chanting/cheering

[deygenlake@sbcglobal.net]

I have a question for someone or anyone with knowledge about the rules addressing the following situation.  I have a son that plays u9 academy soccer.  they play 6v6 and there are 4 subs.  today at his match the 4 subs were chanting/cheering for their teammates.  the ref came over and said they were very distracting and they would have to stop.  one of the parents approached the ref regarding this matter and he said "i should have given them a yellow card and in high school it's a red card."  now i know a lot of the rules but this one must have passed me by somewhere along the line.  can someone please tell me the rule over this situation.  seriously i'm thinking this rule, if it exists, should be thrown out.  you can't cheer your own teammates on?  how are you supposed to get them fired up and help root them on if you can't do this.  signed, seriously puzzled

[Quad237]

The referee is incorrect from your telling of the story.  The bench can cheer on their teammates on the field.  However, if they begin to harass the other team then a card could possibly be shown for unsporting behavior. 

[110]

I'm way new at the soccer thing (first game tonight!) but the only way that could possibly be an infraction under the laws of the game I've been studying is if the cheering is also unsporting behaviour "Lakeland sucks! Lakeland sucks!" or something more offensive.

[Harry]

It depends on the match rules you are playing under.  If it is an academy game, then it probably falls under slightly modified Laws of the Game.

You must also remember that things get lost in translation, especially when bias is involved.  Was it "chanting/cheering" or something else?

ATR 5.10 addresses some of this:

5.10 BEHAVIOR OF COACH AND BENCH PERSONNEL
Coaches or other team officials, one at a time, may provide tactical advice to their players, including
positive remarks and encouragement. The referee should only take action against coaches or other
team officials for irresponsible behavior or for actions that bring the game into disrepute. A coach or
other team official may not be cautioned or sent off nor shown any card; however, at the discretion of
the referee, such persons may be warned regarding their behavior or expelled from the field of play and
its immediate area.

12.28.8 MISCONDUCT BY A SUBSTITUTE
Substitutes may be cautioned and shown the yellow card only for:
• Unsporting behavior
• Dissent
• Delaying the restart of play

The way you describe it, it may be a situation where the referee "warns" the players in the technical area.  If all they were doing was cheering in a normal manner, then there's no reason to do that.

HS rules are clearly different.  It's up to you to know the laws for the level of game you are officiating.

http://www.ussoccer.com/Referees/Resource-Center/Zone-1.aspx

[Soccerisfootball]

high school allow cheering for the team. Never had a problem with chanting. It might be annoying but I don't think it's illegal. So long as it's not done in an unsporting way that is.