Question:
I was centering a U12Girls game when a loud unruly coach was given a warning midway into the first half. He quieted down till the end of the game. Afterward he came onto the field yelling and screaming. I told him I was going to take his card. He responded that I couldnt because it was after the game. (The kids were still on the field, and I hadnt budged from when the game ended) After back and forth arguing he went behind me while I spoke to the Assistant coach and got his cards from my linesman. I found this out and went to retrieve them, He refused to relinguish them to me. Our Disciplinary team said that since I didnt not show him a second yellow card that they cant discipline him. Is this so? Is there ever a time when a red card or someother form of disciplinary action can be imposed on a rogue coach after the fact?USSF answer (May 14, 2007):
The fact that the behavior occurred after the game is irrelevant. The referee retains full authority both to card (players, subs, etc.) and to order from the field (team officials) as long as the teams are still exiting and the referee is in the area of the field. All the rest of it is subject to local rule. If your league requires that you show cards to team officials–which is in contravention of the Laws of the Game, which limit cards to players, substitutes, and substituted players–then you must show a card.
Your only recourse would seem to be to submit a full report to both the competition (league, club, or whatever) and the state association, outlining precisely what happened.
