youre the ref

[meffin]

A funny little quiz the BBC have every day. todays scenario is..

Spain are playing in a quarter-final at Euro 2008 when one of the opposition players is substituted. The player is not pleased. He walks to the touchline and swaps places with a teammate, who is substituting him. Then, out of frustration, he throws his shirt to the ground, walks over and punches the fourth official.

He is presumably sent to the stands, or to the dressing room. But the question is, will his team be reduced to 10 players or have they got away with it, because the substitution had been completed by that point? And what would be his punishment?

[Scratch]

'd guess that as he has left the field of play and been replaced, he is now not a "player" and would be treated as anyone else sat on the bench, red-carded and ejected from the dugout. But the team would retain all 11 players.

[dww]

I'm not sure but i would have thought the substitution officially happens when the game next starts - so if that hadn't happened they may well be reduced to 10 men.

[-V-]

Team continues with 11 players as the sub has already been made. The player is still shown a red card and punished by Uefa (probably banned from next 200 games)

[mchaggis]

Team continues with 11 players as the sub has already been made. The player is still shown a red card and punished by Uefa (probably banned from next 200 games)

[johnp]

'd guess that as he has left the field of play and been replaced, he is now not a "player" and would be treated as anyone else sat on the bench, red-carded and ejected from the dugout. But the team would retain all 11 players.

That's what I would have thought

[machiavelli]

Yep thats what i thought also as the sub had been made, so the player is then considered like a coach or other sub. so he is set off, but the team does not lose a player

[Robbie-9-Fowler]

surely the player wouldn't take it out on the poor old fourth official

Luis Aragonés would take the beating IMO

[mersey86]

Now if it was Manchester United the referee would consult with Sir Alex first, allow the substitution and, with Rooney cursing in his ear, let the offending player off with a stern lecture.

[johnp]

Now if it was Manchester United the referee would consult with Sir Alex first, allow the substitution and, with Rooney cursing in his ear, let the offending player off with a stern lecture.

and give a penalty to Utd