HIP CHARGES; REFEREE COWARDICE

Question:
I have seen this similar situation at least 4 times in the last year – with the same results. An attacking player is dribbling from a wing area (left or right of the goal) in the defenders penalty area. A defender takes a hard and late hip charge into the offensive player. Enough to move them 2 – 4 feet off the ball. The offensive player maintains balance and control. But either immediately or within 1 or 2 seconds loses the ball to the second or third defender (in each situation the defense outnumbers the offense in the immediate vicinity of the play). No whistle and actually no play on is verbalized or signalled. In all cases after the game the referee informs the offensive team/player that if the player had been knocked to the ground a penalty would have ensued. I love a good physical game and in some cases I could easily argue that advantage was the call. But the seemingly late nature of the hit bothers me. Myself, as a ref I’m loath to call a PK but worry about benefiting the defensive team with questionable play and penalizing the offensive team for not flopping. These hip charges are hard, from the side or slightly behind the offensive player. If the offensive player went down I don’t think anyone would have been suprised. But with them not falling I can’t see a foul being called. So, there are a couple parts to my question. 1.) using the four P’s the call seems rather legitimate but it seems to me that the defense gained advantage using a questionable tackle. Could this be whistled as a foul? 2.) even if it is not a foul could this warrant a caution?

USSF answer (September 24, 2008):
We cannot make any definitive comment on a game played under high school rules, as it would not have been played under the Laws of the Game. However, if the game had been played under the Laws of the Game, we can make some definite statements:

1. What you describe has nothing to do with advantage, but is strictly a matter of a referee afraid to make a call. There is no room for cowards in the refereeing corps.

2. In general we can say, without fear of being incorrect, that hip charges at any level of play (male/female, young/old, skilled/unskilled, etc.) are unfair and thus not allowed. Charges must be shoulder to shoulder, with both players having at least one foot on the ground. However, we must consider some allowance for differences in height and weight and bodily proportions. In other words, we must not forget that both the laws of physics and Mother Nature can overrule the Laws of the Game, in that women are usually wider at the hips than men and men are usually wider at the shoulders than women. What we judge is how those bodily characteristics are used. If they are used unfairly — and only the referee on the spot can do that — then a foul should be called.

3. Referees who do not call unfair charges should consider two courses of action: Either call fouls correctly or stop refereeing, as they are doing the rest of us no favors. Simply because a player was fouled but not knocked to the ground is not a valid reason not to call a foul. A foul is a foul is a foul.

4. Referees MUST make the same call in the penalty area that they would make on the rest of the field. If they cannot do that, they must consider those same two courses of action, because their failure to call the game correctly makes problems for all referees.

5. If the referee chooses to make a decision — which each of us must do thousands of times in a game — then it had better be for the good of the game. The decision to award the advantage must be based on the four Ps, but in that case the referee must follow through and speak to the miscreant afterwards. There may be no need for a caution on the first offense, that is up to the referee, but if the player or the team contnues to do that, the referee must punish the misconduct.…

HEARING AIDS AND LOST SHOES

Question:
1a. What kind of hearing aids are permitted by players with hearing disabilities? b. Can a mini-receiver with a short, flexible antenna be worn, with or without headware that could hold the device in place?
2. A player kicks a ball while the ball is in play. His/her shoe comes off, but doesn’t go near or hit anyone. The player kicks the ball again, into the goal. While shoes are required equipment, may a goal be allowed?

USSF answer (September 24, 2008):
1, The referee is the sole judge of the safety and suitability of any player equipment. Something that is permitted in one game may not be permitted in the next.
2. The player is expected to replace the lost shoe as quickly as possible. If the amount of time between loss of shoe and shot on goal is minimal, then the goal should be allowed.…

DO NOT REFEREE GAMES IN WHICH FAMILY IS INVOLVED

Question:
Is it ok to referee a game of a family member so long as it is fairly administered etc.?  If so, are there any disclosures recommended or required prior to the match to allow the coaches to make the call?

USSF answer (September 24, 2008):
The referee (or assistant referee) should turn down the assignment to such a game as soon as it is offered. To referee such a game other than in the most dire emergency is a violation of the Referee Code of Ethics.

That said, we understand circumstances may call for someone associated with the team to fill in as an assistant referee and, as long as both teams are aware of the situation and do not object, this may be the only practical way of ensuring full coverage on a match.…

OUTSIDE PERSONS MAY NOT ALLOW UNSAFE EQUIPMENT

Question:
I just started out reffing and I told a girl she was not allowed to play with earrings. Her mother came out onto the field and started fighting me about it, delaying the game. I stuck to the rule and she called the athletic director and she said it was ok. Is the athletic director above the rules?

USSF answer (September 23, 2008):
We do not deal with high school or junior high school rules, but with the Laws of the Game, so we cannot speak directly to the authority of an athletic director. However, if this game was played under the Laws of the Game, the athletic director (or any other person) would be wrong to tell the referee to allow an infringement of Law 4, which specifically forbids the wearing of any jewelry — and the referee should tell her so.…

NO ADIDAS UNIFORMS

Question:
Rumor has it Adidas is going to be taking over from Official Sports soon. Is this true. People say that we will have the new jersey style MLS shirts with clima cool and dry fit technology. Can you provide any answers to this rumor
.
USSF answer (September 22, 2008):
We are unaware of any plan for adidas to become the Federation’s supplier. The arrangement between adidas and the MLS is strictly between them and does not involve the Federation.…

NO MAKEUP CALLS!!

Question:
I recently attended a soccer match where the following occurred:

A player on the attacking team was injured in the penalty area of the defending team during a corner kick. The center referee only noticed the injury after it occurred due to the number of players in front of the goal. Both the center referee and the AR did not call a foul. It was realized after that the girl had been kicked in the throat during a scramble for the ball. The injury was tended to, but no foul was indicated and the restart was a free kick to the defending team, which she was instructed to kick directly to the opponent’s goalie as a sign of sportsmanship.

Later in the match a corner kick was taken by the other team. A defender stopped this ball by actually catching it with her hands (in the penalty area). No foul was called and the coach went ballistic (understandably). The Center referee indicated that he did not call a foul (which would result in a penalty kick, i.e. a sure goal) because he did not call a foul in the previous incident… in essence he was calling it a “wash”.

Is this something that referees do? Can they have discretion when calling fouls if they feel a mistake has been made in a previous call?

USSF answer (September 19, 2008):
We are stumped on this one, because you have not told us how play was stopped. If the game was not stopped by the referee to deal with the injury — and referees should stop the game ONLY for SERIOUS injuries — and no foul was called, then the correct restart is for the reason that the ball went out of play. If the game was stopped by the referee to deal with the injury — see above — then the restart would be a dropped ball at the place where the ball was when play was stopped. The indirect free kick might have been correct under high school rules, but certainly not under the Laws of the Game. Another inventive referee at work.

Yes, a very inventive referee — and a referee who cheats on the Letter of the Laws and the Spirit of the Game. Soccer referees do not do “make-up” calls. This referee should be reported to the competition authority and to the referee authorities in your state, so that he can undergo some additional instruction.

If a referee makes a mistake, he or she should NEVER do a “balancing of calls” by making another bad call for the opposing team. Two wrongs do not make a right and the referee must always make the best possible decisions within the framework of the Laws.

Nor do mistakes by referees give the coaches permission to rage at them. We are concerned about you (and others, you are not alone) saying that the coach “went ballistic” and then in this case adding “(understandably).” No coach has a right to “go ballistic” — if they have a concern about a referee’s decision, they should suck it up and follow through with the sort of report we described above. We don’t want anyone believing that we would condone such behavior (any more than we condone the referee’s egregious errors in this situation).…

UNSPORTING BEHAVIOR, ABUSIVE GESTURE, SERIOUS FOUL PLAY?

Question:
A while back I was the AR on a girls U16 premier match and a situation came up that neither I nor the CR knew exactly how to handle. An attacker from team A gained possession well inside her own half of the field and began to make a run down the field. She passed it on to a teammate who continued the run down the field and caught the defense off-guard.

About ten yards past the half-line a defender from team B got directly behind the attacker and apparently decided that the best option to stop the attack was to dive toward the attacking player from behind, grab a handful of shorts on either side of the attacker and pull them down around the girls ankles. The attacker obviously tripped and fell, then pulled the shorts up quickly and ran off the field.

The CR came to me as I was up near the half-line and about 20 yards from the incident. We had a short discussion and he decided to caution the defending player for unsporting behavior and awarded a DFK.

I was of the opinion that a red card could easily have been issued for Serious Foul Play or an Abusive Gesture. Was the CR’s decision the correct one?

USSF answer (September 18, 2008):
This act would seem to have involved a reckless foul (holding), for which the correct referee action would be a caution of the team B defender for unsporting behavior — the defender was not competing for the ball, but was instead playing the player — and the award of a direct free kick to team A.…

NO TEMPORARY EXPULSION! NO TEMPORARY EXPULSION!

Question:
In the league I referee in, a yellow card sends the player off the field temporarily. Then the coach can sub him in at the next substitution opportunity. My question is, if the goal keeper commits a cautionable foul and is sent off with a yellow card while the other team is awarded a penalty kick, can there be anyone defending the net for the kick?

USSF answer (September 19, 2008):
We are less concerned about your question than about the reasons that occasion it. Before answering your question directly, please allow us to state that the league in which you referee may be operating in contravention of a FIFA directive forbidding such “temporary expulsion.” This may also put the league in contravention of the stated policies of the U. S. Soccer Federation. As we mention often, if the referee accepts an assignment in a competition that uses rules that contravene the Laws of the Game, he or she must follow those rules; however, we recommend against taking such assignments.

In 2002, a directive from the International F. A. Board stated:

TEMPORARY EXPULSIONS
The Board strongly supports FIFA’s concern that some national associations continue to use temporary expulsions in lower leagues. The Board confirmed in the strongest terms that this procedure must cease immediately, otherwise disciplinary sanctions will be applied against the offending federation.

In 2002 we informed all USSF referees: The referee must be aware that leagues or other competitions which use the “hothead” rule, temporarily expelling players for whatever reason, are not operating with the authorization of the United States Soccer Federation. The U. S. Soccer Federation has no power to authorize modifications to the Laws that are not permitted by FIFA. This is a FIFA directive that must be followed by members of FIFA. There is less concern over this issue in recreational-level youth and amateur leagues, but it can certainly not be permitted in competitive-level youth and amateur competition. A referee who takes assignments in higher-level competitions that require temporary expulsions does so knowing that he will not be following the guidance of the Federation and may jeopardize his standing within the Federation.

The International F. A. Board reaffirmed in 2003 its instructions that no rules permitting temporary expulsion (being forced to play short for an infringement of the Laws) may be used. Here is an excerpt from USSF Memorandum 2003:

TEMPORARY EXPULSIONS
The Board re-affirmed the decision taken at its last meeting that the temporary expulsion of players is not permitted at any level of football.
USSF Advice to Referees: This instruction, which was first discussed in Memorandum 2002, is not subject to implementation by the referee: it is a matter for the competition authority. “Temporary expulsion” in this context refers to a rule purporting to require that a player leave the field temporarily under certain conditions (e.g., having received a caution – a so-called “cooling off” period) and does not include situations in which a player must correct illegal equipment or bleeding.

The USSF publication “Advice to Referees on the Laws of the Game” tells referees (in Advice 5.17):
//deleted//

There can be no “temporary expulsion” of players who have been cautioned, nor may teams be forced to substitute for a player who has been cautioned.

//deleted//

And the answer to your question: If a goalkeeper has been termporarily removed from the field in compliance with the rules of the competition, there must still be a goalkeeper on the team. Another player must assume that role temporarily, but must first don the correct equipment. When the goalkeeper is ready to return to the field, he or she must have the referee’s permission to do so and must be in full uniform.…

WHEN IN DOUBT, GO WITH YOUR GUT!

Question:
I was the Referee for a U-17 F Premier game this weekend. I made a call for a corner kick on the same side as AR1 but on the far end of his side ( he was a good 60-70 yards away ). I was on top of the play and only 15 yards or so from the corner flag. AR1 raised his flag and proceeded to tell me that the call should be for a goal kick. I didn’t concur. However, the AR1 has quite a bit of officiating experience (many more years than me) and holds a prominent and longstanding position with our local association, but I have been playing for all my life with NCAA Division 1 playing experience, Nationally licensed coaching experience at a high level and, what I believe, excellent judgment as a referee.

I changed my decision and awarded a goal kick. I immediately regretted that and the coaches began to harass me about the change. At the conclusion of the game, the AR1 said we did the right thing by making sure the call was the right call. I didn’t argue but felt that my initial call was the right call.
What is your suggestion on how I should have handled this situation?

USSF answer (September 15, 2008):
As the referee, you are in charge of the team of officials. It means little that the AR may have considerable experience and makes even less difference that he holds office in your local association. The AR’s job is to give you the best information he or she can, but to remember that the final decision is yours. Your job is to make that decision and stick with it.

If you feel you were pressured into taking the AR’s information as the ultimate word, then you might consider taking appropriate measures. No one should use his or her political position to gain his or her way — or do we learn about doing that sort of thing from the professional politicians?…

PERSONAL, PUBLIC, PROVOCATIVE = MISCONDUCT

Question:
I have two different variations of the same question that occurred this weekend in a U16 boys match:

1. My AR was standing near the center line and heard a player on the bench farther away from him say “[CENSORED]” after his team scored a goal. Is the proper response that he brings it to my (center) attention before restart and if he knows which player it is I red card the player for Violent Conduct or offensive language?
2. Same as above but it is the opposing coach who hears the same words and reports to the AR closest to him what was said and by whom?

USSF answer (September 15, 2008):
1. When deciding what to do about either dissent or the use of offensive or insulting or abusive language and/or gestures, the referee must analyze the situation and apply The Three Ps. Was the language Personal? (I. e., directed at someone in particular.) Was the language Public? (I. e., was it loud enough to be heard by others on the field and in its vicinity?) Was the language Provocative? (I. e., could it have led to player management problems involving the other team.) If the answer to these questions is yes, then the matter must be dealt with by the referee and the nearest official to the referee must make sure that he or she learns of it as quickly as possible. (Violent conduct would not apply to either of your situations.)

In this particular case, if the AR can reliably identify the “player” in the bench area who would have to be sent off for using offensive or insulting or abusive language and/or gestures and shown the red card, with full details included in the referee’s match report.

2. The referee cannot take any action (except perhaps a general “talking to” in the direction of the bench) based solely on the word of anyone other than a member of the officiating team.…