Home Laws Advice Fitness SiteMap Links Set Pieces Discuss Search corshamref.org.uk   

Take me back to the Set-Piece Home page

Set-Pieces - DAB Tears Dry    Some 'cautionary' advice by Julian Carosi.
(A series of articles on how to officiate in a proactive way by improving how you deal with specific incidents and how to become a better Referee).                       

This article encourages you to think about an ordered way to deal with issuing yellow and red cards. These ideas are not prescriptive; rather, they will hopefully encourage you towards adopting a consistent approach to match your own style of refereeing. For ease of recollection, I have used the acronym, DAB TEARS DRY; of which the TEARS element is sourced from the 'Use of red and yellow cards' paragraphs contained within the excellent FA booklet in England, 'Advice on the Application of the Laws of the Game', which you are all encouraged to refresh yourself with from time to time. You can find The FA booklet on the www.CorshamRef.org.uk web site via the 'Site Map' link under 'FA Booklets'.

To begin with, let us look at what needs to be done (DAB) before we confront a player.

Decide: Yellow or Red? 
When an incident occurs, the swiftness of your decision-making will add credibility to the growing respect that you receive from players as the game progresses. This requires you to stop the game quickly when you have to. When a disciplinary incident occurs, there is generally no need to immediately communicate whether a red card or a yellow card will be issued, or whether you only want to deliver a public warning to the perpetrator. There will be times in your career when your immediate thought to issue a yellow card, will change to a red card, or maybe just a public warning, depending on the reaction around you, and the few seconds of reasoning time that you have before communicating your final decision. In short, don't dismiss 'out of hand', the surrounding factors of an incident, such as the type of game being played, the reaction of the participants, or the intent of the challenge etc. These are all things that you can (and should) contemplate during the intervening seconds between stopping the game, and confronting the perpetrator with your eventual decision. 

Of course, there will be the odd occasion when a quick show of a yellow card will be needed to prevent further trouble, but these should be few and far between, and easy enough to decide due to the potential escalation that may occur. Referees operating at International and some National levels have the option to show red and yellow cards immediately after offences, but only in exceptional circumstances such as to defuse a possible flashpoint or to prevent an act of retaliation.

Assertiveness: 
To maintain control in a game, a successful referee needs to be 'assertive' when dealing with confrontation. The first element of assertiveness recognised by players during an incident, is the swiftness of your decision-making (as mentioned above). The second element will be how far away you are! Assertiveness involves, projecting a balanced, authoritative stance, via confident communication in terms of whistle, body language, brave positive eye contact and oral instructions. Assertiveness is a subject in its own right, so there is no intention to cover it in depth here. Suffice to say, that when you have to deal with an incident, your level of assertiveness needs to rise in tandem with the severity of each offence. It's no good blowing a feeble whistle when WORLD WAR III is about to commence, or whispering frail instructions when the No. 7 LOUDHAILER is running the show, or looking sheepishly at the ground when the BULGING EYE SOCKET goalkeeper is trying to laser you up into row Z of the stands! Be brave, be polite and be assertive.

Becalm yourself and the perpetrator: 
When an incident occurs that requires disciplinary action, try to factor in a time delay before confronting players. This serves to cool down tempers, and also allows you some thinking time to gather your thoughts. It also provides you with a few seconds to calm down if needs be. Look around for a suitable place to isolate the perpetrator; usually away from the fray and with your back to one of the touchlines. This allows you to also keep an eye on the other players at the same time. Use an assertive whistle and calm low hand and arm signals to beckon the player into position. Supplement this with polite vocal instructions if required; e.g., 'Can you come over here please No. 7.' 

Guide the player to where you want him. Shoo all the other players away, using vocal and arm signals of a strength that match the intensity of the approach. Allow a few seconds of time for any 'steam' to subside before disciplining the perpetrator. In summary, there is generally no need for you to immediately confront a perpetrator, as this will nearly always inflame a situation. Instead, take a few seconds of time to isolate yourself and the player. Referees use this simple manoeuvre worldwide to very good effect. You may find it useful in your disciplinary procedure. 

Now that you have the player in position, use the approved Football Association (TEARS) sequence expanded below:

Tell the player that he is being cautioned: 
Once you have positioned the player where you want him, keep eye contact, and inform him of the punishment that he is about to receive. Use a few simple words to the effect of, 'That type of tackle is unacceptable in this game, and I am going to caution you." 

If the situation looks like it may escalate, ask the player to calm down, else you will need to take additional disciplinary action. Ask the player to remain in front of you whilst you deal with him, and be brave enough to look him square in the eye. This is very important, as it shows that YOU are the referee, and that YOU are not afraid of using your powers or fulfilling your duties - which most players will expect of you.

Enquire the player's name:
Ask for the first name and surname, and get the player to spell it out if you are unsure. Make a note of the player's number. If you receive a witty response such as, 'Mickey Mouse,' politely ask the player to confirm his name again. If the reply is the same, seek the help of the captain, or check the team-sheet if you have one; else note the name given, and note in your report that you have some qualms about the legality of the information supplied. In short, don't make a big deal about it; record it and report it after the game. If a player bends down to tie up or retie his bootlace, ask him politely to stand up.

Advise the player on his future conduct:
Warn the player about his future behaviour. Make it clear that if he receives a second caution, it will result in a dismissal. A simple, 'Can you please be careful in future No. 7, because if I have to issue you with a second caution in this game, it will result in your dismissal.' Try and get some form of acknowledgment that the player has understood your advice. This could be a trivial nod of the head, a slight eye movement or a vocal reply. There will be the odd player who will 'blank' you out, and you feel as though your words of advice are going in through one ear and straight out of the other! In such cases, there is not much else you can do but to complete your procedure and get the game restarted as soon as possible. Keep your advice simple, and always be polite when delivering it. Never belittle players. 

Raise a yellow card in a non-aggressive and non- provocative manner. 
And once again, be brave enough to look the player square in the eye whilst you do so, and ask him to remain in front of you whilst the card is shown. 
Obviously, a red card will be used for a dismissal, unless that dismissal is for a second caution in the same match, in which case a yellow card will be shown immediately before the red card. 
If a player is about to be sent from the field of play for a sending-off offence, it is advisable to enquire his name prior to the dismissal. This is to prevent players storming off before you have had a chance to obtain their name.
If you are about to send a player off, try manoeuvring him, so that he has the shortest distance to go to the changing room. Do not isolate him, so that when he is dismissed, he has to walk past a large number of opponents or the technical area! Get him as reasonably near to the side of the field exit as you can. 
If a player commits either a cautionable or sending off offence during the half time interval or on the field of play after the final whistle, the appropriate card(s) should be shown.
Only a player or substitute player or substituted player may be shown the red or yellow card. The Referee has the authority to take disciplinary sanctions, from the moment he enters the field of play until he leaves the field of play after the final whistle.
If a named substitute commits an act of misconduct, he will be treated as a player, including being shown a yellow card or a red card depending on the offence. If he, at a later stage in the match, commits a further cautionable offence, he shall be sent from the field of play and shown a yellow card followed by a red card. This will apply even if he is acting as an assistant referee.
Although the Law requires a referee to show a yellow card to a player as part of the cautioning procedure, failure to do so does not mean that a caution has not been administered and the player concerned will be dealt with in accordance with the laid-down disciplinary procedures.

Start the game again: 
Once you have dealt with everything, and have allowed time for the player to regain his position, it is important that the game is restarted quickly. This will focus the minds of the players on the game, rather than what has just occurred. It is important that the game is restarted using strong communication, as this heralds the end of a temporary stoppage and the beginning of the remainder of the game. Check that everyone is ready, and use assertive instructions and a strong whistle to recommence the game. 

Rather than this stage being the end of the process, it is now paramount that you are proactive in recognising and dealing with any after-effects emanating from the original incident. This is when you need to be on your toes, alert and on the lookout! (DAB).

Deal with ongoing tensions:
Following a disciplinary incident, there are very often a number of smouldering embers that are in danger of fully igniting if not doused quickly. Look out for, and be aware of possible ongoing tensions. Deal with them proactively, by offering quiet words of advice, or by adjusting your positioning so that your close presence serves to quell tensions. In short, don't assume that there is nothing else to worry about after you have disciplined a player, instead, assume that there will be (what is generally know as) a period of heightened tension for you to monitor and manage.

Raise your ongoing game:
The 'Dealing with Tensions' section immediately above, encourages you to be aware of, and deal with those things that are happening outside of you. This section encourages you to ramp up the drive and commitment that lies inside of you! Rather than assuming that the game is back on track, try giving yourself a wakeup call, and for the next few minutes, raise your levels of physical effort and mental alertness. This means running a bit harder to get closer to play and sharpening your concentration level. Relax, only when you believe that the game is back in the groove.

YOU are now back in charge: 
The aim of this whole process is to encourage you to adopt a three-pronged approach when dealing with discipline. To help you do this in a structured way, don't just focus on what needs to be done whilst you deal with the perpetrator. Instead, think firstly of how to calmly get the player into an isolated position. Secondly, use the standard F.A. procedure for issuing cards. And finally, try forcing yourself to a higher level of alertness once play has restarted. The aim being to re-establish the same level of control and credibility that you had before the incident occurred. Once this has been achieved - YOU are fully back in charge!