Amid the debate over what Kentoine Jennings actually did to be sent off in Tuesday night's match against Trinidad & Tobago, a bigger issue was almost overlooked.

After his red card, Bermuda's stand-in captain returned to his team bench and sat down among his team-mates as if nothing had happened.

The match resumed and it was only following protests by the opposing camp that fourth official, Stuart Crockwell, belatedly went to Jennings and ordered him to leave the area. Even then, the veteran player's obvious indication was that he would leave when he was ready and he took his cool time doing so.

This situation spanned at least five minutes and was an ugly mark on an otherwise wonderful evening of the ‘Beautiful Game'.

In yesterday's Royal Gazette sports section, Jennings reaction to a question on this matter underlined that he didn't see it as “a big deal” - but he is wrong. Dead wrong.

It is perhaps an even bigger deal than being dismissed from the game in that he clearly flouted one of football's best-known regulations that any player who receives a red card must vacate the field and its immediate environs forthwith.

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct of FIFA's Laws of the Game is absolutely clear on this.

“A player who has been sent off must leave the vicinity of the field of play and the technical area.”

No-one is allowed to rejoin their team or ‘dilly-dally' in leaving the premises. It's just not on - regardless of the level of the match. Friendly or no friendly.

As a senior man in the side - and captain for the night - it was a horrible example which Jennings set for his peers, especially the young ones.

He has already apologised for earning a red card but this too requires he say sorry!

Coaches Kenny Thompson and Dennis Brown must take some blame too as the incident unfolded in their midst and neither - particularly Brown seated on the same bench - made any move to hasten Jennings' departure as any decent coach should have.

Thompson was up on the sidelines at the time but there was such commotion over the issue - especially with the Trinidadians rising to their feet and pointing at Jennings - that he can hardly claim he didn't know what was going on behind him.

Certain Bermuda Football Association (BFA) officials watching frowned on what they saw and, hopefully, enough will be said behind closed doors to ensure this distasteful spectacle is not repeated.

While this will soon be - or has already been - forgotten, it strikes at the essence of a greater problem; one which those of us at soccer games witness weekend after weekend: a blatant disrespect for football rules and officials.

Hardly a match goes by without a player or coach cursing a referee or linesman - and we're not talking about simply disputing calls but all-out, vicious swearing and even threats!

Sometimes, officials - already overwhelmed by their thankless task - cannot be bothered to punish offenders and when they do, they often incur further ire and wrath. Two weekends ago at St. John's Field, North Village coach Scott Morton refused to leave the ground despite being red-carded for verbally abusing referee Stuart Crockwell. It was a farce to see the Coach of the Year move his chair behind Village's bench in response to the sanction.

When coaches and captains discuss discipline they must remember it begins with them and that in asking players to “do as I do” they must be doing the right things.

Otherwise, young players will be encouraged to copy the examples they see and the continued ‘acceptance' of bad behaviour will remain a stain on Bermuda's football scene.