Ok, in order to attempt to save ourselves time during the season, here is the explanation of what happens if you or one of your players is sent off during a game, also referred to as getting a red card.

 

First, if any player is sent off from a game, the League rules require that the player leave the field, which means completely leaving the vicinity of the game. This is not negotiable, and the referee is instructed to terminate the game if the player does not pick up his or her equipment and leave. After you leave, you stay gone, you do not come back to get the referee’s name, to apologize, or to do anything else. After you’ve been sent off, you serve no further useful purpose at the game. We don’t need to have you get the referee’s name for us. We will know who the referee is when we get the report from the referee detailing the reason you were sent off. The referee also keeps the passcard of the player sent off to return to the League for safekeeping.

 

Inevitably, you will have absolutely no idea why you were sent off. The FIFA Laws of the Game (available at www.FIFA.com) enumerate these seven reasons in Law 12 as to why you are sent off:

1. Receiving two yellow cards in the same game

2. Engaging in serious foul play

3. Engaging in violent conduct

4. Denying a goal scoring opportunity by handling the ball to keep it from going in the goal

5. Denying a goal scoring opportunity by fouling a player in a goal scoring opportunity that results in a direct free kick or penalty kick.

6. Spitting on a player or referee

7. Foul, abusive or threatening language directed at anyone, including the referee. If you direct it at the referee, it is referee abuse as well.

 

If there is any degree of confusion as to why you were sent off, the person who collects the cards after the game can ask the referee. 

 

The person who received the red card is not the person who should be collecting the cards from the referee after the game. As we learned above, that person should be long gone. When we receive the red card and referee report, we will notify the person sent off and the team representative of the fine and suspension and when the passcard will be available to pick up at the office.

 

If you wish to protest the card, the fine or the suspension, you are welcome to do so. This is what must happen. The protest must be submitted in writing at the League office within three days of the game, accompanied by a $25 protest fee. The League office hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. The person who was sent off is not required to submit the protest. Anyone can come submit the protest. For summer soccer, then, protests are dealt with by members of the League Executive Committee. We will endeavor to arrange a meeting to deal with your protest prior to your next game. If you do not submit the written protest and the protest fee within three days, you don’t have a protest. The person working at the office when you submit your protest is not going to determine the outcome of your protest. For purposes of entertaining that person, you’re welcome to replay the entire game for that person, including the part where you were doing absolutely nothing and the referee came over and gave you a red card for being too quiet. However, that has no impact on the determination as to whether the red card should be overturned. In addition, asking Mike at the 5 a side tournament 3 weeks after your game if you can still protest is usually not well received either.

 

You are entitled to bring any witnesses you wish. We will contact the referee and the opposing team to advise them of the protest.

 

You are welcome to send indignant e-mails in complaining about referees and about your opponents and advising how many years you’ve played. Those are not protests, but sometimes are interesting, nonetheless. They are not going to result in cards being overturned.

 

If your red card is for serious foul play, violent conduct, or referee abuse, we have fairly serious punishment. There is a reason for that. Serious foul play and violent conduct have a way of injuring people and we want you to decide to either modify your behavior or find someplace else to play. So we shove our hand deeply in your pocket and we make you sit for an extended period of time. Referee abuse results in referees not wanting to do our games. As a crew of 6 referees can officiate a field for one full week of play, we want to keep as many referees in the sport as possible. If that requires us having 799 players in the league instead of 800, we consider that a reasonable tradeoff.

 

Further, if you receive a red card for any of those infringements, you get to post a bond to play the following summer so we can assist in maintaining the modified behavior. We will no longer collect a bond for other red cards.