It is often the simplest explanations that can be the most satisfying, a place where few words can offer the most impactful analysis or advice.

This might technically be the easiest topic ever covered by this column, but yet the absence of such a simple word has caused so much needless drama.

In the 33rd minute of yesterday's 3-0 win against Montreal, New England Revolution left back Will Sands was issued a yellow card after which in the ensuing booking process New England head coach Marko Mitrovic received a red card for leaving his technical area to dissent with match officials about the decision. The match referee pool question was about this exact discipline which was responded to as such:

Literally word for word basically what it states in Law 12 that gets published by the IFAB online every year. Not overly helpful to anyone who doesn't sit through USSF's annual referee recertification process including a not insignificant section where I have to learn how to call my own work number in the event of a medical emergency.

But that's okay, because PRO has a social media team that was gracious enough to engage not once, but twice, with noted Revs media member Julian Cardillo. Surely they offered something more substantial than merely repeating the law that was already quoted to us in the pool question.

They didn't but here's the rule in question:

Now there's a very simple word that no one in a yellow jersey has said yet to the detriment of its importance in the story. It's also important to remember my least favorite IFAB word ever of all time that still doesn't mean what they think it means makes another appearance here to the surprise of no one though that is far from the biggest problem.

Because deliberately or otherwise this very key word has been omitted from all of the communications that would solve quite literally all of the confusion here.

AND.

The missing word is and.

A manager or coach can not leave their technical area AND dissent (or merely remonstrate) with a referee without being shown a red card. It is a proven scientific formula A + B = C.

There are no other options or alternatives for a referee to take. This is not a subjective decision, there are no ifs or buts, Marko Mitrovic has unknowingly broken the golden rule of sideline etiquette within the laws of the game and was rightly given an early shower.

Let's back up a bit.

Sending off coaches has been around for a long time, right before COVID the laws were updated to allow referees to issue yellow and red cards to technical staff so they wrote down what constitutes cautions versus sending off offenses, the full Law 12 if you want to read it - section 12.4 scroll way down for the "Team Officials" section of the Disciplinary Action stuff.

However, usually in soccer, coaches get their monies worth well before they get sent back to the locker room or into the stands. It's not like baseball were Bobby Cox gets tossed just for merely coming off the top step of the dugout, but that is actually what literally happened here.

Dissent in soccer takes two forms: physical and verbal. Mitrovic, or any player really, taking a brisk stroll or outright sprinting twenty yards towards on official is grounds on it's own for dissent regardless of any questions or inquiries being verbalized. Now, Seth's clip shows Marko definitely not running, but he made it down to being right next to the AR but I can not remember the last time I saw a coach closer to his own penalty area than midfield.

He's probably a good 15 yards out of the technical area, and even as the broadcast audio mentions, they think it's a quick hook from the referee. It's really not, we just don't see this particular rule get broken in this manner.

Marko even said after the game he certainly expected a yellow card and seemed obviously unaware of the rule he just ran afoul of. I have no reason to not believe him, he seemed genuine in his response and I'm sure is now fully aware of how that particular rule works and is enforced. The resigned and familiar look from former Asst. Ref. of the Year and Saturday's AR1 Ian McKay and his magnificent beard essentially telling Marko without saying anything that you pissed off mom and are going to have to eat that grounding is the piece de resistance.

The other thing to note in the language establishing sending off discipline is that once a coach is outside of his technical area, they basically can not even engage with a referee. Merely remonstrating, otherwise engaging in any basic argument or question at this point, is enough to qualify getting shown a red card. The Golden Rule is always stay in your technical area. Not that you can't get a red inside of it, but it's almost assuredly going to happen if you are outside of it.

Two issues we have to still address. One is the lack of communication, again, from PRO on literally anything. Copy and pasting the law is not an explanation, if the media is asking you a question it is because they seek clarification, details, insight, etc., because a unique situation arose or was a key moment in a game.

This would be the former, as Julian Cardillo elaborated on in the above Twitter X thread, Marko's actions of leaving the technical area OR dissenting on their own are both cautionable.

This is why AND is important and repeatedly capitalized for emphasis, because it establishes both actions simultaneously to the sending off category of discipline. Is it implied in the formatting of the law, yes, but to the unfamiliar, those without several law degrees, and persons who don't regularly get supplemental emails and guidance or refereeing games without technical areas on a regular basis, it's easy to see why Mitrovic's sending off could be seen as harsh. It's not, just doctrinal.

Literally one word in a pool question response or tweet would have answered this question. There is no great secret to explaining this stuff, particularly to the media and broadcasters who are describing it to the masses. We the media can't help you if you don't help us.

Literally offering no response would have been better here because PRO added nothing but a qualifying insult without explanation to a credentialed media member online. Telling someone they are wrong and moving on should not be the standard level of communication referees are giving off the field. On the field, completely different matter, we have other things to do and a game to get on with and can discuss things and provide feedback later.

But once the final whistle goes, match reports start to get written and I know my recertification covers supplemental report writing for things like red cards. And you know what would be nice? If the media started getting answers to pool questions that read like those reports.

AR1 and/or center referee Joshua Encarnacion observed Revolution head coach Marko Mitrovic leave his technical area around the 33rd/34th minute, advancing down the sideline gesturing with his arms wide and verbally questioning a yellow card issued to NE defender #23 Will Sands. By leaving his technical area AND engaging in verbal and physical dissent, center referee issued him a red card in accordance with Law 12.

You're telling me you can't get that paragraph onto a pool report answer after a game? That it is physically impossible to provide context in any way as a matter of cause or purpose when interacting with the media? Literally one word to explain the potentially abstract formatting of Laws of the Game end this discussion immediately.

AND. The word is and.

As a further aside, I do not know if Mr. Encarnacion shares the same philosophy for the rare occasion when I actually center a game, but the fastest way to actively piss me off on a soccer field is to have a go at one of my assistants. Particularly after they do something correct.

I do not know who Marko was specifically trying to talk to on his stroll down the sideline, but Sands' foul was right in front of the AR and the flag and whistle mostly went at the same time. I thought it was pretty obvious that Sands was playing the man in that situation and tripped or leg whipped or whatever that was against the Montreal player that was certainly worthy of a yellow card on the unsporting awkwardness of the play alone.

Not only am I protective of my assistants because I'm the one at the end of the day making the final decision but FIFA and leagues, especially the grassroots levels, have been stressing dissent and mass confrontation and how referees should deal with those situations. I can assure you if Mitrovic had done those actions within his technical area, let's say he went as far towards the AR specifically as he could but still did everything else, the yellow card is probably coming out and the proverbial please remain in your area talk will be had to signal my displeasure will be had.

Marko Mitrovic's first half sending off on Saturday, does not need that long of an explanation. It is quite literally adding two plus two and getting four. It is a result that should happen every time and is a fairly easy standard to meet consistently as Tata Martino also found out over the weekend though I think he was actively channeling his inner Bobby Cox and wanted that red card. I also believe this puts the Revs head coach 157 regular season ejections behind the Braves skipper though I have not prorated the red card numbers from a 162 game season down to 34.

Despite beginning his quest to catch Roger Espinoza's career 13 red cards, Marko Mitrovic will likely never make this mistake again. And I genuinely think he made a mistake and did not know the red card was coming. That is however unfortunately his fault, and he now knows better, and perhaps maybe PRO and/or MLS should put out a memo reminding everyone of the part of Law 12 that kept getting enforced over the weekend. Just make sure you add in the important word when you copy/paste the wording from the law into the email.