologetic) & location on the field plus your distance from the offence. Ensure that the player leaves the Playing Enclosure.
After the match, whilst still at the club: ensure that you get the full name of the player from the team manager/captain. If an opposition player was injured in the incident, check their status with their team management. Make yourself available for the RC player to apologise, but there is no need to discuss the incident in detail. Was there a video recording (e.g. Veo) of the match; if so, by which club? If so, include this fact in the RC report. There is no need to view the video before writing your report, or to include a link with your report.
Within 48 hours of the match, the completed Red Card Form must be submitted by email to Chris Hoadley (Society Disciplinary Officer). The earlier the better to enable the report to be checked, before he forwards on to the appropriate CB officer.
Match Abandonment
Any issue that poses a significant risk to the safety or well-being of those taking part may cause the match to be abandoned, when other management approaches have failed. Discipline may be a cause, as could be: weather and/or pitch conditions; serious injury; other safeguarding concerns.
If serious disciplinary issues arise and the referee or any club official deems it unsafe to complete the game, it may be forced to be abandoned. Every effort should be made to diffuse disciplinary issues before that point, however only if it is safe and appropriate to do so.
Any match abandonment should be reported at the earliest opportunity to the Reg Lewis (Chairperson), Dave Mealing (Society Secretary) & Wayne Davis (Chair of Appointments). The Match Abandonment Report must then be completed and submitted to the Society Secretary within 48 hours of the match.
Completing a Match Official Abuse (MOA) Report
Match Official Abuse Guidance recognises five distinct categories of MOA. Appendix A is worth reading, to distinguish between the most common cases of Disrespect (Dissent) and Verbal Abuse.
If a player (including replacement or when substituted/injured) abuses a Match Official (Referee, MO Developer, Assistant Referee or Touch Judge) during the match, they may be issued with a YC (if abuse is low level) or RC; if the latter a Red Card Report is completed (Laws 9.12 (physical or verbal abuse) or 9.28).
If another person (e.g. coach, team staff, spectator) or a player after the final whistle abuses a Match Official, a Match Official Abuse report must be completed and forwarded to the Society Discipline Secretary.
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