Category: Law 3 – Players

Law 3 – Players

Interpretations/IFAB

WRESTLING WITH CHANGES IN THE LAWS

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Question:
Obviously some things have changed in the last year concerning misconduct (violent conduct) by players on and off the field. Would you please correct or clarify two examples that may have changed and what the correct restart (and by whom) should be:

1. The classic example of the goalkeeper that steps into the goal and over the goal line while the ball is in play to strike an opponent who is caught in the goal net due to momentum. The previous restart would have been a dropped ball. It seems the new restart is now an indirect free kick at the point of the ball. Correct?

2. A player on the field of play is guilty of violent conduct while the ball is in play against a substitute or substituted player. I find an answer (AIG 08; FIFA LOTG 2009) as an indirect free kick… but for whom? Chronologically the substitute or substituted player has entered the field of play illegally (caution; unsporting conduct) before the player misconduct which would be an indirect free kick for (and sent off) for violent conduct with and indirect free kick awarded to the opposing team. Pulled in both directions.

USSF answer (September 15, 2008):
Considering the amendments to and revision of the Laws of the Game for 2008/2009, you may have a point here.

In the first scenario, the IFAB has now made it clear that referees have to decide if the player left the field for the purpose of committing the misconduct or whether the player left the field (or was ordered off — blood, equipment — or was given permission to be off) for some other reason and happened to commit misconduct while off the field. Indirect free kick for the former, dropped ball for the latter.

In the second scenario, the change in emphasis occurred at the same time as the change in restart. After declaring that the restart for an illegal entry by a substitute or substituted player was indirect free kick rather than dropped ball, the Board made it clear that restarting for the illegal entry was the referee’s only choice — i. e., it didn’t matter what the substitute/substituted player did while on the field illegally or what a player did to the substitute or substituted player who was on the field illegally, the restart would still be the indirect free kick for the illegal entry.…

Advantage

ALLOW SUBSTITUTION OR QUICK RESTART?

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Question:
If Red Team Player gets fouled by Green Team on a breakaway in the attacking 1/3, just outside the penalty box and Red Team has a clear opportunity for a quick restart….BUT, there is a substitute waiting at the halfline. He/she has been checked and meets all the criteria to be waved into the game.

Should the referee stop play and allow the substitution or allow the quick restart? Let us assume that all 4Ps are in place. I am seeking clarification on whether allowing a substitute overrides the advantage and clear attacking opportunity.

I eagerly await your response

USSF answer (September 2, 2008):
The referee is not required to stop a quick restart by a team simply because the other team wants to make a substitution. In fact, there is no substitution possibility until the referee recognizes it. This has nothing to do with the advantage clause, which concerns only infringements of Law 12, but is simple common sense: The referee must not interfere with a team’s legitimate opportunity to score a goal.

There is always the possibility that, if it is a youth match using standard youth rule exceptions regarding substitutions, a stoppage for a foul is not a substitution opportunity.…

Law 3 - Players

MAY A TEAM PLAY WITH THE ‘KEEPER OFF THE FIELD?

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Question:
Fully understand we must have a keeper but when is a keeper a keeper? Situation, keeper has mild injury and is being treated off the field momentarily. His team wishes to continue play stating they have a keeper, he is just temporarily off the field and they wish to play short until he returns.

Must a keeper be on the field and capable of participation to be considered the team’s keeper?

note team has no more subs left per the rules of competition.

USSF answer (August 24, 2008):
There is no written requirement that the goalkeeper must be on the field of play at all times during the game. In fact, the IFAB Q&A of 2006 states:

20. During a match, the goalkeeper sprints from the goal to stop an opponent. He kicks the ball out of the field of play and a throw-in is awarded to the opposing team. The momentum of the goalkeeper takes him off the field of play and before he can return, the throw-in is taken and a goal is scored. What action, if any, should the referee take?
A goal is awarded since no offence has been committed.

However, it would be unusual for a goalkeeper to be treated for injury off the field of play, principally because the Laws provide specifically that the goalkeeper need not leave the field for treatment. One solution might have been for the referee to remind the team that one of the field players could temporarily act as goalkeeper — after donning appropriate equipment.

As to rules of a competition, any referee who accepts an assignment to a tournament (or any other competition) also accepts the rules of that competition, no matter how alien they may be.…

"Inventive" Refs

IDENTIFYING THE EXTRA PLAYER

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Question:
I was in a recent over-30 game I was in had the referee stop play when he noticed there were too many men on the field. A correct call. However, in this particularly league there is no 4th official and there were no AR’s. No one from either team knew who or when the extra player entered the field but all parties thought it happened during a recent substitution several minutes prior when several players came onto the field and several came off. Since the referee did not know who the extra player was that entered illegally, he gave the caution to the player that was closest to him. However, this player had a previous caution and thus just earned a red card for his second yellow and was sent off. Was the referee correct in this situation?  He claims that it’s the player who is closest to him who gets the caution.  I am a referee as well and I think it’s up to the captain of the team to pick the player to receive the yellow card. The referee is not the one to make this call.

USSF answer (August 19, 2008):
No, the referee was not (and would not be) correct in automatically cautioning the player nearest to him. Another case of inventive — and really silly — refereeing. The entire problem was the referee’s fault for not paying attention to how many came out and how many entered the field. Referees cannot caution willy nilly, as this would likely destroy what little remained of their credibility after the initial error of failing to pay attention. There was no need for a second caution to an apparently innocent party, which could and should have been avoided. The referee’s third lapse was in not considering what possible good a caution would serve, regardless of who got it.

There is at least one thing that might be done, such as asking of the captain (or even the coach) who the last substitutes coming in were and which players were supposed to have left. That will usually find the player who was also not paying enough attention.…

"Inventive" Refs

YES, ANY PLAYER MAY TAKE A PENALTY KICK!

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Question:
Understand that substitution can take place during any stoppage.

I would like to check can the substitute which just come in, can he takes the penalty kick, corner kick, or throw in?

i saw my fellow referee did not allow the substitute player who just come into the field of play to take the penalty kick and sometimes do not allow the substitute player who just come into the field of play to take the throw in and corner kick.

please advise and clear my doubts.

USSF answer (August 14, 2008):
There is no reason that the new player cannot take the penalty kick or other restart as soon as he or she has entered the field in compliance with the requirements of Law 3.

Note:
The questioner and his colleague are not from the United States and thus are not confused by the high school rule that does not allow a newly-subbed in player to take a penalty kick. The high school rules do not place any other restrictions on newly-subbed in players taking other restarts.…

Law 12 - Fouls & Misconduct

CONSEQUENCES OF A DISMISSAL (SENDING-OFF)

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Question:
What does Send Off mean if the player was on the bench, as a substitute when they received a red card? The match has started, but would it make a difference if the ball had been out of bounds at the time? My interpretation is that the team must play a man down, even though none of the players committed the Send Off offense and it was a substitute. As in the ruling, substitutes who receive a red card are treated as if they were players on the field. Just asking.

USSF answer (August 5, 2008):
You have confused the process of sending a player or substitute or substituted player off with the consequences of sending that person off. A player who has been sent off, whether on the field or off at the moment of the misconduct, may not be replaced as a player. The player must leave the field and its environs. In that case, the team plays with one fewer player. A substitute who has been sent off may not be replaced on the roster by any other person. As this was a substitute and thus not a player, there is no effect on the number of players on the field. The substitute must leave the team area and the environs of the field. The dismissal of a substituted player, no longer a participant in the game under any circumstances — except in competitions that allow substitutes to fly in and out of the game — must simply leave the team area and the environs of the field.

Note: For safety reasons, there are certain exceptions for youth players/substitutes/substituted players, but these individuals must not be allowed to interfere with the further progress of the game. If they do interfere, the referee should terminate the game.…

Law 12 - Fouls & Misconduct

SUB ENTERS AND INTERFERES WITH POSSIBLE GOAL

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Question:
A substitute is warming up behind the goal.His team’s keeper makes a mistake playing up field out of the penalty area. The opponent, seeing a wide open goal, kicks the ball directly towards goal, The ball OBVIOUSLY heading in the goal is kicked away by the sub that was warming up who ran onto the field.What do you do to the sub and what is the restart?

USSF answer (August 4, 2008):
Law 3 tells us:

Substitute or a substituted player: If a substituted or a substituted player enters the field of play without permission- the referee must stop play (although not immediately if the player in question does not interfere with play or if the advantage can be applied)- the referee must caution him for unsporting behavior- the player shall leave the field of play. If the referee stops play, it must be restarted with an indirect free kick for the opposing team from the position of the ball when play was stopped (see Law 13 — Position of Free Kick).

In addition to the caution for unsporting behavior for entering the field of play without the referee’s permission, the referee could consider cautioning the substitute or unsporting behavior for kicking the ball away, leading directly to a sending-off for a second caution in the same game.…

Law 3 - Players

CHECKING PLAYER PASSES

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Question:
What is the proper or preferred procedure for checking player and coach passes before a game? Everytime I AR a game, I see a different procedure. When I CR a game, I have my own way of doing it. Does it matter as long as it gets done or is there a procedure we should all follow?

USSF answer (May 7, 2008):
There is no standard nationwide procedure for checking passes. Each competition authority has a different sort of pass and a different set of criteria for what information is on the pass and how they should be checked. The referee is best advised to be fully aware of what the competition’s criteria and rules are.…

Law 12 - Fouls & Misconduct

RESTARTS AFTER CAUTIONS

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Question:
I know if a player is given a caution, you restart with the nature of the infraction; however, what if the ball is out of play when the caution is given?

USSF answer (March 13, 2008):
1. When play is stopped for an offense which is both a foul and misconduct, the restart is based on the foul, not the misconduct.

2. When play is stopped for an offense which is only misconduct (no foul involved), the restart is not based on the nature of the misconduct.  It is based on who committed the misconduct and where was it committed.
– If the misconduct was committed by a player on the field, the restart is an indirect free kick where the misconduct was committed (subject to the special rules in Law 8).
– If the misconduct was committed by anyone off the field, the restart is a dropped ball where the ball was when play was stopped (subject to the special rules in Law 8).

3. If the misconduct consists of a player illegally re-entering the field or a substitute illegally entering the field, the restart is an indirect free kick where the ball was when play was stopped (subject ot the special rules in Law 8).

4. If the misconduct occurs during a stoppage of play, the restart is based on whatever stopped play in the first place.  If advantage is applied to the misconduct, play is allowed to continue, play then stops, and a card for the misconduct is given, the restart is based on whatever stopped play in the first place.…

Law 3 - Players

PLAYER WHO ARRIVES AFTER GAME STARTS (NO SUBSTITUTES)

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Question:
Law 3
A player who has been sent off before the kick-off may be replaced only by one of the named substitutes.

A named substitute who has been sent off, either before the kick-off or after play has started, may not be replaced.

My question: If no substitutes have been named and a player is sent off before play has begun, may the affected team complete the side with a player who subsequently arrives?

The “strange” answers by FIFA:
Q&A 2004: The team may be completed with this player provided this is allowed by the rules of the competition.
Q&A 2006: Yes

I don’t understand. Can you explain how is it possible to replace this player?

USSF answer (February 26, 2008):
The world of FIFA is wonderful and strange, and sometimes a bit confusing. In this case, the answer is yes, if the rules of the competition provide for it. If they do not, then no player may join the game if he (or she) arrives after the match has begun. It might have been better if, in 2004, the IFAB (not necessarily FIFA) had answered the question by saying, “No, unless this is permitted by the rules of the competition.” That would also help explain the omission of any qualifiers in the 2006 version of the Q&A.…