Quote Originally Posted by TATY
Quote Originally Posted by ZelyeUrsuli
Quote Originally Posted by E-learner
ZelyeUrsuli
Thank you.
I understand your explanation thus: sometimes, as in my example, excuse could mean invalidate/make ineffective. Am I right?
Sort of. There's more of a "forget it ever happened" air to it, in my opinion.

TATY - I was listing the meanings in the above context. It does mean justify but I wanted to clarify something.

The linesman flagging the play and the yellow card are unrelated. The word excuse is taking the place of "justify whether or not the referee will take back the card or if the card will count."
That's the problem, the referee can't revoke a yellow card. This is my problem with "excuse" meaning "revoke", because yellow cards are never revoke / cancelled, once they are given that's it.
He did revoke it though. He gave a (second) yellow card to Kolodin for a foul on Sneijder that was commited after the infraction for which the linesman was already flagging, and it being a second yellow card it was followed by a red and Kolodin was sent off. The commentator was wondering out loud whether the referee could or would rescind that second yellow card in light of the fact that the ball had actually gone out of play a few seconds before the foul was committed, and in the event he did just that and Kolodin was allowed to stay on the field.

So you can object to "excuse" meaning "revoke" all you like, that's exactly how it was used in this case.