SEND-OFF cards have become a hot talking point in football this week.
Recent incidents involving Tom Bugg (Melbourne) and Bashar Houli (Richmond) have reignited the debate about the merits of send-off cards in the AFL.
In both instances, the incident occurred during the first quarter, meaning the opposition clubs (though no fault of their own) suffered for the remainder of the match as they were a player short due to the concussions suffered by the players.
The debate has cited examples from other sports such Rugby League, Rugby Union, Soccer, Ice Hockey and Basketball where there is a send-off mechanism in place for participants who cross the boundary of sportsmanship and are penalised accordingly.
The vast majority of community football leagues already have in place a card system for such indiscretions. In many leagues, including the EDFL, a player can not only be sent from the field for a major indiscretion, but they can also be sent from the field as a ‘cool-down’ mechanism for a player getting hot under the collar. In this instance, sending a player from the field can be a proactive measure to ensure that things don’t get out of control and a player suffers an injury as a result.
A summary of the order-off rule in the EDFL, and the types of cards that can be used are summarised:
RED Card – Where a field umpire has reported a player for a breach of the laws of the game and the reporting umpire considers the player’s conduct is of such a serious nature that the player should not participate any further in the game. The player shown the red card is reported, is required to leave the playing surface immediately and is not to take any further part in the game.
YELLOW Card – Where a field umpire has reported a player for a breach of the laws of the game, the umpire may show the player a yellow card. The player shown the yellow card is reported, is required to leave the playing surface immediately and may return to the playing field after a period of 15 minutes playing time.
BLUE Card – Where a field umpire considers that a player is behaving in an unduly aggressive and unruly manner or in any manner that would bring the game into disrepute, that player may be shown a blue card. The player shown the blue card is required to leave the playing surface immediately and may return to the playing field after a period of 15 minutes playing time.
In each instance where a player has been shown a Red, Yellow or Blue Card as the case may be, the player can be replaced immediately.
As mentioned, the vast majority of community leagues will have a send-off mechanism in place. Each will vary depending on the requirements of that league.
With the issue of the send-off rule again being debated at AFL level, it will be interesting to see whether the AFL follows the lead of community football to implement a send-off mechanism for the 2018 AFL season.
Enjoy the weekend.
Marc Turri, EDFL CEO
