FACT OR FICTION? - Red Cards Ruin Games
“He’s ruined the game” is the go-to comment of many rugby league fans when a red card is produced. No matter the severity of the incident or the merit of the red card we always turn attention back to the referee.
I do try to avoid criticising
referees. They do make mistakes. But so
do players and coaches. So does everyone at work, albeit these mistakes are not
scrutinised to the extent that refereeing mistakes are. Where I do criticise
match officials are for lenient punishments on foul play.
In a blog post last year, I
questioned whether we take head injuries seriously as a sport. I'd suggest that we do, but still not seriously enough.
Concussion is a big issue in our sport and many of our players suffer lifelong issues arising from their careers.
Just this week, media reports suggested that 40 former players are suing the sport as a result of recurrent concussions. If that's not enough, Sydney Roosters hooker Jake Friend announced his retirement due to recurrent concussions.
Stevie Ward has spoken extensively and eloquently about the impact concussion continues to have on his day to day life, following his premature retirement. That's why I was disappointed to see so many criticising the decision to send Zane Tetevano off for a shoulder charge on Saturday.
We need to do what we can to
protect our players from head injuries in any way that we can. In my opinion,
if that involves harsher punishments and more ‘ruined games’, then it is
worthwhile.
What does annoy fans is perceived inconsistency. Why is it that similar challenges receive different punishments? I wonder whether, subconsciously, the perception from a match official that an early red card would ‘ruin the game’ had an impact on decision making.
I also wonder whether anyone at the RFL has considered this and the impact of red cards on the outcome of matches.
There certainly isn't anything published, so I have done the research myself. I looked at every red card in matches involving top flight teams since 2018. I have looked at when the red card was shown, the score at the time, and the final result. This is to assess the impact of red cards on outcomes of matches.
For the purpose of this research, I have excluded any red cards shown after 70 minutes and matches where one player or more from each side were dismissed.
Here are the findings!
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Match |
Player Sent Off |
Time Red Card Shown |
Score at Time of Red Card |
Full Time Score |
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Despite the rhetoric, the evidence shows that a red card rarely changes the course of the game. So why do we make out as though it does? The perception is far removed from the reality.
The idea that a red card ruins a game is a myth
and is hardly ever the game-defining moment that we think of it as.
For this reason, the failure to produce a red card where one is justified should not be excused in the name of competitive integrity. When it comes to protecting players from head injuries, the impact on a game should never be considered.
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