Category: Law 5 – Referee

Law 5 – Referee

Guide to Procedures

PROPER MECHANICS AND PROCEDURE

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Question:
I was an AR in a U19 match this week. The ball was in play near the endline, inside the 6-yard area. I judged a player to have been offside, about a yard off the endline, very shortly before the ball went out of play. I raised my flag to vertical, waited for the whistle, then lowered my flag to horizontal — to indicate offside in the middle third of the field. The center referee interpreted my signal as the ball having gone across the endline, off the attacking team, with a goal kick for the restart. The rules of the competition allowed for substitutions, so he turned and motioned them onto the field. From my vantage point, the ball actually was last touched by a defender, so had the offside not ocurred, the restart would have been a corner kick (with substitutions allowed by the rules of the competition). I did a quick evaluation, decided the difference was trifling, and let matters go on (which, at halftime, the center agreed was the best course of action). So, my first question is what should I have done differently as a mechanic to indicate that there was an offside infraction, rather than the ball going out of play? The difference seems trifling, from a practical standpoint, with the difference being a direct restart with no possibility of the now attacking team being offside direct from the kick, versus an IFK. And my second question is whether I’m missing anything in the nature of the restart — is this, for practical purposes, a trifling difference, not to be worried about?

Thanks,

USSF answer (March 15, 2009):
The referee made the first error in this scenario.  The signal you gave was proper and should not have been interpreted as indicating a goal kick restart.  If that had been the case, you would have been pointing the flag straight out when you and the referee made eye contact instead of being (as was the case here) held straight upward and followed by being held straight out.  The only way your signal could have been an indication of a goal kick would be if the ball had left the field — unnoticed by the referee but seen by you — and returned to the field with players still actively playing it as though it had not left the field.

The general guideline, however, is that, given a choice between an offside violation in the area you indicated and a goal kick, FIFA and USSF both recommend going with the goal kick.  The restarts in both cases are, for all practical purposes, equivalent and the latter occasions less need for explanation and is more readily accepted.  This is not the case in your scenario where, if the indication for offside were not accepted, the restart would have been a corner kick instead of a goal kick.  Here, the offside violation must be called.  Since the referee misinterpreted your signal, it is incumbent upon you to make the misunderstanding known to the referee.  

The argument that the goal kick is similar to the IFK restart for the offside cannot be accepted because the choice was not between offside and a goal kick, it was between offside and a corner kick.  Furthermore, the offside restart would possibly not have allowed for substitutions whereas the goal kick restart did.…

"Only in America!"

MULTIPLE CAPTAINS? NOT A GOOD IDEA

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Question:
I have recently encountered teams sending multiple players onto the field with a captain’s armband on. It is my understanding that there should be one captain per team, per match with an armband.

Thank you.

USSF answer (March 15x, 2009):
While the traditional number of captains per team is one, there is no limit in the Laws of the Game on the number of captains a team may appoint for each game.

However, as a practical matter, when a team sends more than one person out for the coin toss, the intelligent referee will ask who is the MAIN captain — the one to speak with if there is a problem (and that is the only one who should be recorded in the referee’s notebook). This is not American football, and we must distinguish between coming out for the coin toss and being officially recorded as THE captain.  There should be only one player per team who is THE captain.…

"Inventive" Refs

IF YOU INTERFERE AT FREE KICKS, THEY BECOME “CEREMONIAL”

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Question:
The following happened late in the season in a U16 boys travel game. Experienced, skillful teams. With about 5 minutes left in the game, I whistle a tripping foul on the defense (who is leading 2-1) about 5 yards out from the left corner of their penalty area. The attacker who is going to take the kick places the ball where I indicate, and a 3-man defensive wall quickly forms approximately 10 yards in front of the ball. The attacker positions himself to take a quick free kick, but a fourth defender strolls in front of him, walking slowly towards the defensive wall. The attacker stares at me, knowing (from what my practice in the game has been so far), that if he asks for 10 yards, I’m going to make the kick ceremonial, which he clearly doesn’t want. So he says nothing. At this point, it seems that I am hamstrung. If I don’t do anything, the attacker is unfairly denied a quick unobstructed free kick. If I whistle to caution the fourth defender, the kick becomes ceremonial, which the attacker didn’t want (and this late in the game and the season, a caution would be a very small price to pay for denying the quick free kick). If I move to actively manage the wall, the kick also becomes ceremonial.

What I did was to say sharply to the fourth defender, ‘Back up!’. He took one more step toward his defensive wall, whereupon the attacker blasted the ball into the upper right corner of the net, tying the game.

The defending team was of the opinion that my two words to the fourth defender were sufficient to make the kick ceremonial, they protested, and lost the protest. But the protest committee thought this was a close case, noting that generally anything a referee says in this situation tends to make the kick ceremonial. I don’t disagree, but am at loss as to how best to manage this situation fairly.

USSF answer (March 11, 2009):
You did not commit any breach of the Laws, so we cannot comment on the advice of the protest committee, although they are correct in that by saying those two words you did interfere in the taking of the free kick, thus turning it into a ceremonial free kick. However, we are at a loss to design any other way for you to accomplish the end you had in mind, short of immediately stopping the game, cautioning the defender, and then signaling for the kick to continue. Given that you made a different choice, the only other thing we could suggest for your consideration would be a caution to the defender for unsporting behavior, administered after the kick.…

Law 18 - Common Sense

WEARING THE OSI UNIFORM AT NON-AFFILIATED GAMES

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Question:
I know we should not wear our USSF referee badge for non-USSF matches, but…

From the USSF’s point of view…

Is it ‘legal’ for USSF referees to wear the OSI uniform shirt and shorts with the USSF logo as shown here (http://www.officialsports.com/det_8070.jpg) for non-USSF matches, say for example high school matches?

USSF answer (March 9, 2009):
Referees must wear apparel that is approved for the competition in which they officiate. If there is no uniform requirement in a competition that is not affiliated with the United States Soccer Federation, then referees may wear what they like, as long as they do not bring dishonor on the uniform or themselves.…

Advantage

ADVANTAGE

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Question:
This month’s meeting of our local official’s association had us discussing the position paper found on [the USSF] website concerning advantage in the penalty area (04/11/08). We took the tips from the paper and it was beneficial information for all involved. The discussion then turned to advantage. Half of those in attendance believe that advantage ended with the shot attempt by the teammate that was passed the ball (i.e. video highlight Kansas City v. New England attached to position paper). The other half indicated that no advantage developed because the teammate missed the shot. That left us with the question; what constitutes ‘advantage’ and when is it realized or finished? We realize that this scenario that we are proposing is not exactly like the video in that the referee in the video never exhibited the ‘advantage’ signal. What we are asking is if the referee had moved his arms in an upward manner and shouted “advantage” and then the play continued exactly like the video in that the teammate received the pass and did not score. Is the advantage finished with the missed shot or can the referee then go to the penalty spot with the explanation that the advantage never occurred because the shot was missed? We have a group of officials that referee from the lowest levels of youth games all the way up to the collegiate level and the room was pretty evenly divided on when the advantage ended. We need your help.

USSF answer (March 7, 2009):
We believe you will find your answer at the bottom of this excerpt from the position paper:

The basic elements of the decision are straightforward:

– Advantage is a team concept and thus the referee must be aware not only of the fouled player’s ability to continue his or her attack but also of the ability of any of the player’s teammates to continue the attack themselves.
– Advantage has been applied when the decision is made, not when the advantage signal is given. The signal itself may often be delayed for 2-3 seconds while the referee evaluates the advantage situation to determine if it will continue.
– Where it does not continue, the Laws of the Game provide for the referee to stop play for the original foul.
– If the original foul involved violence, the referee is advised not to apply advantage unless there is an immediate chance of scoring a goal.
Inside the penalty area, the competitive tension is much greater and the referee is called upon to make quicker decisions. The time during which the referee looks for advantage to continue becomes defined by the probability of scoring a goal directly following the foul or from the subsequent play.

While the decision lies solely in the opinion of the referee on the particular game, the thrust of the excerpt above is that giving the advantage within the penalty area means there is some definite reason to expect a goal will be scored immediately (within a play or, at most, two) if play is allowed to continue.  If a shot is taken — after the foul — by the player who was fouled or by a teammate, and a goal was not scored, then in most cases the advantage has not been realized and the original foul must be penalized.  That is why the referee must make the initial decision to invoke the advantage clause very carefully.…

Law 18 - Common Sense

MISTAKENLY EXTENDED TIME

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Question:
Situation: USSF sanctioned match. In the second half, the referee allows the match to continue past the standard (sanctioned) length of the half as adjusted for time lost based on his error as to the proper duration of the half for a particular age group (eg., in a U12 match, the referee runs a 35 minute half instead of the standard 30 minute half). During this unauthorized extension, one team scores a goals which proves to be the winning goal. Aditionally, the referee adminsters a card (caution or send off). This fact situation presents the following two questions/problems:

Question # 1: Does the goal stand?

This question presents two subquestions depending on the timing of the referee’s recognition of his error:

Subquestion # 1a: After the goal is scored, but before the restart, the referee realizes that he has improperly extended the match. Can the referee disallow the goal and end the match as a tie immdiately (and describe these circumstances in his match report)?

Scenarioi # 1b: The referee allows the goal and restarts the match but, at a later point (but prior to blowing the whistle to end the match), the referee realizes his error. Must the referee allow the goal to stand, end the match immediately, and describe his error and the consequences in his match report to the competition authority?

Question # 2: Does the card stand?

This question also raises two subquestions depending on the timing of the referee’s recognition of his error:

Subquestion # 2a: The referee administers a card, but, prior to the restart, he discovers his timing error. May he rescind the card and end the match immediately as a tie (and describe these circumstances in his game report)?

Subquestion # 2b: The referee administers a card, restarts play, but at a later point (but prior to blowing the whistle to end the match) realizes his error. Must the referee let the card stand, end the match immediately, and report the circumstances in his match report to the competition authority?

Applicable Laws:

Law 5 Denotes that the referee is the official timekeeper for the match

Law 7: The referee may add time for time lost

The referee may not arbitrarily shorten or lengthen the duration of the halves where the competition authority has specified the duration of the halves

Asked for further information, the questioner stated that he “should have said something to the effect of ‘mistakenly extended’ time. In the case which prompted my questions, the referee simply made a mental error and ran a 35 minute second half having run a 30 minute first half. However, . . . in this case, both AR’s were inattentive and of no help to the referee and both coaches (including the coach whose team was ahead) did not question the referee about the time during the running of ‘extended time’.”

USSF answer (February 24, 2009):
1. Does the goal stand?
1a. The goal may be disallowed once the referee realizes his error.
1b. The goal must stand.
In both of these situations the referee must provide full details in the match report.

2. May the referee rescind a card? The card stands and the referee must provide full details in the match report.
2a. The referee COULD rescind the card, but SHOULD the referee do it? Probably not in this case, since the player’s misconduct is cautionable whether committed during play or (if time has run out) during the period immediately following the end of play.
2b. No, in this case the he card stands and the referee must provide full details in the match report.

To sum it up: The referee ran an overly long second half. If he had been smart and quick on his mental feet, he would have simply described the extra time as “taking into account time lost” — not true, of course, but an overly long half is easier to “explain” than a half which is short by any amount.

In a different situation, it might have been that the referee hit the 35th minute in the second half and said “Oh my God! I forgot that the half for this age group is 30 minutes long. I got it right on the first half but was so absorbed in the game and the players were playing so much above their age level that I let the half go too long.”

The match is not over until the referee says it is over. If the error is realized during a stoppage (e. g., for a goal), the goal can be cancelled and the match ended. If it is not realized until after play restarts after the goal, it stands and the match ends when the referee stops play. The same principle applies for the card shown at a stoppage — it can be cancelled if play has not resumed, it stands if play has resumed.…

Law 5 - Referee

RED AND YELLOW BADGES FOR NATIONAL REFEREES

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Question:
I noticed that non-FIFA referees who are refereeing professional matches are wearing a red badge. Is this the new “professional” referee badge that the federation came out with? Can you provide detail.

Is the color of the badge only being changed for the professional referees, or will the color for national and state referee be changed.

Please shed some light on this topic.

USSF answer (February 21, 2009):
Effective this year, those National Referees working professional games as referee or assistant referee have been given new red and yellow badges. These badges are to be worn only when they are working MLS, WPS, and USL 1 and 2 games. The different colors have no significance other than to complement whichever uniform the referee team wears.…

Law 5 - Referee

WEARING THE U. S. FLAG PATCH

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Question:
Are USSF referees still being asked to wear the USA Flag Patch as referenced in this article from back in September 2001?
http://www.ussoccer.com/articles/viewArticle.jsp_2411.html

The September 11th Fund as mentioned in the ussoccer.com article is closed and is no longer accepting donations:
http://www.september11fund.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_11th_Fund

It appears that the MLS/FIFA referees dont seem to be wearing it:
new OSI Uniform
http://www.ibiblio.org/footy/2008a/0…web_03_wej.jpg
MLS adidas Uniform
http://www.ibiblio.org/footy/2008a/0…0329wej_67.jpg

USSF answer (February 18, 2009):
The wearing of the U. S. flag on the uniform is (and always has been) a matter of personal choice. The 2001 article you cite is still valid as far as the wearing of the flag patch goes, but the fund no longer exists.…

Disciplinary Matters

MISCONDUCT BY MATCH OFFICIAL — WHAT TO DO?

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Question:
Is there a penalty, sanction or otherwise for a referee who files an inaccurate game report for the benefit of lowering the league penalties on the teams and players?

I witnessed an adult amateur game prior to my assignment as an incident between 2 players escalated into violent conduct. Both players were sent off by the referee. After the match, the players were seen “negotiating” a lessor card so the penalty from the league would not be so harsh. The referee reported Serious Foul Play instead on the game report.

USSF answer (February 2, 2009):
Although you have reported what you saw and heard, we feel we should at least lay out why the scenario you describe might perhaps not be as compelling as you have stated.

For example, even if events are exactly as you described, is this really misconduct?  There is no indication that the referee was bribed or coerced.  Were the referee to have decided not to report the card at all, to report it as a caution instead of a sending off, or to have identified a different player than the one actually shown the red card, this would clearly constitute reportable behavior.  But the referee seems only to have changed the reason for the send-off.  

Suppose though that the final report did not involve a change at all.  You have characterized the original behavior as “violent conduct,” but how do you know that the referee at the time so characterized it?  

Even if he did consider it violent conduct at the time, is the referee not allowed to reflect upon the specific circumstances, filtered by time and possible additional information, before writing his report? Suppose additional information came from an AR.  Would you then argue that this makes it okay, but that being persuaded by information coming from anyone else is misconduct? Your use of the term “negotiating” is loaded — from a distance, “remonstrating” might be just as accurate.  And how do you know why (or even IF) the referee made the change?  Players informing the referee of the dire consequences of a card for VC could have simply been justification for the referee deciding to think more carefully about what was seen and done before preparing a final report.

However, if you are utterly convinced that the referee has indeed committed misconduct in the matter of the report, you have the right and the duty to lodge a complaint. Under the USSF Policy Manual 2008-2009, a person who accuses a referee or other game official of misconduct for actions during or away from a match should file a complaint in accordance with the Policy Manual. In a case such as this, Policy 531-10–Misconduct of Game Officials applies:

Section 2. Procedures

(A) Misconduct at a Match

When any game official is accused of having committed misconduct toward another game official, participant, or spectator at a match, or of having a conflict of interest, the original jurisdiction to adjudicate the matter shall vest immediately in the State Association or Organization Member through which the accused game official is registered. In the situation where Amateur and Youth State Associations exist in a state, and the incident of alleged misconduct occurred at a match sanctioned by one State Association, jurisdiction shall vest with the State Association sanctioning the match in question.

(B) Misconduct Away From a Match

When any game official, referee, referee assistant or referee development program person is accused of unethical conduct, misuse or abuse of authority or conflict of interest in any matter in the pursuit of or may affect the individual’s official dealings within and as authorized by the Federation, its Divisions, Affiliates or Associates, a State Associations or Organization Member, or a competition, tournament or other appropriate authority, the matter shall vest immediately in the State Association through which the accused game official is registered or through which the referee development program person is appointed.

(C) Any allegation of misconduct or of conflict of interest by a game official as described by subsection (A) of this section, or of unethical conduct, misuse or abuse of authority or conflict of interest as described by subsection (B) of this section, shall be made in writing to the State Referee Administrator or to the State Association(s) or Organization Member that shall report all such allegations including any allegations against the State Referee Administrator, to the State Association(s) or Organization Members through which the accused game official is registered or through which the accused referee development program person is appointed.

(D) Upon receipt by the appropriate Organization Member of a verified written complaint, a hearing shall be conducted within 30 days from verification pursuant to guidelines established by the Organization Member having jurisdiction as provided by subsection (A) or (B) of this section. The guidelines may include referring the complaint to the State Referee Committee for the hearing. The hearings and appeal process shall provide for adequate due process for the accused person including proper notice of charges, the right to bring witnesses in defense, and the right to confront and to cross-examine the accusers.

(E) The Chairman of the hearing committee shall transmit the findings of the committee in writing to all parties concerned including the accused and the accusers and to the State Association(s) or Organization Member within seven days of the hearing.

(F) Any party subject to penalties shall receive, at the time of notification of the decision, a notice of the rights of appeal and a copy of the procedures and deadline dates required for such an appeal to be properly considered. Time for filing an appeal shall start with the date official receipt of the decision by the party making the appeal.

…
Advice to Referees

REFEREE ERROR?

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Question:
Situation- the keeper comes out of the penalty area prior to releasing the ball from his hands. The AR & Center Referee Both signal a foul- the Center Referee signals a indirect free kick which a attacking players puts the ball into play & another attacker shoots the ball into the net. This is a direct kick violation however the defending coach complians that it confused his players. What is the correct action after this takes place?

USSF answer (February 2, 2009):
While we could understand the coach’s complaint if the ball had gone into the goal after touching one of his players, that did not happen here and no harm has come from the referee’s error. It’s a nice talking point for referee discussions and for complaining coaches, but worth considering only if the ball was actually played by or made contact with one of the defending team. Now, if the offense had been an indirect free kick offense and the referee signaled for a direct free kick and the ball went in directly, that would be a different matter, one which required a retake of the kick.…