Referee Suspended for Using Rock/Paper/Scissors Gets Outpouring of Support
When determining who gets to kick off in soccer, much like in American football, a coin toss is the customary method of creating a randomized 50/50 odds outcome.
But one referee in England got in hot water with the Football Association, the governing body for all matters of Limey footballing competition, for eschewing the Queen’s likeness in favor of something a bit more strategic.
Referee David McNamara developed the innovation of using a round of rock/paper/scissors to open the show instead, using that method to open a Women’s Super League match.
And for his cleverness, he earned a three-week suspension by the FA.
Referees across England rose up in protest and righteous outrage. And at Sunday leagues from Yorkshire to Cornwall and London to Liverpool, hundreds of referees imitated McNamara’s method in a they-can’t-suspend-us-all gesture of support.
“A lot of us were thinking of David,” referee Ryan Hampson told BBC Sport. “We wanted to show solidarity.”
Hampson says it was actually the players’ idea, a nice example of athletes — who normally have an adversarial relationship with officiating crews — coming to the defense of those they normally think of as blind bats who miss calls all game long.
“Without me saying a word, four players came up to me and said: ‘Are we getting on the rock/paper/scissors today?’ as they had seen coverage of the issue,” Hampson said.
The Laws of Football, specifically Law 8, do not leave room for such tomfoolery.
Law 8 reads, “A coin is tossed and the team that wins the toss decides which goal it will attack in the first half of the match.”
Martin Cassidy, of Ref Support UK, voiced his concern that the police had become the criminals, so to speak.
“We can’t condone anyone deliberately breaking the laws of football,” Cassidy said. “However, we understand hundreds took part.
“The level of support should send out a message that the punishment was disproportionate. This suggests people are willing to face a possible charge from the FA or their county FA as they feel so strongly about it.”
Meanwhile, as proof that hand-wringing spoilsports who have no concept of a bit of good fun cross oceans and cultural divides, a spokesman for Southern Sunday League threw a big wet blanket on the referees.
“Two wrongs don’t make a right. Referees are law-enforcers and not law-breakers,” the league spokesperson told the BBC. “This action is unprofessional, and it brings the game into disrepute.
“Doing this due to a forgotten coin is one thing, but this is a step too far.”
Bloody ‘ell, mate. It’s rock-paper-scissors, not something truly outrageous like American football quarterbacks putting ketchup on steak.
As for the referees, to paraphrase Winston Churchill: fight on the beaches, fight on the landing grounds, fight on the fields and in the streets, and never surrender, lads.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
