Law 12: Sending Off Offence: - A player is shown the red card if he uses, offensive or insulting or abusive language, and/or gestures.

Law 12: A player is cautioned and shown the yellow card if he shows dissent by word or action.

You have probably heard mentioned, that "Every Referee has their own tolerance level" and will only react to bad language or dissent when this level has been breached. This is only part true. If Referees only relied on the ‘Letter of the Law’ in respect of the two Law points above, then the number of players remaining on the field of play would quickly reduce in every game played, to the minimum number allowed (7). Therefore, tolerance does have a part to play.

The 17 Laws of Associated Football (LOAF) are very simple, but so complicated to enforce - yet Referees are not expected to be ‘Robots in Shorts’. They are human beings, capable of using a balance of common sense, experience and interpretation as well as Law knowledge when officiating in games. The Referee is not just a 'policeman' who blows his whistle every time one of the players makes a comment - he is (thankfully) allowed to interpret each situation sensibly - this ensures that the game 'flows' properly, and is allowed to continue when it can.

The difficulty arises when calls of inconsistency are levelled towards Referees.

For example, if a player says to a Referee.

"Keep up with play Ref.!"

One Referee may decide to show a yellow card and caution this player. Another Referee hearing the same words in another game may decide that a strong warning to the player would suffice. And in another game, if the same words are said to the Referee in a joking sort way, then that Referee might just smile and have a laugh!

Yes this is inconsistency – but the consistency is in the way that Referees deal consistently with instances where the words are against the ‘spirit of the game’ and not just for words themselves.

Words on their own are not so easy to categorise into neat areas such as offensive, insulting, abusive or dissenting. This is because Referees are human beings who will each react differently to verbal stimulation! (Even though the words may be the same!) The Referee has the option of either instantly disciplining an offender who uses bad language, or he may decide to use common sense and issue a strong warning instead. In other words, the Laws allow the Referee to make that judgement.

The Language Mapping diagram at the top of the page will give new Referees a starting point, in trying to understand the differences between issuing a Red card, a Yellow card, or giving a verbal warning to players who use bad language or show dissent. The main message of the Language Mapping diagram is that there is no definitive listing of which words should appear where. And it is not just that words themselves that count.

The inner Red oval contains words and word-types that Law 12 state could be dealt with by the issue of a Red card.

But it is not so much the words themselves that count; it is the extra baggage that they carry when delivered. For example:

(a) Were they loud?

(b) Were they directed at the Referee?

(c) Were they uttered in frustration after the player missed an open goal?

(d) Were they said in an angry way?

(e) Are there young children nearby?

(f) Are they threatening?

I could go on and list a hundred other examples……………

Each Referee will very quickly learn by experience, the nuances of what is deemed to be unacceptable.

The outer Yellow oval contains words that Law 12 state could be deemed to be dissent, and punished by the issue of a Yellow card.

But once again - it is not so much the words themselves that count, it is the extra baggage that they carry when delivered. For example, were the words directed at the Referee or one of his Assistants, and did they question the Referees’ decision? Or were they said in frustration?

The four small Orange ovals that are positioned partly on the inner Red oval, and partly over the outer Yellow oval, contain words that could either be dealt with by the issue of a Yellow card for dissent, or by the issue of a Red card – depending on other factors. (For example, were they abusive or were they said in a dissenting fashion?)

There are four Green ovals that are positioned at each corner of the diagram, partly over the outer Yellow oval, and partly outside of the diagram. These contain words (and phrases) that could either be dealt with by the issue of a Yellow card for dissent, or by the issue of a verbal warning to the player – depending on other factors. (For example, were they said in frustration, or in a joking way, or were they really meant?)

The Language Mapping diagram at the top of the page is not designed to offer Referees a listing of:

(a) Red card words.

(b) Yellow card words.

(c) A listing of words that constitute a verbal warning.