"We don't normally use yellow cards Sir"

[Taffy]

From today, second team against third team. You can imagine the skill level..........

Two yellow cards, both for dissent, one each team.

At the end after the whistle, the home team coach caught be a bit off guard as normally I say "give me 20 minutes to have shower and I will see you in the bar".

"We don't normally see yellow cards, sir. We just take the player off for ten minutes as a replacement as we try to get as many people a game as possible".

I thought quickly and said "What law is that then?" innocently. "I'm just saying Sir, that's what we normally do, we are trying to keep the players on the pitch".

I said "Well if they keep their discipline then they will stay on the pitch won't they?".

I did think coming back tonight, you couldn't really make it up. But any thoughts?

 

[chrismtl]

Sounds similar to the "cooling off" rule we have in CEGEP (a mandatory middle ground between high school and uni in my province. Equivalent to grade 12 and year 1 uni) and High School, where if a player is committing foul play or does something stupid, you can send them off the field for as long as you want (10 minutes, rest of quarter(in HS), rest of half, rest of match) and they can be replaced. We use this as a developmental tool and I usually only use this at the beginning of the season or if a team is getting thrashed.

I'd say it's more of a developmental tool in matches that have no bearing to make sure enough players get playing time and learn and improve as rugby players. If this is purely a developmental friendly match, then I usually call the captain over and tell them to deal with a player and recommend a substitution. I've never had a captain not agree with me and only once did the coach return a player the field and the player apologized upon his return and I had no issues with him afterwards. Most of the time the player is just frustrated and I see this with younger players.

That being said, it would be the coaches or leagues responsibility to give you that option before a match starts.

 

[Stuartg]

U13 or U14 perhaps. Are they regressing?

 

[winchesterref]

I can see the logic in a social game to get as many people on the park as possible, with an agreement before the game. I would be quite happy with the arangement on the understanding that if I said they were to leave the field then they do so. If not agreed before the game you were entirely correct.

 

[ddjamo]

I can see the logic in a social game to get as many people on the park as possible, with an agreement before the game. I would be quite happy with the arangement on the understanding that if I said they were to leave the field then they do so. If not agreed before the game you were entirely correct.

I've tried it and would never again. if they KNOW you won't card them they act differently. in fact, I was in my car by the 15th min.

 

[winchesterref]

I've done it before and it worked fine, depends what you've got in front of you I guess.

 

[ddjamo]

true jones, very true. mine entailed two sides there to fight.

 

[Dickie E]

I thought quickly and said "What law is that then?" innocently.

I wouldn't say that. You know quite well what the answer is and its just spoiling for a fight.

 

[Browner]

From today, second team against third team. You can imagine the skill level..........

Two yellow cards, both for dissent, one each team.

At the end after the whistle, the home team coach caught be a bit off guard as normally I say "give me 20 minutes to have shower and I will see you in the bar".

"We don't normally see yellow cards, sir. We just take the player off for ten minutes as a replacement as we try to get as many people a game as possible".

I thought quickly and said "What law is that then?" innocently. "I'm just saying Sir, that's what we normally do, we are trying to keep the players on the pitch".

I said "Well if they keep their discipline then they will stay on the pitch won't they?".

I did think coming back tonight, you couldn't really make it up. But any thoughts?

The Law of dissent says, No consequence equals no compliance.

I don't subscribe to that coach's ideology, games turn farcical if its a dissent fest ....no no no .

 

[Taffy]

I wouldn't say that. You know quite well what the answer is and its just spoiling for a fight.

Yeah, point taken...........probably should have kept my mouth shut until in the bar! Caught on the hop..........

 

[wolfie]

If there are going to be any changes to the rules, normally because its a touring side, kids game or a Christmas period fun game, then the coaches need to agree it with the ref prior to the game.

I have had people complain on a touring game that "we agreed no kicking", but nobody told me.

For a 30 min each way game we agreed yellows for 8 mins.

Kids games bring a whole host of "we have been coaching this" etc. etc.

I don't agree there is any scope for this in club league games etc. but the point I am making is if they haven't told you or agreed it with you then you play the laws and are correct to do so.