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Must-See Celebration: Red Card

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfnc___G6ME?feature=player_detailpage]

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  1. On a sort-of related note, a YouTube video that I saw over at SI.com (which got it from Guyism) showed a player who smacked an opponent with the back of his hand and then, while the player lay on the ground, proceeded to kick him. But the best part is that before the kick, the referee, who saw the backhand slap to the head, only showed a yellow card. Must be a pretty tough league. Sorry but I could not find the link.

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  2. In the Swansea v Cardiff match did anyone notice when Dyer sent a shot over the crossbar and into the stands, a fan headed it away. Now that was funny. Around the 75th minute. I was hoping to see it on ESPNs top 10

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  3. I hate it when players celebrate ugly goals like they did something amazing, especially if its not a particularly important goal/game.

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    • This is “Seconda Categoria”, i.e. the 9th tier of soccer in Italy, so he probably should be given a medal for just getting in front of the shot.

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    • Literally, you may have a point. I struggle to find the ground under Law 12. But in practice the rule of thumb is if it’s playing soccer and only semi-obnoxious, it’s a yellow. If it’s beyond soccer and obnoxious, it’s a red. Under this heuristic, a hard but sincere slide tackle is a yellow, a punch is a red. I think you could do what you want with this insanity, but a red fits the practical definition because it’s a non-soccer destructive display. He surely did not expect to break the glass but he meant to do what he did and should accept the consequences.

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      • red card offenses are those against an opponent or other player – I don’t see why this was anything other than a yellow

      • According to the rules, it can’t be a red for unsporting play. But it is entertaining and feels like a fair end. As a player, you can’t go around purposely destroying the stadium. Maybe the ref considered it serious unsporting play but there’s not a stipulation for that in the rules.

      • Please. Let’s stop making up stuff and miseducating the soccer fan. “Semi-obnoxious”, “obnoxious”, “non-soccer destructive display”…what are you even talking about???

        I’m a referee and therefore I’ve had to go to numerous clinics, seminars, courses, etc. for both outdoor soccer and futsal. I have NEVER heard ANY aspect of ANY scenario in either version of the sport being qualified as obnoxious, semi-obnoxious, non-soccer destructive display, or any other falsity you’re promulgating. It’s nonsense.

        This scenario is really simple. AT MOST, assuming the celebrant had not previously been cautioned in the match, the celebration is ripe for a yellow caution card for Unsporting Behavior (plus whatever code the league uses to report the UB), and that’s that. The only way I can see the red rationalized is if the celebrant was already previously cautioned for a different misconduct, was then issued a yellow caution for Unsporting Behavior (outside of the view of the camera), and subsequently issued a red send-off card for receiving a second yellow caution card.

        If the referee issued a straight red, then that is a misapplication of the Law by what looks like an amateur ref in an amateur league.

        My point with all of this? Let’s not make stuff up. Defer to someone else if you don’t really know the answer but the worst disservice to the American soccer fan is false information being proclaimed as truth.

      • You might consider it a rather loose interpretation, but perhaps:

        (n) is guilty of violent conduct;

        I don’t believe that has to be limited to violence against another person.

        In any case, thank you for your message, which not only applies to Americans but fans everywhere – very few people who watch the game really understand the actual rules (that’s actually true in most sports, IMHO)

    • If the ref wanted to be technical he could have given him a yellow for leaving the field of play and then another with subsequent red for unsporting behavior when he went through the panel on the bench. Either way is was a pitiful celebration. I’m sure the coach was less than thrilled.

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