SAFA referees have been encouraged to clamp down on players raising their hands to signal to referees to issue a yellow card when they have been left fouled by opponents.
This has been adopted in the Premier League, where players have been seen to be asking referees to issue a yellow card in protest after their teammates have been fouled by an opponent, but instead the referees have been issuing yellow cards to those players who raise their hands and tell the referee to dish a card.
Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister was cautioned for such an incident against Chelsea in the 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge last Sunday, after he felt the tackle and referee Anthony Taylor gave the Argentina the yellow card instead.
Arsenal and Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey, after Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze appeared to be floored after an entanglement of legs in the second half on Monday, appeared to raise his hands to referee David Coote, but having been aware that he might be yellow-carded quickly dropped his hand — he was lucky as Coote did not see him.
SAFA Head of Referees Abdul Ebrahim said it is something PSL referees also have to apply because it is deemed as “unsporting behavior”.
“That is something referees should be doing because it is called unsporting behavior,” Ebrahim told iDiski Times.
“You don’t ask the referee for a yellow card, that is the referee’s responsibility. So we don’t expect players, managers, coaches, anyone other than match officials, to do what it is they need to do.
“Yes, asking for someone to be cautioned, it shows unsporting behavior and it is a cautionable offense. In England, yes they are seriously clamping down on it and match officials worldwide know that it is unsporting behavior and it is a cautionable offense.
“You must remember, there are times where referees choose to manage the situation instead of dishing out cards left, right and centre. Can you imagine a player being on the yellow card and the game is going very well and in the 89th minute is foul and he calls for the yellow card for his opponents? Do you think the player deserves a yellow card and red card for that kind of offense?”
When it was put to Ebrahim what should happen, if the tackle was bad and the referee might have seen it differently, he insisted the decision remains with the match officials.
“Again, it is the referee’s responsibility, not your responsibility,” he added.
“Referee is there to look at the challenge and based on certain considerations the referee uses, the referee will decide whether we have a careless, reckless and or excessive force challenge.
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“We will determine whether it is a yellow card or red card. So it is not your responsibility, it is the referee’s responsibility to protect the safety of players.”
