The Premier League has released a statement explaining why Declan Rice was sent off for a second bookable offense against Brighton.
The midfielder received his first red card as an Arsenal player after being judged to have tried to stop the restart of the game during the fixture.
Since Rice had already been cautioned earlier, the referee had no choice but to send him off.
However, replays showed that he did not make a deliberate attempt to block the restart, a view shared by most observers.
Despite this, the Premier League, in their explanation of the incident, insisted that Rice was cautioned for attempting to block the restart, which led to his second yellow card.
The Premier League tweeted:
“The referee issued a second yellow card to Declan Rice for delaying the restart.”
Just Arsenal Opinion
Rice did not seem to make a deliberate attempt to stop the restart. However, the referee has already made his decision.
We have to move on and prepare for the next game without him in our plans.
Facing Tottenham without Rice on the team will be tough, but our other players must step up now and prove their worth.
ADMIN COMMENT
So here are some simple rules which I must insist commenters follow….
You agree not to give any personal abuse to other Arsenal fans. Everyone is allowed to hold their own opinions even if you disagree with them. It COSTS NOTHING TO BE POLITE TO OTHER ARSENAL FANS.
CALLING ALL ARSENAL FANS! Anyone who would like to contribute an Article or Video opinion piece on JustArsenal, please contact us through this link…
Presumably the comment also explained why Pedro wasn’t booked in the 1st half?
He was sent off for kicking the ball away plain and simple ,the Brighton player moved it forward (not with his hands )and wanted to play it forward ,rice got in the way and kicked it away then faked a silly kick to his shin .
Harsh yes but by the law it’s a yellow .
Not sure why some fans are arguing that fact .
👍
Fake a silly kick ? Wow just wow
Can you explain why the Brighton player was not carded in the first half kicking the ball away in view of all?
I cannot explain why the Brighton player wasn’t carded as I wasn’t referring the game maybe ask the ref ,I was given my view on the rice incident as that was what the article was about .
👍👍 you need consistency….if the Brighton palyer was given a yellow WE could’t
Argue with the Rice one but
Was the referee generally consistent or inconsistent? Did Rice kick the ball? No, but there was contact between player and the ball.
Ridiculous and disingenuous comments above by the useful bunch who are all too happy to write stuff against a club they claim to support.
The referee could technically give a card if he believed that Rice was delaying the restart of the game. However, they have discretion and it was not a clearcut situation. The Brighton player had moved the ball forward and the ball was not stationary. The Brighton player clearly kicked Rice which in itself could be deemed an offence.
Some people are insisting that the referee “had no choice” which is oft repeated nonsense.
It was a poor decision which was not in the spirit of the game and showed poor judgement on the part of the referee.
Useful bunch !
😂
Some of us support the club not the manager buddy.
What has this discussion got to do with the manager? Support the club?? The suggestion that arguing vehemently for a disputed decision against your own club is somehow evidence of supporting the club really takes the biscuit.
So because I saw the incident differently to you it means I don’t support the club ?
I already said it was a harsh decision ,the refs and VAR are the experts and they deemed it a yellow card ,maybe you should be advising PGMOL on how they officiate.
VAR was in no way involved in this issue, as is usual with yellow card offences.
My point still stands
I understand that you think the referee was consistent and made good decisions on Saturday. I have a different understanding of his performance.
Dan, I wouldn’t bother. There are people who know the rules of football and thee are those that make them up and talk absolute garbage. Rice was the idiot regardless of anyones opinion. And opinion is nothing to do with rules of football.
@Dan Kit
👍🏾👏🏾
I am a supporter of fair sentencing and predictable enforcement of the regulations. Unlike you, I think the referee’s performance was extremely weak and inconsistent. This has nothing to do about supporting Arsenal FC or their management.
I’m not too sure why the admin should publish such distorted and dishonest comments as yours here.
If you wanted to be honest, you should have also explained why a similar action by Pedro in the first hald did not even attract a verbal warning from the referee.
You may even be that same referee disguising here to make this comment. Yet you admit that it was harsh.
The referee was very aware of the consequences of his action. He jus fell short of getting the really desired results that his action was intended to produce (namely, wishi9ng that Arsenal be beaten.
Lols
Get a grip son it’s a football forum I’ll post wantever i like within their rules ,I would suggest the Internets not for you if you get offended so easily
DK, did you know that it’s the law that a free kick should be taken from the correct spot?
Or that it’s the law that a ball should be stationary before a free kick is taken?
Now, if EITHER of those laws had been applied, then Rice wouldn’t have been given a yellow card would he?
Details, details, lol.
Rice disappointed me. He is one of the leaders we look up to on the pitch. He failed to live up to that billing.
Once you are on a yellow, you have to play with extra caution, even if it means turning the other cheek when you are slapped on one.
Now he has put his team in a difficult situation. We will go to the NLD without him; and Merino is on the treatment table.
These are the kind of avoidable incidents that could come back to haunt you and even cost the team the title itself..
CorporateMan
I agree with your sentiments, one of the few voices of reason.
Hasn’t Rice addressed this situation himself and expressed regret over his action?
I agree with others about the ref’s poor performance, but that is another matter. Shocking how some deny reality when Rice himself admitted his actions led to a second yellow.
He lost his head and composure, and now the club is in a tough spot, tougher even with Merino out.
Well said as an arsenal supporter let this be a lesson never to be repeated
Heres a food for thought…wonder how it would have panned out if rice hadnt prodded the ball away? Still a yellow? If yes why? Play hadnt restarted as moving ball…player wasnt attempting to hold up play
My only disappointment for Rice was that he was not having a good game before the red card. It is very easy for one to seat or lie down and type all they thought he should have done better in the moment eg Reggie like they would have done it better, when they have not clearly watched the sequence of events because I find it difficult for anyone to blame Rice for that if they have. The reason Rice toed the ball away was because it touched his heels behind him as he was walking away which lead to the reaction to toe it away. If that ball had not made any contact with him, he wouldn’t have touched it simple, and that is the first sequence Ken has painstakingly tried to point out to Reggie. Rice is one of the best behaved players I’ve ever seen on the pitch. I can blame him for his performance or form, but hardly his conduct. That was very poor officiating today, was not even supriced when I saw the red like I stated in a previous comment as it was consistent with several of the referees poor calls against us. The only surprise for me would have been him booking the Brighton player there even when our fans an players were calling for action when we did not see the ball make contact with Rice and his reaction to nicking it away. Terrible officiating.
You can’t judge a second yellow offence card on what Rice “wouldn’t ” have done or what may or may not have caused a “reaction”. We only saw what he did actualy do, and in pure and technical terms he touched a ball out of play. This is completely inarguable.
What occurred after this is definitely up for debate.
yellow card ‘offence”
In “pure” and technical terms:
*The Brighton player moved the ball forwards which could be considered an infringement
*Attempted restarting the game with ball still in motion
*Kicked Rice when the ball was not in play which could be considered misconduct
I wouldn’t disagree, but none of it was called, and If someone (perhaps the 4th official or linesman) had said something to diffuse the issue and pointed this out to Kavanagh, good sense might have prevailed.
David, you do NOT understand the basic rules of football. Plus all footballers were told before the season started. Any delayof free kicks would lead to a yellow card. It doesn’t matter what you think. Rice deserves a yellow card.
What basic rules, from the three examples given by David, makes you say that he doesn’t know the basic rules of football Reggie?
You keep on about Rice “deserving” a yellow card, but you fail to understand that the ball was not in play, as it was a rolling ball, not taken in the right position and the referee hadn’t signalled the free kick to be taken… aren’t all of THOSE three examples basic rules of football???
Whether Rice was stupid in his actions does not alter the facts.
Time wasting ken, for want of a better term. He kicked the ball away. Ask yourself, Why did he do that on a yellow card. He knew what would happen, they were told. Why didn’t he just walk away, instead of getting involved. Whatever you think of the ref, it doesn’t excuse Rice. He gave him a decision to make. He should not have.
Why aren’t you condemning the defender who also kicked the ball away and forward from the point of the foul then Reggie?
Before you say he wasn’t time wasting, wasn’t he trying to gain an unfair advantage from the free kick?
He’s not entitled to do that is he?
Points to Kavanaughs incompetance
Quick free kick rule states The referee has full discretion on whether to allow a quick free kick, and all other rules on free kicks still apply. However, in taking a quick free kick the kicking team waives their entitlement to retake the kick if an opponent who was within 9.15 m (10 yards) intercepts the ball.
So even if we ignore the moving ball..by allowing a quick free kick. Rice has every right to intercept the ball and shouldnt have been carded.
I did not only see what he did, speak for yourself as I am not part of the we. I saw the Brighton player kick the ball towards the heel of a retreating Rice who eventually toed the ball.
The replay doesn’t show a deliberate attempt by Rice to delay the restart. So it’s dishonest for you to say Rice disappointed you.
Your statement should read that the referee who is clearly biased disappointed you.
The biased referee was on a mission to frustrate the efforts of arsenal to keep up the momentum.
And the PL is is always going to defend him. Why don’t the Pl explain why Pedro wasn’t sanctioned for a similar offense committed in the first half?
My take on Declan Rice’s ban: needless kick in the balls, but:
1. Veltman deliberately kicked the balloon and moved it approx. 2 m from the place of intervention
2. Declan did not prevent the tackle as the ball was not at rest but rolled away from the spot of the offence.
3. Veltman did not primarily want to play the ball, but deliberately kicked Declan.
If I’m going to accept a yellow card for Declan, why did an opposing player get away with it? Is it not a foul to deliberately kick an opponent without the ball in stoppage time? Moreover, I don’t think only Arsenal players fouled yellow cards and Brighton players didn’t make a single such save in the whole match.
From the above, I claim that the referee was either not completely impartial in the match or his abilities are not sufficient for PL level.
Moreover, how come the far more obvious delay of the game – the kick-off of Neta in the first half – was not given a yellow card?
Leoni, I wouldn’t disagree with any of what you say, but Declan still should not have deliberately tapped the ball out of play. So stupid of him.
Jax, you are talking sense. You are wasting your time.
Jax, your confusing a error by the referee, with the action of Rice.
If said referee had followed the rules, then it wouldn’t have mattered what Rice did, as the ball was still dead and the only delay came from the defender who tried to pinch extra yards by propelling the ball forward and hitting Rice on the way.
You are talking absolute rubbish ken. Decent or petulance does not go out of the window because the ball was moving. Its petulance and thats punishable.
No I’m not Reggie and, as the debate has gone on, it is quite clear that what I was saying in the first instance (probably not as eloquently as Keith Hackett of course!!) has gathered momentum, simply because it was true.
I would like you to answer the point made by the above ex referee regarding the ten yard rule that neither the referee or the defender followed?
Would you say that was petulance by the defender, when he followed through on Rice, with a tackle that would most certainly have received a yellow card as a minimum at any other time?
Would like to read your response to both questions and, if possible David’s thoughts as well… that ten yard rule has really put the cat amongst the pigeons and is yet another example of the referee choosing not to follow the rules of football in his eagerness to send Rice off… but let’s read how you and Davi see it.
The ball was moving when Veltman attempted the pass. Rice touched a “MOVING BALL”! The very free kick was illegal as the ball didn’t stop. How could Rice delay a free kick when the free kick itself was illegal and not valid? You can’t take a short free kick if it’s moving! I don’t know why some fans are delighted to point out how the yellow card was a right decision without looking at whether the free kick attempt itself was according to the rules?
Are some fans really delighted that we dropped the points so they could be proven right? Or are we really looking at the issue with an unbiased opinion?
Just answer, if the Veltman free kick was according to the rules? The ball was already moving and wasn’t slowing down at all before Rice gave it a nudge. So was Rice penalized because he “would’ve delayed the start” if “free kick had been valid according to the rules”? So Rice was penalized on a hypothetical scenario? What rubbish!
Daulat, what we don’t know is did the referee deem the free kick, whether it was taken from the correct place or moving when taken as valid? It would appear that in his judgement of preventing a restart the ref obviously considered the ball still dead.
And his judgement was wrong. He could see Rice touching the ball on his blind side, but didn’t notice that the ball was moving? If Veltman had attempted to take a short free kick, after the ball had come to a stop, yeah Rice would’ve been at fault by touching and moving it again. It wasn’t so. The ball was moving when he attempted the kick. Ref couldn’t see that but could see Rice touching the ball with his ankle which was on the blind side of the referee?
Rice doesn’t get to decide if the kick would have been valid or not by kicking the ball away. That’s not how it works.
Just watched it again(!) and the ball is going very slowly when rice kicks it away, to the point it may have been imperceptible at the point it would have been struck – unfortunately we’ll never know because rice kicked it away…
If the Veltman kick attempt had connected, it would have been an invalid free kick as the ball was still moving! With the speed Veltman feet crossed over the ball, the ball was moving. That alone makes this “delaying the restart” argument a rubbish one.
I am surprised how some fans are okay and even advocating for the decision. Wow!
Pleased that we are getting through to those who aren’t seeing the problem from the very beginning Daulat.
I think this decision was a very simple one. It was equivalent to giving a penalty for a hand ball, when the ball striker is offside. And the argument is if the striker wasn’t offside, the hand ball would’ve stopped the ball from going into the net so it’s a penalty.
That was a reply to Ken.
The entire refereeing staffs really produced the best argument for incompetent buffoonery!!
Stupid ref was more concerned about punishing Dec than he was about understanding what actually happened!
Linesman was standing right there next to both players and he could have assisted the ref to make a better judgement call
Then you have disgraceful VAR bunch who could have simply ask the ref to check VAR screen before making an absolutely important and critical decision!
The Thames will throw their foul bodies right back up if these nonces were thrown over the edge!
VAR is not used in yellow card issues, and he may have consulted the assistant via his mike.
In one of today’s newspapers, Mike Dean (remember him?) said that the clubs were told by PGMOL pre season that they were clamping down on this very issue of preventing play re-starting, which obviously slipped Kavanagh’s mind when Pedro booted the ball down the pitch in the first half, preventing us from taking a quick throw in.
I can see an article on the impartiality of refereeing coming Jax….
The Guardian did one some time back Sue, but it hasn’t made any difference.
“The ball was rolling when Brighton’s Joel Veltman took the free-kick, so the restart would not have taken place as it would have been wrong in Law,” Halsey pointed out in The S*n. “Therefore, the delaying a restart does not apply.
“Kavanagh went looking for trouble and he found it. A referee of his calibre at this level should not be sending players off for this.
“He should have managed the situation better by speaking to both players. Rice should have received a final warning for flicking the ball away and Veltman was also lucky to escape punishment for kicking the England star.
According to a former Referee Mark Halsey. Premier league’s explanation holds no water actually.
Rice should have just walked away and not have been petulant. No yellow card then.
Just say, that Ref was wrong, but Rice should’ve been smarter being on a yellow, to not invite such a scenario. And I would accept what you’re saying.
Daulat
Best comment I have read and summed up perfectly.
Poor decision by ref, but Rice should have been smarter and not create a situation while already on a yellow.
Hope your readingDaulat’s post at 11.17 Davi and Reggie, as that’s what I’ve been saying from the very beginning.
The referee bungled it completely in his haste to send off Rice.
Reggie, Rice WAS walking away and got clattered by the defender!!
Reggie did read it, and he had this to say, “Rice should have just walked away and not have been petulant. No yellow card then.”
There is only thing Rice could do to not get a yellow card in that game. If he was on the bench, or heck if he was a Cricket player and not Football.
Rice clearly toe-poked the ball away when the guy was trying to kick it – how can you say he was just walking away?
In But he WAS walking away – look at the footage!!
The ball hit him – the ball that hadn’t been stationary in the first place!!
That made the incident null and void, as no free kick had been taken, so how on earth was he delaying it?!?!
Plus, once again, that ten yard rule that you and Reggie seem to be ignoring – why is that?
Another ex PGMOL chief , Keith Hackett says this,
“This weekend I sadly witnessed the send off of Declan Rice. I listened to pundits stating that the referee applied the law.
Well did he apply the law correctly and in the spirit of the game? Did the referee enforce and allow the player time to be the appropriate 10 yards from the ball at the taking of the restart? Was the ball static at the time Rice made contact?
Did his actions display visual or verbal dissent? Did he actually delay the restart by his actions? Was the referee proactive in preventing the incident? Why no action on the opponent of Rice who clearly kicked out, using the missing ball as an excuse. Why earlier in the game when a player booted the ball away from the scene of a required restart was no action taken. Rice cannot appeal two yellow cards so the matter is closed. The important aspect of this is offering the Referee and his colleagues the appropriate operational advice. All participants need to understand the SPIRIT OF THE GAME and avoid a similar incident in the future for the good of the game.”
And here we have fans, who at first must be disappointed that we lost 2 points, but they are actually advocating on the behalf of the referee that the decision was correct, and Rice should be sent off. I would’ve accepted the Red card if he had instead grabbed Veltman by the throat and push him to the ground, oh wait that wasn’t deemed a red card offence, not even a yellow against wolves.
And this sad excuse of an explanation that PL has given.
Daulat, I salute your detective work on this, although I have been trying to say what Hackett has put much clearer in his statement.
In actual fact, I forgot about the ten yard ruling, so it makes the case that Davi and Reggie have put forward blaming Rice, as even more absurd.
This whole fiasco reminds me of the time that, I think it was Martinelli, was shown two yellow cards in the space of five seconds – never been done before or since and I will be very surprised if we see the decision regarding Rice happen again.
Funny how it’s always The Arsenal that referees decide to implement such ridiculous decisions on.
I believe this topic can easily venture into the realm of conspiracies. While I don’t think conspiracies are always wrong—in fact, they often turn out to be more accurate than so-called ‘factual explanations’ in today’s world—it’s important to remember that a conspiracy remains just that until it’s proven true. And even then, such revelations typically emerge long after the fact, often skipping an entire generation.
One thing is certain, though: EPL referees and VAR officials are absolutely incompetent. The only thing VAR has accomplished is to replace occasional random mistakes with errors made at their discretion.
You mentioned the 10 yard ruling yesterday, but they can take the freekick quickly if they like? If the ball had been kicked into rice from the freekick, I’d see your point, but rice literally kicked the ball away himself.
So how did the ball make contact with Rice in the first place… before, as you put it, he literally “kicked” the ball away?
If that was “kicking” the ball away, my great grandson has to be put forward as having the hardest kick in the world!!
To his credit, Rice has admitted that he was at fault, should have known better, has made no excuses and apologised to all concerned. Does not blame anyone but himself.
That’s all one can do really after the fact. What I hope, on the positive side of things that this incident makes our players to be clever in gamemanship, but on the negative side, I hope it doesn’t instill too much carefulness in the players and not be effective on the press and closing down on the threats.
Rice, should not have kicked the ball away. He did. End of. As I have said, blame the ref, have your opinion but Rice was in the wrong. AND I AM A MASSIVE FAN OF RICE. He let us down.
The referee should not have given a second yellow card. It was a poor decision which was inconsistent with the spirit of the game.
This is a completely valid opinion, David – the issue is the idea that the referee made an incorrect call and contradicted the rules of the game. One can definitely argue that the ref was inconsistent and could/should have let it go in the spirit of the game. 100%
The free kick was not valid as the ball was moving, so Veltman should’ve been sent off for kicking Rice. End of.
Absolutely correct Daulat and the defender should have been booked for delaying the proper free kick as prescribed in the rule book.
IE. Spotted down in the correct position and the ball stationary not moving.
When a player is walking away and a ball touches the heels of the player in the pitch what is usually his reaction? If you have played football before, what will be your reaction?
Rice will obviously take the responsibility for the draw and apologize to his team mates and fans. Where you expecting him to tell us fans that it wasn’t his fault?
Rice saundered across and cheekily poked the ball away as the Brighton player was trying to kick it – he knew exactly what he was doing and I guess just didnt expect it would get him a yellow. If the ball hit my heel gently like that, in that situation, I’d turn around and realise it was nothing and get on with the game, not try to mess with the freekick.
Ah, so now your saying Rice WAS walking away Davi?
Your keep changing the scenario as you see it post by post!!
FACT – The ball was stationary in the correct position for the free kick, Veltman then kicked the ball forward into Rice’s path. According to the rules of the game that kick would have clearly constituted that Veltman had already restarted the game and therefore Rice was fully entitlled to play the ball and even drive into the brighton penalty area and score. He did not actually commit any offence
Another observation 100% correct Les White.
Rice had a poor Euros and it seems he has carried it on with the first three games of the season, he has been poor and he was against Brighton, the first yellow was so daft, he didn’t need to do it, but he did. The second yellow is down to him, he knows the rules why give the ref the excuse to send you off. Rice need to find his mojo because at the moment it is missing