In the 67th minute of the match between Phuc Khang and Bay Nui in round 3 of the 2025 National 7-a-side Football Championship - Southern region, player Raymond of Phuc Khang team was injured and was taken off the field by the medical team. The match was then continued, the ball was returned to goalkeeper Pham Van Tien of Phuc Khang.
Shortly after, player Raymond returned to the field from the Bay Nui club field. In the next phase, Raymond participated in the attack and contributed to the goal to increase the score to 3-2 for Phuc Khang.
The coaching staff of the Bay Nui team opposed this goal, saying that the player was not in the right position to enter the field. However, the referee team still recognized the goal.
After the match, the head coach of the Bay Nui team - Mr. Huynh Van Tinh - strongly reacted and used language that was considered inappropriate for the referee team, including FIFA referee Le Thi Ly.
Referee Le Thi Ly gave a yellow card for warning and then dismissed Mr. Tinh from directing because she continued to commit inappropriate acts. Referee Le Thi Ly even said that Mr. Tinh had threatened to assault her if she was not a woman. Security forces were present to invite the coach to leave the technical area.
Regarding the controversial professional situation, according to the analysis of former FIFA referee Vu Nguyen Vu, the referee team handled it in accordance with current law. According to Mr. Vu, it is valid for players to return to the field from the opponent's half if the ball is in the other half, and this situation does not violate the regulations.
The 7-a-side football rules of the Vietnam Football Federation (issued in 2023) stipulate that injured players can only return to the field after the match continues. When the ball is in play, players have to enter the field from the touchline. If the ball is out of play, the player can enter the field from any side.
However, Bay Nui club has sent a complaint to the tournament organizers, requesting clarification of the validity of the above situation. In the petition, the club's leaders said that the referee team had not specifically explained their decision, and expressed concern about the objectivity in the match management.
The tournament organizing committee also responded to the complaint of the Bay Nui club. The organizers believe that the referee has followed both the rules and the refereeing method in the situation of injured players returning to the field. The tournament organizing committee also said that all comments were accepted to improve the quality and professionalism of the tournament.
Referee Le Thi Ly is currently a FIFA referee, and is also a senior referee of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), having officiated many official international tournaments.
