REMOVING SHIRTS AFTER THE GAME

Question:
At the end of the game whistle is blown, everyone knows game is over.
Both teams lined up to shake hands, two players from team A take their shirt off and are walking towards the line to shake hands without jerseys.
I want to know what the procedure for this is, This was a youth game U17.
In my mind this is a misconduct since those players are being disrespectful to the opponents.
What is your take on this?

USSF answer (March 11, 2008):
Removing the shirt after a game is over should not be treated as misconduct in most cases.  When the match is over, the referee’s best course of action is to leave and, while leaving, to be only concerned about player actions which are violent, which direct dissent at the officials, which include taking off more clothing than just the jersey, or which involve clearly abusive, insulting, or offensive language.…

SEND-OFF OR NOT?

Question:
In a very well-tempered match with 4 minutes remaining, an attacker dribbles around a tired and apparently frustrated defender (his team is losing 2-0). The defender, in a violent manner, deliberately kicks at but completely misses the unaware attacker, who has already sped by him with the ball.

The attacker is streaking into the Penalty Area with a perfect opportunity on goal, I holler “Advantage” and also immediately inform the defender that he will be dealt with at the next stoppage.

The attacker is rewarded with an outstanding scoring opportunity that is saved brilliantly by the keeper into the corner of the field.

I am now looking for any reasonable reason to stop play to send off the defender. However, after the ball rolls toward the corner play continues peacefully without even a hint of a foul, retaliation, or other issues. I stop play four minutes later to end the match, quietly remind the player of his earlier misconduct, he reluctantly nods in agreement, and is shown the red card.

The Laws of the Game support my decision, but many referees I have discussed the situation with have suggested I stop play after the advantage plays out (ball into corner of field) and then award an IFK to attackers after sending off the defender. How is the latter supported in Law or sense (it gives attackers two opportunities toward goal)? Are there any further alternatives other than stopping play immediately?

USSF answer (March 10, 2008):
You are, of course, perfectly within your right, under the Law, to send off the defender for attempting to kick his opponent, even after you have invoked the advantage clause. However, if you are going to punish this player off at all, whether with a sending-off or a caution, we would suggest doing it within the statutory 2-3 seconds after deciding to invoke the advantage, rather than waiting four minutes — during which time the defender has committed no further acts of misconduct, which may have been a result of your comment that you would deal with him at the next stoppage. There is no need to wait for a so-called “natural stoppage” to do this; if the act must be punished, then stop play and do it.

That brings us to a second decision you must make, whether to stop the game and then reward the attacking team for an act that apparently had no true effect on the game. You should wait long enough to see whether or not the advantage has been properly applied — in other words, the attacking team kept control of the ball, continued the attack, etc. Only then would we suggest stopping play, if necessary, and coming back to manage the situation with the defender. The extra benefit to this approach is that you can now bring the ball back and give the attackers an IFK for the misconduct (the foul having been wiped away by the advantage).…

CHANGING ONE’S MIND

Question:
In a GU11 club game, defending team is whistled for a handball in the penalty area. Keeper drops her arms and the other
defenders slow down, attacker strikes the ball a second or two after the whistle and it goes into the net. Referee disallows the goal at first, then walks over to the near A/R and talks to him as the parents from the attacking team start yelling.

Referee signals for the kickoff and tells our coach that he should have called “advantage” and that was why he decided to allow the goal. The ref went on to say, “never replace a scored goal with a PK.”

I maintained that he misunderstood the LOTG, and once the whistle was
In a GU11 club game, defending team is whistled for a handball in the penalty area. Keeper drops her arms and the other defenders slow down, attacker strikes the ball a second or two after the whistle and it goes into the net. Referee disallows the goal at first, then walks over to the near A/R and talks to him as the parents from the attacking team start yelling. blown, play was dead, and a PK should have been awarded.

USSF answer (March 10, 2008):
O, those inventive (and chicken-hearted) referees!

You are correct. The referee cannot change his decision to stop play after having blown the whistle, no matter what input the assistant referee provided in their brief conference. No goal. Restart with the penalty kick.…

ADDITIONAL REFEREES?

Question:
Is FIFA looking at using 2 referees in future World Cup matches?

I recently played in an adult league match where there were 2 referees. Each refereed called the game on their half of the field. When I asked about the 2 referee format, I was told that it would be implemented by FIFA for the 2010 World Cup.

Can you verify that this is the case?

USSF answer (March 10, 2008):
There was an announcement recently that FIFA was considering an experiment with a two-referee system (with assistant referees) with an eye to using it in a future World Cup setting. This was only for purposes of high-level soccer, not for our everyday games.

We do not know where you play, but the dual system of control, the “two-man” system, is not allowed to be used in games under the aegis of the United States Soccer Federation or its affiliates. The only system of officiating to be used is the diagonal system of control, as described in the Laws of the Game.

And, as a follow-on, this item from Soccer America online:
http://publications.socceramerica.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.san&s=25820&Nid=40278&p=72831

More refs experiment OKed; goal-line tech scrapped
Tuesday, Mar 11, 2008 6:45 AM ET
[REF WATCH] At its Annual General Meeting, the International Football Association Board, which oversees FIFA’s Rules of the Game, has suspended the pursuit of goal-line technology and agreed to experimentation with two additional assistant referees.

FIFA’s statement on goal-line technology included, “Amongst others, the questions of the human aspect of the Game, the universality of the Rules of the Game, as well as the simplicity and efficiency of the technology were taken into consideration.”

FIFA President Sepp Blatter said, “There has been no change of heart. Referees make decisions, not machines. I have defended goal-line technology but it has become clear that such systems are too complicated and very costly. Nor would they necessarily add anything positive to the game and could harm the authority of the referee.

“We have to maintain the laws of the game in their simplicity. Do you want technical devices to take decisions? That’s why, after three years of tests with no conclusions, I am in favor of putting the whole thing on ice.”

The IFAB has approved a proposal from FIFA to conduct an experiment involving two additional assistant referees who will mainly focus on the fouls and misconduct in the penalty area. The competition in which this test will be conducted will be decided at a later stage.

The IFAB also approved specific field-size guidelines for “A” internationals. It set a fixed size of 105m long and 68m wide (instead of a minimum and maximum length – from 100m to 110m – and a minimum and a maximum width – from 64m to 75m).

Also, FIFA President Blatter addressed violent tackles, reiterating that “players committing such acts should be banned”.

The International F.A. Board is composed of The English Football Association, The Scottish Football Association, The Football Association of Wales, The Irish Football Association (Northern Ireland) and FIFA. Representing its 204 other members, FIFA has four votes on the body, while the four British associations have one vote apiece. A proposal requires a three-quarter majority (i.e., six of the eight votes) to be passed.

MISCONDUCT AT FREE KICK

Question:
Please give me a read on the following scenario. As always, thanks in advance for your response.

Free kick for the attacking team just outside the 18 yard box (ceremonial restart, wall is placed appropriately, etc).

In this scenario, the defending team decides to place a defender on each post, a la a corner kick, so there is no immediate potential for offside.

Seeing this, an attacking player takes up a position one yard in front of the GK, with the intent (in the opinion of the referee, who I realize does not judge intent…) of obscuring his line of sight. So far, so good. If the kick is taken at this moment, and the attacking player maintains his position and does not attempt to impede the movement of the GK, then all is good. What if, prior to the kick being taken, the player who has taken up the position in front of the GK, starts jumping up and down: 1) with arms at his side; 2) with arms raised over his head and waving back and forth (potentially further obscuring GK’s vision)? Unsporting behavior in either instance?

I think I can answer my own question about # 2; warn the attacker, prior to the kick being taken, to cease and desist. Or if the kick is taken before a warning can be issued, whistle for impeding, or maybe misconduct? But I had some doubts about # 1. Any action required by the referee prior to the kick being taken in scenario # 1 (once the kick is taken, the attacker has the right to jump and attempt to head the ball)?

As I thought about this, I started to come up with variations on the theme. What about the attacker who takes up position adjacent to the defensive wall; what if he starts jumping up and down prior to the restart (hands at side). Any issue? Or for that matter, what if the defenders in the wall are jumping up and down (hands at side), prior to restart?

USSF answer (March 4, 2008):
We agree that the attacker in question is likely engaged in misconduct.  There might be some room for argument if the attacker merely stands his ground, but misconduct is absolutely clear cut if he jumps around and/or waves his arms.  This would be the functional equivalent of shouting to distract and we have no problem declaring this misconduct. As to the “merely standing” — this would be acceptable behavior unless (a) the attacker moves as the goalkeeper moves (which makes it similar to such behavior at a corner kick) or (b) is so close physically to the goalkeeper that it could be interpreted as an aggressive occupying of “personal space.”

If it can be done in time, yes, warn the player. If not, call the misconduct — not impeding.

Players in the wall are allowed to jump up and down, whether members of the defending team or the attacking team. But the attacker in this scenario was not in the wall and was clearly committing unsporting behavior.…

TACKLING AND RETALIATION

Question:
In a recent game, player A is dribbling the ball and player B tackles from behind. They get tangled up and both players trip. Both players stand and player A swings at player B. B puts up arm to block the strike and protect self. Should player A be cautioned or sent off? Should player B be cautioned?

USSF answer (March 3, 2008):
In all events player A must be sent off for violent conduct.

The situation with player B is different. The referee must make a decision as to the nature of the tackle. If, in the opinion of the referee, the tackle by player B endangered the safety of player A, then we must follow the instructions in International F. A. Board Decision 4 to Law 12: “A tackle, which endangers the safety of an opponent, must be sanctioned as serious foul play.” However, if the tackle did not endanger the safety of player A, and player B did nothing else but raise the arm to block the blow to protect him-/herself, then there is no need to caution B.…

FLAGGING FOR OFFSIDE

Question:
Is there an unwritten rule or understanding that if the play is so close that the AR is unable to determine with any confidence whether or not the player receiving the ball was or was not in an offside position that the AR should decide in favor of either the attacking team or defending team?

While watching some highlights from the 2002 World Cup I saw a few situations where Italian forwards were found to be in an offside position at the moment the ball was played forward to them within the attacking half, however, even when you look at these plays in super slow motion it’s difficult to determine whether or not the players are for sure in an offside position. In such situations, are ARs advised to go in favor of the defending team?

The only thing I was able to find that’s remotely close to this topic was within Advice to Referees on the Laws of the Game section 11.7 where it states: “if an assistant referee is in any doubt as to whether a player is actively involved or not, the assistant referee is expected to decide in favor of the attacker; in other words, to refrain from signaling offside.”

But this has to do with whether or not the player in an offside position is actively involved. It doesn’t address what to do if the player is actively involved, but the AR is still unable to determine if this player is in an offside position or not because the play is so close and the action so fast.

In other words, as an AR are you only called to put up your flag to indicate offside if you’re 100% sure? Or if there’s any doubt, do you favor the defending team?

USSF answer (March 3, 2008):
When in doubt, leave the flag down. A less elegant, but equally valid way of saying what is in the Advice — and it is what we tell all referees who are acting as ARs. And your interpretation of offside seems somewhat skewed. If the AR cannot flag a player for offside who is not actively involved in play, then the AR has no decision to make other than to keep the flag down. Players are entitled to be in an offside position whenever their team is on the attack. They are punished only when they are in the offside position and become involved in play.…

UNOFFICIAL RESPONSE RE PASS TO GOALKEEPER

Question:
Can you dribble the ball rather than kick it on a goal kick and can you ever pass the ball to your goalie at any time?

Unofficial answer:
First of all, we do not provide interpretations or guidelines for events occurring in high school matches. Such matches are controlled by different rules than USSF's Laws of the Game. What follows assumes the events in question are occurring in a USSF-affiliated match.

No, you are not allowed to dribble the ball on a goal kick. It must be kicked from the designated place, the goal area, and must then clear the penalty area before anyone else can touch or play the ball. Worse, if the kicker kicked the ball out of the penalty area and then played it again before anyone else did, the player would be guilty of a "second touch" violation (indirect free kick for the opposing team where the kicker played the ball again).

Regarding your second question, yes, any player may pass the ball to the goalkeeper. It's what comes next that may cause the problem. If the goalkeeper plays the ball in any way OTHER than by touching it with his/her hands, it's okay. However, if the goalkeeper HANDLES the ball in any way, there could be a violation of the Law depending on how the teammate passed the ball back to the goalkeeper. If the pass was deliberately from the foot, the handling by the goalkeeper could be what is often called a "passback" offense (indirect free kick) but, if the ball was passed with any part of the teammate's body other than the foot, there would be no problem.

CHARGING THE GOALKEEPER

Question:
In [the USSF] Miscellaneous Questions and Answers section someone asked about the penalty area (Prior to the Law changes of 1997, the goal area was also used to define a region in which the goalkeeper could be charged fairly while holding the ball, but now referees must observe carefully any charge against the goalkeeper, regardless of the circumstances, location of the action, or presence of the ball, and penalize the action only if it is committed carelessly, recklessly, or with excessive force (direct free kick) or is performed in a dangerous manner (indirect free kick).  My question is: if the goalkeeper comes out of the “box”/penalty area to dribble the ball back in so they can pick it up, when they are out of the “box” can an offensive player challenge them for the ball? The league we play in the goalie frequently comes out to dribble the ball back into their box so they can pick it up and our players don’t challenge because it is the goalie and they are afraid of receiving a penalty.

USSF answer (February 29, 2008):
First things first: You seem to be confusing the goal area with the penalty area. The goal area is the area immediately in front of the goal, within the penalty area. The goal area extends six yards along the goal line from each of the goal posts and six yards out from the goal line into the penalty area, making it a rectangle of 6 x 20 yards. That is the area addressed in the original question. The penalty area, another sort of “animal,” extends 18 yards along the goal line from each goal post and 18 yards into the field, making it 44 yards long and 18 yards deep.

Other than being able to handle the ball within the penalty area, nor to be interfered with when in possession of the ball if in the act of putting it back into general play, the goalkeeper has no more right to protection than any other player. If the goalkeeper leaves the penalty area, he or she may be charged fairly, just as he or she may be charged fairly within the penalty area (including the goal area). If your players tackle fairly, then no referee should punish them.

Just to phrase it so even the “touchline lawyers” understand it: The goalkeeper may be fairly charged or tackled inside or outside of his penalty area, just like any other player, provided he or she is not controlling the ball with his/her hands at the time. If s/he has the ball in the hands, the goalkeeper cannot be charged or tackled at all and any effort to do so could be punished with a direct free kick for the goalkeeper’s team.…