On 25 August 2012, Martin Atkinson was the referee in a Premier League (ENG) match between West Ham United (blue) and Swansea FC (white).
Early in the match, #4 white was attacking down the right side and lost possession of the ball to a blue defender (images 1 to 3). He subsequently fouled the defender, which was rightly called by the assistant referee and whistled by referee Atkinson. After #4 white got to his feet, he promptly kicked the ball away (image 4).
While the Laws explicitly state that this is a cautionable offense, referee Atkinson chooses not to issue a caution. That is not to say that he let the tactic go unnoticed, as seen in the last image.
A small illustration that player management doesn’t always require the use of cards.
In The Opinion Of The Referee 
3 responses to “Case Study: Atkinson Shows Cards Aren't Always Necessary”
This was not the only example in this match (e.g. the persistent infringement lecture and the borderline reckless challenge both in the first half). Well done…
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I think a list of offences which the LotG say “must” be cautioned and those which “may” be cautioned would be a helpful list for new and old officials alike.
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Do we not already have this through the 100% misconduct memos?
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