SLEEVE LENGTHS

July 18, 2011 by Jim Allen

Question:
What is the official stance of Chicago in regards to referee sleeve lengths? Frequently in the MLS, referees wear different length sleeves. It has been stated by grade 5 referees in my association that wearing different length sleeves constitutes non-uniformity, and that one can be docked points in an assessment for such. Who is correct?

USSF answer (July 18, 2011):
We are unaware of any precise measurements for referee jerseys. A review of the Referee Administrative Handbook informs us that the wearer must always look professional and that the jerseys themselves may be of the short-sleeve or long-sleeve variety. The equipment worn by officials in the MLS is supplied by sponsors of the League and falls outside the requirements for other refereeing officials.

If you mean that a refereeing crew should not mix short sleeves and long sleeves, that is correct, but at lower levels of play it must sometimes be done. We cannot expect every beginning referee to have a complete wardrobe.…

Advice to Referees

LEAVING THE FIELD TO PLAY THE BALL HELD IN THE CORNER

July 18, 2011July 18, 2011 by Jim Allen

Question
ATR 3.9 states: “if a player . . . contesting for the ball passes over the touch line or the goal line without the ball to beat an opponent, he or she is not considered to have left the field of play without the permission of the referee. This player does not need the referee’s permission to return to the field.”

Attacker A shields the ball at the corner flag from Defender B1, attempting to run down the time. Defender B2 leaves the field over the touch line and tackles the ball while re-entering the field from outside the touch line. Is this legal?

USSF answer (July 18, 2011):
You have neglected to cite the entire first paragraph Advice 3.9, which states unequivocally:

3.9 LEAVING THE FIELD IN THE COURSE OF PLAY
Players are normally expected to remain on the field while the ball is in play, leaving only to retrieve a ball or when ordered off by the referee. If a player accidentally passes over one of the boundary lines of the field of play or if a player in possession of or contesting for the ball passes over the touch line or the goal line without the ball to beat an opponent, he or she is not considered to have left the field of play without the permission of the referee. This player does not need the referee’s permission to return to the field.

In the scenario you lay out, the defender’s action was not accidental. It was, however, solely for the purpose of getting to the ball and lasted only long enough to get around an opponent. Accordingly, the defender’s momentary departure from the field was “in the course of play” and therefore entirely legal. In fact, the defender was only forced to take this action by the attacker who placed the ball and his body in such a configuration that the only way the defender could get to the ball was to leave the field.…

Referee Admin Handbook

ENTRY GRADE LEVELS

July 18, 2011 by Jim Allen

Question:
What is the grade level of an entry level referee instructor, assignor, and/or director

USSF answer (July 18, 2011):
There are three sorts of entry-level referees. The first is Grade 9, recreational referees; the second is Grade 12, assistant referees; the third is Referees Grade 8.

Instructors come in three varieties: Recreational Youth Instructors, Grade 11, are allowed to teach only the Recreational Referee Course (Grade 9) only. Associate Instructors, Grade 9, may teach under the direction of a senior instructor. Referee Instructors, Grade 7, may teach the full entry-level course under the direction of a senior instructor and have completed a course in ITIP (Instructional Theory INto Practice).

If by “directors” you mean assessors, there is only one entry-level grade, Grade 9, an Associate Assessor. If by “directors” you mean something else, we are at a loss to define it.…

Advice to Referees

LEAVING THE FIELD AT A RESTART

July 15, 2011 by Jim Allen

Question:
On a corner kick, player A places ball in the arc. Player B runs out of play and around the goal to the resume position on the back post. Opposing team had players on the post. Corner is crossed in by Player A and scored by Player B who ran out of play. Should Player B be allowed to return to the field since he deliberately ran off the field? Should Player B wait to be signaled back on by the official after the corner was played in? Shouldn’t this be a yellow card?

USSF answer (July 15, 2011):
The Advice to Referees tells us:

3.9 LEAVING THE FIELD IN THE COURSE OF PLAY
Players are normally expected to remain on the field while the ball is in play, leaving only to retrieve a ball or when ordered off by the referee. If a player accidentally passes over one of the boundary lines of the field of play or if a player in possession of or contesting for the ball passes over the touch line or the goal line without the ball to beat an opponent, he or she is not considered to have left the field of play without the permission of the referee. This player does not need the referee’s permission to return to the field.

If the player ran out of the field after the ball was placed and before the kick was taken _and returned only while the ball was in the air_, that player has left the field of play without the referee’s permission. Blow the whistle, cancel the goal, caution the errant player for leaving the field without permission, and restart with an indirect free kick for the defending team from the place where the ball was when play was stopped.…

Law 18 - Common Sense

SHOWING THE CARD WHEN A GAME IS ABANDONED

July 15, 2011 by Jim Allen

Question:
Concerning display of cards. In a men’s amateur game, league requires the teams to be ready to play no later than 15 minutes after posted game time. Home teams does not have 7 properly equipped and documented (pass)players at expiration of grace period. Referee crew informs the team that because of these issues the game will not start and the league informed. A member of the home team directs foul and abusive language at the referee crew. If used during a game, would have resulted in the sending off and display of the red card.

Because the game was already terminated(declared a forfeit) I did not display the card, treating the situation as if the game had ended and the misconduct occurred as the crew was walking off the field.

In this situation, should a card have been displayed or just a report of the misconduct made to the league?

USSF answer (July 15, 2011):
Show the card and inform the player that you will be reporting the incident to the competition authority — and then do it, including full details.…

"Inventive" Refs

HOW MANY ANGELS, EPISODE 6,508

July 15, 2011 by Jim Allen

Question:
Some folks were having a discussion on exactly what is required for a player to meet the requirement of being “outside of the penalty area” at the moment a PK is taken. Could you please address the following situations in terms of whether they are technical violations of the law and also as to whether they might well be deemed to be trivial by a referee:

1. As the PK is taken, an attacker has a foot on (but not over) the 18-yard line. Other foot is OK.

2. As the shot is taken, an attacker has one foot touching the line and partly over it. Other foot is OK.

3. As the shot is taken, an attacker has one foot behind the line and one foot significantly over it (i.e. closer to the goal line).

4. As the shot is taken, a player has both feet behind the line but is leaning forward so that the upper part of her torso is over the line.

Thanks for your help.

USSF answer (July 15, 2011):
Technical response: The lines are part of the areas they delineate. Ergo, the lines marking the penalty area are part of the penalty area and thus any particle of a foot on or over the line constitutes a breach of the procedure for penalty kicks.

Practical response: Use common sense and punish only that which needs to be punished for the good of the game.…

"Inventive" Refs

GOALKEEPER MOVES AT PENALTY KICK

July 13, 2011 by Jim Allen

Question:
Why is a goalkeeper stepping off his line on a penalty kick and saving the ball not considered DOGSO-F since his actions clearly denied an obvious goal scoring opportunity by committing an infraction that would have resulted in a free or penalty kick?

USSF answer (July 13, 2011):
All infringements of Law 14 are punished according to Law 14 itself. When any member of the defending team violates Law 14 (of which the goalkeeper moving illegally is one example), there are only two possible restarts — a kick-off or a retake of the penalty kick.

If the restart is a kick-off, it means that the interference was not successful and therefore a red card for denial of an obvious goalscoring opportunity is not permitted. If the restart is a penalty kick, it is a retake of the original penalty kick, not a new restart, and thus it also does not come under the requirements for dismissal for denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity to an opponent moving towards the player’s goal by an offense punishable by a free kick or a penalty kick.…

Advice to Referees

PLAYER MISSING AT END OF KICKS FROM THE PENALTY MARK

July 2, 2011July 2, 2011 by Jim Allen

Question:
In the taking of KFTPM to decide a tournament winner the teams make 10 goals each. The 11th player makes a goal but now the opponent’s 11th player is missing.

What should happen now?

USSF answer (July 2, 2011):
Provided the team’s 11th player was on the field at the beginning of the kicks from the penalty mark, this portion of the Advice to Referees applies:

19.2 PLAYERS LEAVING THE FIELD DURING KICKS FROM THE PENALTY MARK
Once the procedure of taking kicks from the penalty mark has begun, players are not permitted to leave the field, even if they have already taken a kick. If a player leaves the field and is not available to take the prescribed kick (either for the first time or subsequently), the referee can declare the missing player no longer eligible and then proceed with the kicks from the penalty mark without him/her. A full report regarding the situation must be submitted.

…

"Only in America!"

VANISHING SPRAY PAINT

June 27, 2011 by Jim Allen

Question:
I recently noticed while watching an MLS match that the referee used a can of white spray paint to mark off ten yards after awarding a free kick. I had noticed the paint can on referees’ uniforms all season, but only after seeing it in use did I realize what it was. Is this a new practice? And is this something that can be utilized by officials in lower level matches?

USSF answer (June 27, 2011):
The International F. A. Board decided at its meeting in March 2011 to allow the use of the vanishing spray paint as a continuing experiment in CONMEBOL (South America), where the proposal originated…

Interpretations/IFAB

ENCROACHMENT AT PENALTY KICK; PLAYER RE-ENTERS FIELD

June 25, 2011 by Jim Allen

Question:
The Blue goalkeeper and Red player are in position for a PK. After the referee signals, but before the kick is taken, a Red teammate encroaches into the penalty area. The referee allows the kick to be taken. The Blue goalkeeper saves the shot, deflecting the ball to the Red teammate who then kicks it into the goal. What is the restart? Should the PK be retaken and the encroaching Red player cautioned?

Another question:
The referee gives a Blue player permission to leave the field to care of an injury. A Red player heads directly toward the Blue team’s goal with only the Blue goalkeeper between him and the goal. The Blue player reenters the field without the referee’s permission and runs across the Red player’s path causing him to slow down and allowing the Blue goalkeeper collect the ball. What is the misconduct? What discipline should be taken? And what is the restart?

USSF answer (June 25, 2011):
1. As there was no goal from the original kick, the referee stops play and the match is restarted with an indirect free kick to the defending team, from the place where the infringement occurred — that place on the penalty area line where the player entered the penalty area early. See Law 14.

2. First some essential background information: When a player who has been given permission to leave the field returns without permission, the Law requires that the referee (a) stop play (although not immediately if the player does not not interfere with play or if the advantage can be applied) and (b) then caution the player for entering the field of play without permission.

It is not clear to us precisely what happened in this situation, so we will provide two possible scenarios and their solutions:
(a) The Blue player did not impede the Red player and (after entering the field illegally) but did slow him down by running in front of him while Blue was within playing distance of the ball. Referee action: Caution the Blue player for entering the field without permission. Because there was no physical contact and the Blue player did not impede the progress of the Red player, the only other thing to do is to remove the Blue player from the field. If the referee stops play for this, the match is restarted with an indirect free kick, to be taken by a player of the Red team from the position of the ball at the time of the stoppage (see Law 13 – Position of Free Kick).
(b) If the referee is certain that the Blue player impeded the Red ;player, then the Blue player has denied an opponent a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity, then the Blue player is sent off and shown the red card. The game is restarted with an indirect free kick for the Red team from the place where the foul occurred (even if it is within the penalty area)…