MOVING AN ALREADY PLACED BALL AT A GOAL KICK

December 1, 2008 by Jim Allen

Question:
Situation: I am the CR for a U-12B recreational match. I have just awarded a goal kick and the keeper has placed the ball to take the kick. I then stop play for a substitution, as allowed by local rules (I wasn’t taking away a quick kick opportunity since the substitution was requested by the keeper’s coach). Upon signaling for play to resume, the keeper picks up the ball, and places it in a completely different area of the goal box (still legally placed, though), then takes the kick. After the match, one of my AR’s informs me that the ball cannot be re-placed like that and that I should have made the kicker take the kick from the spot where he originally placed it.

Question: I have read LOTG , GTP, and ATR and have been unable to locate anything on this. I have enjoyed working with this other referee many times and have respect for the advice, but I would still like to know where this is drawn from. Have I missed something? Where is there a reference to this?

Note: I do realize that, in some situations, this type of action may be considered as delaying a restart and, therefore, should be sanctioned as such. But, in this situation, I had already stopped the game for a legal substitution and did not see any harm in allowing this (the keeper did not take an excessive amount of time to re-place the ball).

Your wisdom would be appreciated.

USSF answer December 1, 2008):
At one time the ball had to be put into play at a goal kick from the side on which it left the field. This requirement was dropped some years ago in the interests of reducing time wasting, and play may now be restarted with the goal kick taken from any spot in the goal area. This was of some help in reducing the time wasting, but clearly not enough. The IFAB (the people who make the Laws of the Game) and FIFA (the people who administer the game worldwide) launched a campaign in 2000 that continued into 2002: Its theme was to eliminate excessive delay from the game. U. S. Soccer’s position can be found in the USSF publication “Advice to Referees on the Laws of the Game,” where it has been since 2001. Advice 12.28.4 indicates that one reason for cautioning a player for delaying the restart is the act of unnecessarily moving a ball which has already been properly placed on the ground for a goal kick. Clearly the referee will not caution where there is no measurable loss of playing time, such as in the situation you experienced.

Not sure what your local rules of competition say, but the Laws of the Game permit substitution at ANY stoppage of play.…

Law 11 - Offside

FLAGGING OFFSIDE PROBLEM

November 26, 2008 by Jim Allen

Question:
The following happened a couple days ago during a competitive adult amateur match.

I was lead AR. An attacker A1 held the ball directly in front of me. The second to last defender D1 was charging hard at A1 (and me), but missed the tackle since A1 neatly passed the ball toward the half line. D1, because of his momentum and slick conditions, slid off the field, behind me and out of my field of view.

In a bang-bang play, the ball was then played forward by a second attacker A2 to a third attacker A3 who was running up the field. At the moment of the pass toward the goal, A3 was clearly in front of any other defenders that I could see, and almost in line with me. I could not tell — because D1 was somewhere behind me now — whether A3 was in an offside position

Question: How do I decide if this is an offside offense when I am unsure of the position of the off the field defender? Note that because of the speed of play, I did not have time to back up, turn around or otherwise judge the location of D1.

USSF answer (November 26, 2008):
If you cannot be sure of the position of the defender, then you cannot call offside. You might consider looking to the referee for assistance. (He or she should be aware of where you are most of the time.) If the referee cannot help, then there is doubt. If there is doubt, then there is no offside — and this applies to both the offside position and the offside infringement.…

"Inventive Assessors"

ROLL UP YOUR SLEEVES AND GET TO WORK!

November 21, 2008 by Jim Allen

Question:
Just looking for clarification of the Jersey Sleeves Rule.

I read the published paper from Nov 4, 2002 suspending the previous provision regarding jersey sleeves.

The reason I ask is that I had an Assessor tell me that I need to make sure all players have sleeves on their jerseys and that they keep them rolled down. Just so that I’m consistent with USSF, has there been anything new on this subject? And what should be the proper stance for referees on this matter?

USSF answer (November 21, 2008):
We are sure you misunderstood the assessor, because there is no rule that players must keep their sleeves rolled up. No assessor would ever make up anything like that.

The Law requires that jerseys must have sleeves, but if players wear jerseys without sleeves the referee must allow them to play and then include full details in the match report.…

Law 18 - Common Sense

OBVIOUS GOALSCORING OPPORTUNITY?

November 21, 2008 by Jim Allen

Question:
I was the center for an adult mens game this week. The attacking team was on a fast break and the thru ball was deliberately handled by the defender to stop the attack. The defender was one of the last defenders (they were almost flat…in a straight line). The Attacking player who was to receive the ball would have been on his way to goal with no defender in sight. The deliberate ball handling took place about 35 yards from goal.

I blew the whistle and gave the defending player a straight red. The AR then called me over to tell me that the attacking player who was to receive the ball was in an offside position. At the half, my other AR said I should have considered the distance from goal that the handling occurred and thought I should have given a yellow card.

Does the fact that the attacking player who was to receive the ball was in an offside position change the card or scenario?

Does the fact that the handling took place 35 yards from goal change the card or scenario?

USSF answer (November 21, 2008):
Yes, as we have answered several times in the past, the fact that the player who might have scored was in an offside position does indeed change the card and the scenario. Although it’s a bit late to do anything about it now except remember it for the next time it occurs.

If the referee accepts the assistant referee’s flag for the offside — which he or she seems not to have shown in this case — that advice is then binding on the referee, who must decide for offside and misconduct. The correct decision is to caution the defender for unsporting behavior and restart with an indirect free kick for the defender’s team, taken from the place where the attacker was when his teammate passed the ball.

However, just to head off questions we know will come from others who read this particular Q&A, let us note several things.

1. if the offside is not accepted (and it is certainly difficult to accept an offense that wasn’t signaled by the AR in the first place) or if the attacker hadn’t been in an offside position, then the issue you raise boils down to this — but for the handling, would a goal have been scored?

2. And someone is bound to bring in the 4 Ds, which actually figure into that decision only marginally.

3. The referee can’t say that DGF occurred simply because, but for the handling, the attacker might have passed the ball to his teammate and his teammate in turn might have been able to take a shot on goal and the shot on goal might have gone into the net. In this case, it is either a red for DGF because the ball would have gone into the net from the player’s shot on goal or it would be a caution for a tactical foul (illegally handling to prevent the ball from going to a teammate of the player).…

Law 18 - Common Sense

TOO MANY PLAYERS ON THE FIELD IN U9

November 20, 2008 by Jim Allen

Question:
In a Finals game, at the beginning of the second half, team “A” kicks off. Unbeknown to the CR and team A’s coach, 10 players are on the field in a 9v9 maximum player count. Within 60 seconds team “A” scores a goal against team “B.” It is determined that the extra player touched the ball in the transition, assisting in getting the ball into team “B’s back third and ultimately scoring the goal. Team “B”s coaching staff notices the anomaly and brings it to the CR’s attention.

Does the goal count?

USSF answer (November 20, 2008):
No, it does not. The Laws of the Game are explicit — and it would make no difference if it were U9, U19, or adult professional players.

Goals scored with an extra person on the field of play
If, after a goal is scored, the referee realizes, before play restarts, that there was an extra person on the field of play when the goal was scored:
– the referee must disallow the goal if:
— the extra person was an outside agent and he interfered with play
— the extra person was a player, substitute, substituted player or team official associated with the team that scored the goal
– the referee must allow the goal if:
— the extra person was an outside agent who did not interfere with play
— the extra person was a player, substitute, substituted player or team official associated with the team the conceded the goal

It is clear from your scenario that the extra player interfered in play, which suggests that the referee’s decision should be no goal, follow the restart guidance given in the Laws. That is, provided that the game had NOT been restarted with the kick-off before the extra player was discovered. If the game had been restarted, life is hard and the goal counts…

Law 5 - Referee

OBJECTS THROWN INTO THE FIELD

November 18, 2008 by Jim Allen

Question:
MLS Playoff game between NY and Salt Lake. Home team fans throw streamers at opposing players taking corner kicks or at the opposing goal keeper prior to a home team corner kick, yet, play is allowed to continue. Also, the throwing of smoke “bombs” onto the field, and again play is allowed to continue. My question is this.

“When is an ‘outside agent’ allowed to enter the field of play and the referee allowed to ignore it and allow play to continue?” I’m familiar with Advice to Referees Section 1.8 paragraph D. Streams and smoke bombs are both distractions not only to the fans but also to the players and (in my opinion) “interfers with the game”. I guess my position is obvioulsy the exact opposite as that displayed on the field during the game in question. So, which is correct?

USSF answer (November 18, 2008):
Under the Laws, an outside agent is a person, but that can be extended to other animate beings such as dogs. An outside agent is not a streamer or smoke bomb, although these things can occasionally cause problems. Much of this was covered in a Federation position paper of 3 April 2008 on “Objects on the Field”:

From the U.S. Soccer Communications Center:

To: National Referees
National Referee Candidates
National Instructors
National Assessors
State Directors of Referee Administration
State Directors of Referee Instruction
State Directors of Referee Assessment
State Directors of Coaching

From: Alfred Kleinaitis
Manager of Referee Development and Education

Subject: Objects on the Field

Date: April 3, 2008

Soccer matches are exciting events, attended by partisan fans who celebrate the successes and bemoan the reverses of their favorite team. They wave flags, blare trumpets, beat drums, swirl scarves, and, sometimes, they throw things onto the field. Usually, what is thrown onto the field (confetti and streamers) is inconsequential, at most a momentary distraction.

At times, however, what is thrown onto the field constitutes a serious interference in the match, either because of the specific nature of the object (e.g., bottles or lit fireworks) or because of the volume of the material covering the field and making the surface dangerously unstable. In such cases, the referee must suspend play, preferably at a stoppage called for some other reason but otherwise without delay if the issue is the safety of the players, the officials, or team personnel in the technical areas. Before play can be resumed, it is the responsibility of the home club (the organization sponsoring the match) to resolve the problem without undue delay. Under certain circumstances, the referee may consider removing players from the field for their safety during this time.

A more difficult case is presented when what is thrown onto the field is not intrinsically dangerous but carries the threat of interfering with play in some significant way. Referees are, of course, alert to such interference when a ball enters the field and comes close enough to play to be mistaken for the match ball. Another example that might be cited is an EPL match (Sheffield United v. Manchester City) in which, about 10 minutes into the first half, the ball was played into the attacking third of the field at a time when more than a dozen balloons were also in the area (it may be important to note that the balloons were generally similar to the match ball in size and color).

On a shot across the face of the goal, the ball hit a balloon, causing the former to be redirected slightly and the latter to be knocked toward the goal. Further play resulted in other balloons moving and bouncing in front of the goalkeeper. A goal was scored during what may have been a very confusing few seconds.

In these “gray area” situations, the referee must evaluate a number of factors in order to determine if and when play should be suspended until the problem is resolved.

• What is the likelihood that the foreign object(s) might interfere with the safe movement of the players?
• What is the likelihood that the foreign object(s) might confuse players and/or disrupt the flow of play?
• Is the problem with foreign object(s) primarily at one end of the field and therefore more likely to disadvantage one team over another?

Play should not be suspended for inconsequential reasons and the referee must remain vigilant to the possibilities of the match being disrupted by the sudden appearance of unwanted objects on the field. Match officials must be sensitive to things which interfere unduly with the beauty of the sport and make a mockery of skilled play.

We put your question to an authority at the Federation, who responds that professional-level referees are instructed to manage their games with an eye toward preserving the entertainment value of the game without sacrificing player safety. Streamers are not necessarily a big safety hazard, while smoke bombs are. The referee’s key to deciphering the mystery is player reaction. Players do not tend to mind streamers until they are being thrown in excess “at” the player. The authority also points out that material thrown at the goal is treated more seriously than material thrown around the corner flag. This is because of the possibility of interference with the last line of defense near the goal.…

Law 5 - Referee

OUTSIDE INTERFERENCE

November 18, 2008 by Jim Allen

Question:
During a recent match a parent wasn’t happy with the CR
lack of a call or a miss call. He happened to be a referee and the
league administrator. He requested that the ARs both be replaced and
wanted to replace the center referee. My question is what is the rule
for someone stopping play and what are the rules for changing out ARs?

USSF answer (November 18, 2008):
No spectator, not even a league administrator, has the right to interfere with the officials on a match.…

Advice to Referees

THE SHOULDER

November 18, 2008 by Jim Allen

Question:
This came out of a recent tournament. U12B game; young referee in center; myself and a very experienced referee as AR’s.

The players had been getting a little out of hand, with several instances of late charges„ shoulder of the defender to the back of shoulder of the attacker, after the defender was beaten, rather than shoulder to shoulder. At the half-time break I suggested to the CR that he should watch for these, calling them to help calm down the game.

The other AR agreed, but also asked the question (teaching mode), When is shoulder to back contact allowed? The CR and I thought that this was never allowed, although the foul might be trifling and therefore not called.

The other AR gave as his answer that when the ball is on the goal line, and a defender is legally shielding the ball, an attacker can initiate shoulder to back contact to move the defender off the ball.

I asked for a reference and later (after the game), he told me it was either in the ATR or a memorandum. I have been unable to find this interpretation.

This is important to me because, as I progress up to calling older players, I am seeing this situation. I don’t want to award a DFK (or a PK!) for a legal charge.

Also, where does the “shoulder” stop? I know that sounds funny, but the ATR in Section 12.5 refers to “the area of the shoulder” as opposed to “toward the center of the opponent’s back (the spinal area) .” Is a charge with the shoulder of one player making contact with the shoulder blade of the opponent legal? I had always thought not.

USSF answer (November 18, 2008):
We are always pleased to give anatomy lessons. In the “shoulder-to-shoulder” charge, the shoulder is indeed composed of “the area of the shoulder.” In other words, the shoulder blade or the front part of the body where the arm and the upper chest meet. All of this is spelled out quite carefully in the Advice to Referees, as you note:

12.5 CHARGING
The act of charging an opponent can be performed without it being called as a foul. Although the fair charge is commonly defined as “shoulder to shoulder,” this is not a requirement and, at certain age levels where heights may vary greatly, may not even be possible. Furthermore, under many circumstances, a charge may often result in the player against whom it is placed falling to the ground (a consequence, as before, of players differing in weight or strength). The Law does require that the charge be directed toward the area of the shoulder and not toward the center of the opponent’s back (the spinal area): in such a case, the referee should recognize that such a charge is at minimum reckless and potentially even violent. (See also Advice 12.14.)

That is the traditional area of “the shoulder” in soccer, as defined since time immemorial.…

Law 18 - Common Sense

WHEN TO START AFTER SUBSTITUTE ENTERS FIELD

November 17, 2008 by Jim Allen

Question:
There is much written about Substitution Procedures under Law 3 about players leaving and entering the field and about referees being diligent about players being completely off the field before allowing the substitute to enter.
However, one (this referee) cannot find any information about the responsibilities of the referee in allowing that said substitute, who is now the player of record, being allowed time to take position on the field before the referee allows the restart. One would think the center referee has the responsibility to determine the new player be allowed to be properly positioned before the restart. Is there anything written or “understood” about this scenario?
Allowing a free kick to be taken before a player is properly placed is sure to cause a problem. An assessor told me allowing the player to access their proper position before the restart whistle is a mere courtesy. This cannot be correct.

USSF answer (November 17, 2008):
Common sense and tradition dictate that the referee delay the restart until the newly-entered player has reached a reasonable position on the field. The need for such a delay is obvious in the case of a substitution for a goalkeeper, but is less obvious for players who have no set position on the field.…

Law 18 - Common Sense

NEW PLAYER ENTERS EARLY AT SUBSTITUTION

November 17, 2008 by Jim Allen

Question:
If a substitute enters the field of play before being beckoned, and while the player is still on the field, can the referee force the player off the field and mandate the team play short until the next substitution opportunity?

USSF answer (November 17, 2008):
The substitution procedure is quite clear: A substitution is not complete until each step has been properly executed. Before a new player may enter the field, he or she must be given permission by the referee. If that new player enters the field without permission, the process and thus the substitution has not been properly completed.

It would seem to be a bit extreme to force the player to wait until the next valid substitution opportunity. The Law states only that permission to proceed with a substitution may be refused under certain circumstances, e. g., if the substitute is not ready to enter the field of play. (See Interpretations, Law 3.) In your scenario, the referee should stop play, if it has restarted, require the player who entered early to leave the field and then return and only then allow the restart to be taken.

In short, then, the onus falls on the referee, who must use common sense in dealing with this problem. The substitute can enter the field this way under only two scenarios — either he enters before his player has left and without being beckoned, or he has been beckoned to enter before the player has left. In the latter case, it is the referee’s fault and the referee must bear the entire burden of sorting out the consequences. This includes NOT punishing either the substitute or the substitute’s team for the referee’s screw-up.

In the former case (which is the scenario described here), the substitute has entered the field illegally and could therefore be cautioned for unsporting behavior. Even if the substitute is not cautioned, however, it remains the referee’s fault if play is restarted because, according to the Interpretations, play cannot restart except by a whistle signal by the referee. That is likely one of the reasons why the Laws now specify that the restart has become ceremonial whenever a substitution has been requested — so that play CANNOT restart until the referee has sorted out all the issues of a substitution which has not gone accordingly to the correct procedure. Again, common sense is the key to solving the problem.

See earlier questions and answers for the hornet’s nest that can be stirred up by allowing this to happen in a fast-moving game.…