Deliberate yellow/red cards | PASOTI
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Deliberate yellow/red cards

I’ve been meaning to ask this question for some while. I visited Charlton Athletic last season, and with four minutes of the game remaining one of their players prevented an opposing player from taking a throw in by standing on the line precisely where the player had to take the throw in. Yellow card duly received. He then repeated the incident, leaving the ref no choice but to give a second yellow and a red.

Cue laughter and applause around the ground, and smirks from players and the ref. It was explained to me that the player was one yellow short of a suspension, and there were two meaningless games to follow where he wouldn’t be missed. I think (I may be wrong) that many in the crowd were expecting it.

My question is; is such blatant manipulation of suspension rules, condoned by the ref, although he had no choice, allowed?