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REFEREE'S VIEWS: MARTIN ATKINSON

Martin Atkinson gives his views on spitting

This article first appeared in The Referee Magazine published by The Football Association and is reproduced with their kind permission.

The Law 12 offence of spitting at an opponent or any other person is, in my opinion, one of the most vile acts that any player can inflict on another.

It is almost impossible to stop a spitting offence from occurring as it is not a ‘routine’ part of football. We often know when a player is about to lose their cool and commit a rash challenge, or when a player is likely to engage in an act of aggression towards an opponent. The warning signs usually come as the temperature of the game rises, with a player’s aggressive body language and verbal output being key signs to their growing loss of self control.

I have been very fortunate that I have not experienced a spitting offence whilst officiating. But I know that spitting at an opponent must not be tolerated and must be detected and acted upon very strongly as it is an offence which causes (quite rightly) great upset and disgust amongst the players themselves - they regard it as completely unacceptable.

The warning signs I would suggest are after a heated exchange, possibly after a bad tackle or challenge. There is often a verbal exchange between two opponents who are in close proximity to each other. The verbal exchange is often the catalyst to the offence.

When spitting occurs events will erupt as tensions rise as such an offence is rare and enrages players. It is vital that as match officials we detect such offences and act in a quick, positive and strong manner. Swift action on our part can prevent further misconduct and confrontation. Continuous short, loud blasts of the whistle and confident body language should be used to attract the players’ attention and help defuse the situation. Obviously we must be aware of our own personal safety though when a mass confrontation occurs, and a few steps back to observe would be advisable. At the professional level it is an offence when I would be likely to show an immediate red card to prevent an escalation - this will demonstrate to the players that I have seen the offence and have acted strongly and quickly.

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