Caution Question

[okhawg]

I recently saw a caution given for the following:

White player and red player going for a header.  White player jumps straight up while red player moves under (literally steps under the player).  White player comes down on red player.  White player get a caution.   

Please explain what could have been going on for the white player to receive the caution

Thanks,
OkHawg

[cfarris]

No caution to White.  If anything, Red player unfairly charged White (direct for White), or Red is playing in a dangerous manner (indirect for White).

[okhawg]

My initial reaction was dangerous play on red, white indirect.  But, I tried really hard to find a reason to caution white and could not come up with anything.

Thanks,
OkHawg

[cfarris]

If Red's momentum simply carried him under White, then White still gets the kick, but no caution to Red, unless the CR thinks the action was reckless (caution).  If Red deliberately moves under White, then he's created a very dangerous situation.  Think of a goalkeeper going up for a ball, only to have the attacker take his legs out as he's coming back down.  I think you (at least) caution Red.  In a way, this is similar to a tackle from behind (White never sees it coming).

[iufaninark]

The referee either felt that the white player did not go straight up (possibly leaned in on the way up preventing the red player from getting off the ground) or that the white player grabbed and used the red player as a launch pad to get up even higher.

From your discussion red should have been charged with dangerous play!

[the1fish]

Agreed, did white use red as a launch pad and shift reds momentum and pull him under or did red simply try to gain an unfair advantage.

The referee either felt that the white player did not go straight up (possibly leaned in on the way up preventing the red player from getting off the ground) or that the white player grabbed and used the red player as a launch pad to get up even higher.

From your discussion red should have been charged with dangerous play!

[okhawg]

The play happened at mid-field right in front of me and there was no contact with red by white.  White jumped straight up, red moved under and got landed on.  Red screamed bloody murder and white got the caution.   

Later,
OkHawg

[cfarris]

Assuming the CR saw the play the same way you did, then it sounds like he simply got influenced by the red player's outburst (it happens).  Or maybe the red team was becoming tough to manage, and he thought this was a good time to award a foul to the other team (to calm down the red team).  Either way, white should have been awarded the free kick.

[Turtle]

Another side of the action is if the Referee raised his hand after blown the whistle (Indirect freekick). In that scenario it was an technical fault (that he heard something and so on) and gave a freekick to the other team. It can be a bad word or something that is not in the rules how to play nice and to play with the rule "Fair play". Perhaps the referee did see his chance to calm those players down. Maybe he gave both of the players expressions with his bodylanguage and face to calm down. But the red team where being a bit more less careful in the situation. I don't know.

The 2007 rules includes that bad language should be fouled, either way with the yellow or red card. It depends about the intention of the words that is spoken and said. 

[cfarris]

Even if White said something deserving of a caution, the restart should have been for White since the foul (or dangerous play) would have happened before the abusive language (White still gets a card).  These aren't simutaneous offenses where you restart according to the more severe offense.

[okhawg]

Wait a minute...you guys are assuming facts that are not in the evidence.  White player said nothing to either the red player or the CR.  He put his hands behind his back and said, "sir, what did I do to deserve a caution" as he was told to do by his coach. (bear in mind that these are 12 and 13 years).  He wanted to know why he was cautioned.  He got no answer, just a polite shut-up by the CR.  The only thing I could come up with was that white was bigger and stronger and red screamed when landed on.