A referee has been suspended by the English Federation FA for having made an unusual side choice. Instead of throwing a coin before kick-off as usual, David McNamara had the captains play "scissors, stone, paper" in a match of the English "Women's Super League".
McNamara, according to the BBC, Daily Mail and other English media at the game between Manchester City and Reading end of October, the coin in the locker room left and could thus make the site choice not according to the rules.
Because it took too long to get the coin, he became creative. The children's game had to be for the side vote, in which Steph Houghton for City and Kirsty Pearce for Reading took part. Houghton is also captain of the English national team.
"The FA can confirm that referee David McNamara has been suspended for 21 days after accepting the allegation that he did not act in the best interest of the match," the association said. McNamara could appeal the verdict. Its suspension begins retroactively to the 26th of October.