[Law] Substitutions

[Thunderhorse1986]

What would you do if a coach/captain wanted to make a substitution but the player on the field refused to leave the pitch?

This relates to something that happened in football (soccer) at the weekend - link below - and also to a story Joe Marler told on the House of Rugby podcast where, knowing it was his last game for England, basically told the water carrier who suggested he would be subbed soon, to tell Eddie Jones to "**** off" and that he was staying on. Jones never made the subsitution so the situation below was averted.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47365945

 

[Marc Wakeham]

I'd tell him to leave or he'd be carded.

 

[crossref]

I wouldn't intervene, unless they had 16 on the pitch, in which case I would give the capt a moment to get someone off

 

[didds]

I'd tell him to leave or he'd be carded.

under what law though? lets assume no bad language was used - he just refused to leave via request of the captain/coach. Not your jurisdiction surely?

didds

 

[Balones]

I'd tell him to leave or he'd be carded.

I would say it is not your problem/issue. You have enough to concentrate on besides a club’s internal politics/problems. You play on. If the team want 16 on you sanction accordingly.

 

[didds]

I wouldn't intervene, unless they had 16 on the pitch, in which case I would give the capt a moment to get someone off

Interesting point That assumes the intended bench player stepped into the pitch.

If he did though... woud it not be that player that should leave? Being the "sixteenth" player?

didds

 

[crossref]

Interesting point That assumes the intended bench player stepped into the pitch.

If he did though... woud it not be that player that should leave? Being the "sixteenth" player?

didds

It's an unusual situation , isn't it ?

I think it's a convenient time for a water break while the captain sorts it out. .. perhaps someone even needs that cut or loose tape attending to ?

 

[DocY]

The only times I can see it being the referee's business are if it's wasting time or, as crossref says, they have more than 15 players on the pitch.

If they did start to waste time I'd tell the captain he had 30 seconds to sort it out before we play on.

If you did penalise them for too many players, would the player even go off then?

 

[crossref]

It's a very unusual situation to cope with
30s might be bit stingy !

 

[Pinky]

Interesting question. If the player did not go off, then if no player comes on, play on! If a player comes on, you ask who is going off. Frequently you will see the ref tell the pack who is being substituted and if that player did not go off he could be carded for not obeying the referee. If 16, you are looking at a PK to the oppositions, and if there is an impasse, you ask the captain to remove a player and if he identifies the subbed player as the one to go and he doesn't go, then you are in the territory of repeat offence for which you can escalate to a card.