Category: Law 5 – Referee

Law 5 – Referee

"Inventive" Refs

MISCONDUCT BY REFEREE

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Question:
I’m an assistant coach of a U14 girls team and was put into a situation on the weekend. During a game on the weekend, one of our girls was chopped down from behind on a breakaway and there was no call from the ref. My coach and I as well as our parents all let out a “Come On”. The ref stopped the game and came over to the coach asking him why he yelled at him. Our coach calmly told him that he thought there should have been a call. The ref asked him if he would like to ref the game and he said No. The ref left and the game continued.

After the game, the ref quickly removed his shirt and proceeded to strut around without his shirt on in front of the girls. He came over to our bench and asked if we got our player cards (which we did) and our coach asked if he had everything he needed. The ref got very defensive and was up in our coaches face asking “What do you mean?” Our coach said “I just asked if you had everything?” and this ref wouldn’t let up asking him “I don’t get what you mean?” He was looking to get something started. Our coach walked away from the incident. About 5 minutes later, this ref called me over (again without his shirt on) and questioned me “How would you feel if during the game I yelled at you and your players?” At this point he was 2 inches from my face (I’m a female approx 5’4) I stepped back and told him that it wasn’t his job and proceeded to walk away. He kept yelling things at me as I kept walking. This ref was desperately trying to stir something up and the look in his eyes terrified me.

What is the best thing to do at this point? You hear about abusive coaches towards refs, but what about abusive refs towards coaches?

Also, the fact that he was half naked walking around 14 year old girls, disturbs me as well.

USSF answer (August 17, 2009):
If this incident were to have occurred in the United States, rather than in your country, the team would be able to file a report under U. S. Soccer Federation policy, viz., Policy 531-10 Misconduct of Game Officials. Surely there are similar procedures to be followed in your country. To save some time, we will forward your question to the appropriate person in your country.…

Law 18 - Common Sense

MISCONDUCT REPORTS

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Question:
On USSF sanctioned games, does the referee have to fill out a sent off report? If so, please direct me as where does it say we have to do this. I realize that state organization may require it (you have to have your head examined by not doing it) but we are experiencing huge problems here in [my state] with useless sent off reports and lack of accountability of leagues not wanting to even see the 24 hour report.

As always thanks for your time.

USSF answer (August 17, 2009):
Law 5 requires the referee to report (without designating the recipient — stating only “the appropriate authorities”) any disciplinary action (cards) taken against players or team officials (dismissing from the field) “and any other incidents … Before, during or after the match.”

Misconduct reports must be filed on all matches affiliated with the U. S. Soccer Federation. See the USSF Referee Administrative Handbook (RAH), pp. 48-49. This includes cases of referee assault and abuse (see RAH, Policy 531-9, pp. 7-9). The topic is also covered in other sections of the RAH.…

Law 12 - Fouls & Misconduct

INCIDENT AUGUST 8 2009 NE REVOLUTION VS LA GALAXY

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Question:
This is a query about a basic refereeing incident that I had hoped would be highlighted in your excellent Week in Review series (but unfortunately was not mentioned in Week 20).

I was one of the 26,000+ people at the Gillette Stadium watching the New England Revolution vs Los Angeles Galaxy match on Sat August 8 2009.

In the second half, an LA Galaxy player appeared to have an injury to his face region and went to ground but play continued. Eventually, with the ball still in play, the referee (Jorge Gonzalez) whistled for stoppage. But at the restart, another LA Galaxy player (David Beckham, no less) took a direct free kick. This was a bizarre incident. As referees well know, the proper restart should have been a drop ball. Also, the ball was not purposely kicked out at the touchline, otherwise the restart would have been a throw-in (which BTW was another refereeing incident that was excellently highlighted in your Week in Review – Week 15 item Injury Leading to a Throw-In: Law 15). I am puzzled by this bizarre incident.

Can you please officially reply to my query, and/or better still also post a constructive comment on your excellent US Soccer Referee website about this incident.

Please keep up the great work; your efforts are deeply appreciated not just domestically but also all around the world!

USSF answer (August 15, 2009):
We are happy to send along this explanation to our visitor. And thank you for the compliment on our website.

At 46:00, there are two back-to-back challenges in the center circle. In the first challenge, the Galaxy player goes down from a challenge the referee judges as fair. The ball then goes to Donovan, who is fouled, and the referee immediately and correctly calls the foul. There is some minimal and unintentional contact made with Donovan’s face and he holds it on the ground but gets up without complaining. However, the referee does everything correctly. He stops the game for a foul and restarts it with a Galaxy free kick as it was the Galaxy who were fouled.

This is the closest to the situation questioned and it is handled correctly by the match officials.…

"Inventive Coaches"

SUBSTITUTION

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Question:

U-16 girls game.  Score is tied 1 – 1.  Substitute player was at the half line ready to sub.  Play rules allow substitution on any dead ball.  Play was stopped for a corner kick.  Referee beckoned the substitute onto the field.  Coach pulled the substitute back and did not send her in for the corner kick.  Second dead ball situation.  The same substitute is at the half line ready to enter the game.  Referee beckoned the same substitute onto the field.  Substitute identified the girl she was replacing and AR1 took her card.  The coach informed AR1 that it was his decision when to sub the player, not the referee’s and that the substitute should wait until he told her to enter the game.  AR1 informed the coach that since she was beckoned onto the field and did not enter the field, she had used her substitution and was no longer allowed to sub in.  Coach became irate.

Correct procedure ??  If not, what should have happened

USSF answer (July 28, 2009):
Once the substitute has reported to the fourth official (or assistant referee if there is no fourth official), only the referee makes the decision as to when the substitute may enter the game.  In no event does the coach have any right to dictate what actions the game officials take.

On the other hand, neither the referee nor the assistant referee has any right to deny the player the right to enter the field because “she had used her substitution.”  (Do we detect someone applying college rules here?)  That is arrogant behavior that is not acceptable under the Laws of the Game.  Game officials should be a proactive as possible, particularly at the youth level.

The referee has every right to expect the substitution to occur once he (or she) has beckoned, but there is no authority in the Law that REQUIRES the substitution — i. e., the substitute could withdraw (after all, he/she cannot enter the field unless and until the player being swapped leaves the field and we all know that the player can lawfully refuse).  However, in such cases, the referee COULD consider this as a time-wasting ploy and treat it accordingly.…

"Inventive" Refs

COMPETENCE OF THE REFEREE

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Question:

During a recent away game for a U-14 boys team, both teams arrived at the field in time, but the referees did not show up. Us being the visiting team, waited about half an hour for them to contact other referees. They showed up close to an hour later, after the coaches from both teams agreed to forfeit the game.
The referee that showed up told the teams that there was no special provision in the rules as to how long should a team wait before conceding the points, and therefore, the game had to take place of be rescheduled for a later day.
My question is: is there an specific amount of waiting time for this, and how the league should handle such a matter according to the rules?
Thank you.

USSF answer (July 21, 2009):
We wonder at the referee’s audaciousness in saying that the teams had only a choice between playing the game that day or rescheduling for another day.  This is far outside the referee’s level of competence.  Only the league (or other competition authority) can make specific decisions rules on situations like this.

What bothers us is the failure of the referees to turn up on time.  No team can be forced to forfeit a game when the referee and assistant referees are late.  This would appear to be a problem of communication between the league and the assignor or between the assignor and the referees.…

Guide to Procedures

STARTING THE WATCH

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Question:

As an AYSO Intermediate Ref, currently working on my Advanced Badge, I was reviewing your Guide to Proceedures.  Under the kick off section, on page 9, you indicate “…starts watch and signals for the kickoff to be taken”.  Is this really correct?  Law 8 states, and a prior instructor had taught me, that the game starts only once the kick off has been taken.  I was originally instructed that you don’t start your watch until the ball moves, as this indicates the start of the game.  Should the USSF Guide To Proceedures actually state “Signal for the kickoff to be taken; once taken, start watch”, or is your current Guide correct to indicate start the watch first?

Please advise,

USSF answer (July 17, 2009):
While we formerly taught that the referee should wait to start the watch until the ball had actually been put in play, we have found that this distracts the referee from watching all that goes on at the actual first kick in the kick-off process.  Therefore, we recommend that referees start their watch and then blow the whistle.  The referee is thus more assured of seeing everything that occurs as the ball is put into play.

If you are worried about the proper amount of time, you can always add that particular second to the time to be added at the end of the period.  Although many referees are encouraged NOT to add time by the rules of competition or by their own mistaken ideas, no game in the world has ever finished without the need for some amount of added time.  Time is lost for numerous reasons throughout each period of play.…

Law 1 - The Field

DIGGING HOLES AND MAKING KICKING TEES

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Question:
game u13g a player is desinated to kick all free and goal kicks. in doing so she constanly would use her heel of her boot to dig a hole so she would place the ball next to the hole so she would get a good lift on the ball
I could not find any thing on the FIFA rule book that is ok, or not.

USSF answer (July 15, 2009):
Creating a hole either behind the ball or to mound up dirt to create a “tee” is illegal.  While you will find nothing specific to this particular situation in the Laws of the Game, it must not be permitted, and there a number of reasons for that.

The first is the established principle that players may not make unauthorized marks on the field.  Although this is aimed mostly at goalkeepers who scuff lines around their area to assist them in “locating” themselves, there is no functional difference between scuffing lines and digging holes.  Second, digging a hole is potentially dangerous, unless one assumes that the player becomes responsible for immediately “replacing the divot” after the kick is taken.  So for safety reasons this is not allowed.  Third, creating such a hole and tee is a form of “artificial aid” to assist play — and that is considered misconduct (using a teammate’s shoulders, hanging on the crossbar to make the save, trapping the ball with the shirt, etc.).  Fourth, though a bit more of a stretch of logic, if a player cannot move or remove a corner flag for the taking of a corner kick, why would we allow the digging of a hole (or stubbing the toe into the dirt to create a “tee”) for the taking of a free kick?  Fifth, would we allow this for the taking of a penalty kick?  If not, then why would it be allowed for other kicking restarts?…

"Inventive" Refs

SAFETY FIRST, PLEASE!

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Question:

On 6/16/06, you wrote the following:

“In those competitions that do not provide for water breaks, the spirit of the game requires the referee to ensure the safety of the players. Preventing injury from heat exhaustion would fall into that aspect of the referee’s duties. The answer may be summed up in two words: common sense.

“In fact, both the referee and the team officials share in the responsibility to protect player safety. The referee could, at a stoppage called for any reason, “suggest” the taking of water by any players interested in doing so. The timing of such a break and its length would be at the discretion of the referee. Obviously, the referee could decide to take this approach on his or her own initiative, with or without prior consultation with the coaches.

“However, either or both coaches could approach the referee prior to the match and suggest the need for extra hydration, in which case the intelligent referee would be well advised to listen and act accordingly.”

– –  In the past few days, a referee has claimed that these instructions have now been superseded by the USSF and that a referee cannot suggest a water break or even allow a break when the ball is out of play – no matter how hot the day or how young the players – unless it is in the tournament rules. Is he correct that things have changed or is the opinion from June of 2006 still valid?

I hope that you can address this quickly with the hottest part of summer approaching. The health or even the lives of some young players might be at risk.

Thanks.

USSF answer (July 13, 2009):
The opinion of the United States Soccer Federation remains the same as it was in 2006:  The safety of the players comes first and referees are expected to see to it that players are protected in every way possible.

Addendum:  It is possible that you may have been distracted by some controversy over an incident in a professional game.  Those are adults, playing other adults, all of them aware of what is going on.  Referees are not to order water breaks at professional games and should apply common sense at other levels.…

Law 18 - Common Sense

REFEREE-ASSISTANT REFEREE COMMUNICATION

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Question:
1. Is there a proper way as an AR to signal the center referee over?

2. When an AR feels a necessity for a player to become carded, what way is the AR suppose to let the center referee know?

USSF answer (July 6, 2009):
This is a matter to be discussed in the pregame conference. Normal procedure for dealing with situations of that nature are:
1. Stand at attention.
2. Stand at attention; when the referee looks over, indicate by patting the chest that a card is necessary.…

"Inventive Coaches"

PRESENCE OF THE GOALKEEPER ON THE FIELD

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Question:
Simple question, do you have to have a goalkeeper to start a game? Or can you use the minimum seven players as on field players.

Why I ask, while watching a game last week, the keeper walked off the field (with permission by the ref) and the team refused to put a keeper in as there was 10 minutes to go. The referee refused to start the match until a keeper was put in. Is this correct?

USSF answer (July 1, 2009):
Simple answer: Yes, each team must have a designated goalkeeper on the field of play for the game to begin. However, that does not require that the goalkeeper be on the field the entire time nor present for every REstart.

While the team is required to have a goalkeeper, there is no requirement that that goalkeeper be on the field nor able to participate in play. (We could point to an October 2004 incident in an English Premier League match between Manchester City and Bolton Wanderers in which the referee allowed the goalkeeper to lie on the ground unattended for well over a minute; the goalkeeper, who had fallen without any contact from either opponent or teammate, finally got up. Luckily for him and his team no goal was scored.)

The Law also allows the goalkeeper (or any other player) to leave the field during the course of play and if, after the restart (typically a throw-in), the goalkeeper has not returned and a goal is scored, life is hard.

While off the field with the permission of the referee, the goalkeeper (like any other player) is still a player for purposes of determining the number of players on the team (the ‘keeper in your scenario remains legally allowed to be on the field, though in this case he requires the referee’s permission to return).  We would consider this as comparable to the decision process the referee must go through if a team has only seven players and one leaves the field:  If the departure is very temporary and in the course of play (no referee permission required to re-enter), play continues.  If the departure is temporary and the player needs the permission of the referee to return, the referee should not restart play until the player has returned with permission. If the player (whether goalkeeper or not) is not ready to return when the restart is able to be taken, why should the game wait for this player? That is not fair to the other team. In the case of a goalkeeper who is not willing to return within a reasonable amount of time, the team should then either substitute in a new goalkeeper or the game would be abandoned and a full report submitted to the competition authority.…