Pop Goes the Red Card
Week four and we're back in the goove. Yes, the first red card of the season has come out, and I had a feeling I would be pulling it a mere two minutes into the game. There are three ways, that I can think of right now, where you can tell the red card is a real possiblity. The first is when you know there's a history between the two teams (I was told of a rivlary between a pair of professional teams where, the span of two years, they averaged close to 50 fouls and one red card per game); if the coaches or captains both come up and tell you the teams don't like each other, or, and this is what happened yesterday, less than one minute into the game players are already jawing at each other.
Actually, that happens quite freqently - unless there's something flagrant, a good general chewing out works, something loud enough that everyone hears it. A few minutes later, a blue player trips up a white from behind - I take the gift and issue the yellow card. In normal circumstances, this lays it out very clear that I'm not going to take the garbage that's been displayed in the last 180 seconds - I have established that I will issue cards, and it's now up to the teams to play down to an acceptable level, or take the consequences.
They decided to take the consequences, instead. It became clear that they would rather be in a boxing ring than soccer field, and continued to beat the crap out of each other. OK, it wasn't that bad, I had issues another card in the half (this one to white) - and some of the women on the blue team were trying to get their testosterone-poisoned collegues to get under control, with mixed success. But I came out at halftime knowing that, give the game was tight, that the back pocket was a real possibility.
Indoor's a bit odd - even though there's fewer players than outdoor, there's still less room, so if someone gets on your nerves, that person will always be close enough to be a visual reminder. Add that in co-ed games, guys tend to get much more wacked-out than in men-only games (I'm not the only one to remark on this, too), it can be an interesting situation.
Second half starts out a little calmer, but quickly goes back into the same rhythm as the first (yes, there was a rhythm, sort of like a boxing match). I'm given the opportunity to whistle several otherwise light fouls, in a vain attempt to keep things calm - then a reckless challenge by white that gets a yellow. Less that ten minutes left, it happens: blue has the ball, shoots and is saved, but nto controlled by white's goalkeeper - blue player charges back into the PA, and comes right at the keeper with his cleats exposed, landing on the outer-thigh. Hand in back pocket, pull out red card, order the bastard off the field. One more yellow card for dissent later (goalkeeper, made some choice comments about a very stupid play on a three-line-pass - if you're going to get a dissent card, make sure you actually know what you're talking about).
Strangely enough, I think that game was, despite the send-off, under control. It is very common to get ejections in this league (and not just by me - there's another referee that only half jokes about not having a good night in this league without issuing a red), and I worked very hard to set the tone of what was and was not allowed. Each team had players trying to get their players under control - but sometimes people choose to listen, sometimes they don't. And my back pocket is around for when they don't.