"Inventive" Refs

WHEN MAY A CARD BE SHOWN TO A SUBSTITUTE?

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Question:
In a game I played yesterday, one of the substitutes was verbally advised by the referee that as soon as he came onto the pitch to play that he would give him a yellow card.

The incident came about as the subsitute said something to the linesman during the 20th minute of the game. The referee did not show a yellow card at the time, but advised the player that as soon as he did come into the game that he would give him a yellow card. The substitute came into the game in the 75th minute and as soon as he entered was shown a yellow card.

Can the referee do this, or does he have a time limit on when to show a yellow card?

USSF answer (August 11, 2008):
Another inventive referee! If it was going to be done at all, the referee should have cautioned the substitute at the moment of the misconduct — or at least prior to the next restart. Under these conditions, i. e., the referee was aware of the misconduct (dissent, we presume) and had not received any later signal from the assistant referee, the referee must caution at the next stoppage following the misconduct or he or she no longer has that privilege. The referee can, of course, still include details of the misconduct in the match report, but it cannot be considered to be a caution.…

Law 17 - Corner Kick

DO I NEED A WHISTLE FOR A CORNER KICK?

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Question:
before a player kicks for a corner kick, is he or she signaled to kick by a referee with a whistle?

USSF answer (August 11, 2008):
Under normal circumstances, there is no need to wait for the referee’s signal. If the referee wants the kick to be delayed, he or she will let the kicking team know in plenty of time.…

"Inventive" Refs

COIN TOSS PROCEDURE

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Question:
Is there a procedure that is to be followed?
I have heard in the past Spring season:
* Do not bend over to pick up the coin. You shouldn’t bow down to “the captains”
* Do not let the coin hit the ground. You will bear your hind quarters to half the stadium.
* Do not catch the coin and flip to the back of your hand. You “reverse the outcome”.

Yet, in the recently concluded Euro 2008 Tournament, I witnessed all three of the above examples in various matches.
This is only trivial. You just hear so many different “you should do this and not that” from various referees.
Thank you for your time and attention regarding this question.

USSF answer (August 6, 2008):
No, there is no set procedure for the coin toss.…

"Inventive" Refs

OFFSIDE

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Question:
I was recently talking to somebody about offsides and they brought up that it is no longer true that the head or body is a deciding factor in determining offsides. He said the feet are the only deciding factors, and that if any part of the head is closer to the goal line than both the ball and the second to last defender that the player is not offsides. I asked when he heard about this change, and he said in the spring, but I never heard about it. Is this true?

 USSF answer (August 5, 2008):
Ah, those people who do not bother to read the Laws of the Game once they have completed the entry-level course.  No, this rumor is not true.  The Laws clearly state — in the Interpretation of the Laws of the Game and Guidelines for Referees (beginning on p. 55 of the 2008/2009 Law book):

LAW 11 – OFFSIDE

Definitions

In the context of Law 11 — Offside, the following definitions apply:

* “nearer to his opponents’ goal line” means that any part of a player’s head, body or feet is nearer to his opponents’ goal line than both the ball and the second last opponent.  The arms are not included in this definition

…
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Website Maintenance

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We are doing some website maintenance.  Hopefully we will be back to normal soon.

If you notice any problems with the website, please let us know through the “Ask A Question” tab, choosing Website Feedback as the game level.

Thanks for your patience and help.…

Law 1 - The Field

FIELD MARKINGS

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Question:
If the markings of a field are incorrect, in this case, specifically the penalty mark, should the existing mark be used, or should the referee mark off the correct distance? This is on an artificial field, so it cannot be covered or moved easily.

USSF answer (August 5, 2008):
If the penalty mark is in the wrong place and cannot, for whatever reason, be changed, the referee must ensure that any penalty kicks are taken from the correct distance from the goal line and in the correct location in relation to both goal posts. Possible mismarked lines can be worked with, but the penalty kick occurs so rarely and can be so decisive, that the distance MUST be correct.…

"Inventive" Refs

PLAYERS OF ANY AGE MUST BE SENT OFF FOR SERIOUS MISCONDUCT (2)

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Question:
A recent discussion created much debate about the duty and responsibilities a referee under law 5 had to exercise an opinion on law 12 send off offenses when playing 11 aside soccer. The question posed was the failure to show a red card for a send off offense that the referee actually admitted was in fact a send off offense but the referee refused to send off a player because the player was between 9 to 14 years of age a miss-application of law? If a referee was to stop play and award a dfk or pk for a spitting at another or a DOGSO incident where the player CLEARLY denies a goal via the illegal use of the hands but chose not to show a red card due to age is that an opinion on a fact of play or is it a miss application of law? I understand that as an opinion the referee can say there was no criteria for send off and as a fact of play not much can be done but can he say I saw the goal denied point 4 states the player is to be sent off but I do not care? Are not the send off offenses more along the lines of if that occurs then this happens not if it does happen I can pretend it didn’t because the player might get upset?

USSF answer (August 5, 2008):
Yes, the Federation suggests that the referee weigh the facts in every case of misconduct, so as to ensure that both the Letter and the Spirit of the Laws are satisfied. But if the referee chooses to excuse a player aged 9-14 for committing an infringement that should be punished by an immediate sending-off simply because he or she is so young, how will such players ever learn right from wrong and how to play soccer properly, not to mention to exist in society?Furthermore, who would want to be such a referee on the witness stand testifying as to why he let “Davie” stay in the game because he was a cute 11-year-old who had performed a studs-up tackle on “Mark,” was let go this time, and then broke “Freddy’s” leg two minutes later with the exact same maneuver.  Whether the referee shows a red card or not, a violent player must be gotten off the field.…

"Inventive" Refs

PLAYERS OF ANY AGE MUST BE SENT OFF FOR SERIOUS MISCONDUCT (1)

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Question:
Is it appropriate to take game and situational factors, especially the age of players, when considering sending-off offenses? The ATR “philosophy of cautions” is clear that the referee must consider qualitative factors when determining whether or not to give a caution. Does the same concept apply to send-offs? To be more specific, having determined that a sending-off foul occurred, must the referee send off the player regardless of the player’s age?

As an example, I would be hard-pressed to send off a U12 player for DGH. The law seems intended to prevent older and more skilled players from trading a sure goal for a PK, by adding the consequence of playing a man down. A U12 player is unlikely to understand this, and more importantly is far more likely to handle the ball in an “oh crap” moment than with malicious premeditation. If possible, I’d appreciate a general response as well as an answer to the specific example.

USSF answer (August 5, 2008):
Yes, the Federation suggests that the referee weigh the facts in every case of misconduct, so as to ensure that both the Letter and the Spirit of the Laws are satisfied. But if the referee chooses to excuse a player aged 9-14 for committing an infringement that should be punished by an immediate sending-off simply because he or she is so young, how will such players learn right from wrong and how to play soccer properly, not to mention to exist in society? There is, of course, the question as to whether an accidental (“Oh crap”) handling should be considered at all — and the answer must be a resounding “NO!”…

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.…