Question Number: 18818

Law 3 - Number of Players 4/19/2008

RE: Rec Under 11

Pete of Campbell, CA USA asks...

Can the coach address the referee during play?
What constitutes addressing the referee?
Can the coach simply verbally complain, not intending to address the referee, and receive a yellow card?
What section of the FIFA rules addresses this subject?

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Well Pete, welcome to The World's Game. Notice I said The World's Game. In this Game we don't rant and rave like in other games played in America, for example little league baseball or major league baseball, pop warner football or the national football league or even basketball in all its forms.

We don't address the referee, period. Verbally complaining is going to happen but it will be at an absolute minimum. Cards are reserved for players, substitutes and substituted players -- never for members of the technical staff [unless the league as seen fit to alter the Laws of the Game].

Here is what you may do according to Law 3, International FA Board Decision 2:

A team official may convey tactical instructions to the players during the match and he must return to his position after giving these instructions. All officials must remain within the confines of the technical area, where such an area is provided, and they must behave in a responsible manner manner.

Notice it allows three things the first of which is you [singular] are allowed to give tactical instructions to YOUR players; and the referees are not your players. You are allowed to be in the technical area. You must behave, or more properly behave in a responsible manner.

Further on in the Laws we find this in Law 5 - The Referee:

takes action against team officials who fail to conduct themselves
in a responsible manner and may, at his discretion, expel them from the field of play and its immediate surrounds

What this says is you are in the technical area so long as you behave and as soon as the referee has it mind you are not acting responsibly you are in the technical area at his pleasure. Notice, too, there is no mention of warnings given before asking you to leave.

Pretty much you are to sit and write on your note pad those things you failed to do in practice last week and the things you need to work on next week. Words of encouragement to your players and words to alter their play are, of course, permitted. That's it. You can't even yell "Hey Ref, Sub" because Law 3 requires the referee be notified before the substitution is made, not when.

Life as a Football coach is really very simple, you enjoy your players play the match, you take notes and behave.

Thanks for asking,

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