The English Football Association (FA) has suspended referee David McNamara for 21 days after he allowed the captains of a Women’s Super League game to play rock, paper, scissors in order to decide who would kick off to start the match.
McNamara had forgotten his coin in the locker room, and instead allowed the captains of Manchester City and Reading to play the classic guessing game in order to determine which end each side would play on and who would kick off in their Oct. 26 match.
Laws of Football: Only Coins Allowed
While using rock, paper, scissors to make the decision might not have a practical impact on the outcome of the game, it clearly defies the laws of football, which are pretty clear about how such determinations are made.
“A coin is tossed and the team that wins the toss decides which goal it will attack in the first half of the match,” states Law 8.
That infraction was enough to earn a three-week ban, even if it wasn’t the sort of violation that might be seen as serious enough to worry about to most fans.
“The referee forgot his coin and in that moment, in a TV game, he was really pushed for time,” FA women’s refereeing manager Joanna Stimpson told the BBC. “He should have been more prepared, he should have had a coin. It was disappointing, it’s not appropriate, it’s very unprofessional.”
As such, McNamara was charged with “not acting in the best interests of the game.”
Harsh Punishment Surprises Some
While most of the soccer community seems to agree that McNamara was in the wrong, there are many who feel that the punishment doesn’t fit the crime.
“I agree with the FA’s action in principle, but it should have been a slap on the wrist,” said former Premier League referee and current ESPN analyst Peter Walton. “Kickoff is one of the times during a televised game when the referee is the center of attention. I don’t think he realized how it was going to look. He should have sent one of his assistants back to the changing room to get the coin.”
McNamara has the right to appeal his suspension, though there has been no indication as of yet that he will do so. If the suspension stands as it is, his time off will begin on Nov. 26, and he will return to his refereeing duties on Dec. 17.
While rock, paper, scissors may be deemed inappropriate and unworthy for decision making in English soccer, there are occasions when the game is played competitively. The World RPS Society once held a World Championship tournament each year, though that event last took place in 2009. The World Series of Rock Paper Scissors was held at the World Series of Poker for several years starting in 2005, with ESPN even offering highlights of the tournament during one year of their WSOP coverage.