Question Number: 22861

Law 3 - Number of Players 2/24/2010

RE: Adult

Paul of Birmingham, UK asks...

This question is a follow up to question 103461

I have a bet with a friend that if, for whatever reason (but mainly due to the number of players sent off), any one side in a premiership match is reduced to fewer than 8 men then the match must be abandoned (i.e. the referee has no discretion) and replayed with the score set to 0-0 at the start of the replay regardless of the score at the time the game was abandoned. I was trying to argue that this rule, if it does exist, could encourage a team losing a vital match to get the game abandoned by players making red card offences until they end up with 7 players. I can't find anything to confirm this in the Premier League rules or in the Rules of the Game. Am I right?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Paul
FIFA has stated in the Laws of the Game and I quote
'Although a match may not START if either team consists of fewer than seven players, the minimum number of players in a team required for a match to CONTINUE is left to the discretion of member associations. However, it is the opinion of the International F.A. Board that a match should not continue if there are fewer than seven players in either team.'
I don't believe that the FA in the UK has amended this Law having been left with the discretion to change it by FIFA and I have not seen any rulings to that effect.
So a game can continue with seven players but it cannot with six.
In addition the PL has severe fines for 5 cautions in a game so I would expect that very severe sanctions would be taken against any team that had a game abandoned because of dismissals.

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

In addition to the information provided by Ref McHugh, what happens to the scoreline and result of a match should it be abandoned due to one team's numbers falling below the minimum required is completely at the discretion of the competition authorities. It could be replayed, the score could stand, they could consider the team with the fewer players to have forfeited - those are just a few possibilities, and there are a number of factors the authorities may take into consideration (depending on what's been written into the competition rules for such an event), including the score of the match and how much time remains.

However, I am certain that any competition authority will take a very, very stern view of any team that has enough players sent off to warrant abandonment, and may take additional action against the team or even the entire club, who may face a charge of bringing the game into disrepute, among others (in the Hyundai A-League, Australia's national competition, if a team receives more than 5 cards of any colour in any one match they automatically face a team misconduct charge which may result in a fine, or worse).

It would not be worthwhile for a team to force abandonment in this fashion. Additionally, I strongly doubt that any competition authority would permit such a team to benefit by deleting a losing scoreline and enforcing a replay at 0-0. If any competition did that, they'd essentially be encouraging such behaviour from teams, and I daresay no authority is willing - or daft enough - to do that.

Not to mention the fact that this team would be missing a number of players for at least the next match!

I just hope that you won't be losing too much on your bet!

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

The Laws say that absent any other rule by the competition authority, an abandoned game must be replayed in full.

I don't know if the EPL has any other rule governing such a game. But even if they do not, they could severely fine a team for this behavior, including docking of points in the standings. If the team gets to replay, but the league takes away 3 or 6 points, what would it gain them?

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