Category: Law 12 – Fouls & Misconduct

Law 12 – Fouls & Misconduct

"Inventive" Refs

‘KEEPER’S RIGHTS

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Question:
I have a question regarding the rights a keeper has to attempt to collect or parry a ball within his own penalty area.

I have been a referee for many years and have been told many conflicting thoughts on a keeper’s “rights” within his own penalty area. I have always worked games under the thought that a keeper has no “special” rights within their area, other than to use their hands to collect the ball.

I was watching a high school boy’s game this week where a situation occurred between the keeper and an attacker that I thought was mishandled and would like your thoughts so that I better understand the “Laws”.

The situation was:

The attacking team had a free kick from outside the defending team’s penalty area. When play restarted, the attacking team put the play in play by kicking the ball into the penalty area where many players, both attacking and defending players, were waiting to try to play the ball. The keeper came out of his goal area and jumped into (through) the mass of players and successfully parried the ball away before the ball reached the head of an attacker. The attacking player had already established his position and had jumped straight up to try to head the ball towards the goal. The keeper, however, went “through” the attacker while trying to parry the ball causing injury to the attacking player (the attacking player left the field and did not return). I believed that the keeper had committed a penal foul for which a penalty kick should be awarded. At a minimum, I believed the keeper’s conduct should be considered a dangerous play for which an indirect free kick should have been awarded.

After the game had concluded, I questioned the center as to why no foul was called. His reasoning was that a keeper had a right to the ball within his own penalty area and cannot be penalized in his own area. I know there are a number of infractions whereby the penalty or restart are different if committed by a keeper in his own penalty area… but I have never heard of such a rule that protects a keeper in this way.

Can you please comment on what “rights” a keeper has within in his penalty area and whether or not a keeper can receive a penal foul (for which a penalty kick is awarded) or a caution within their own area? Also, I would like your thoughts on the proper call given the scenario described above.

USSF answer (October 15, 2008):
On October 2, 2008, we included this information on a ‘keeper’s rights in an answer: “All players are entitled to the same protection under the Laws of the Game. The goalkeeper has no right to special protection. The goalkeeper’s role is, by the very requirements of that role, inherently dangerous. Goalkeepers know this going in and most operate accordingly.” The goalkeeper does have the right to be able to release the ball back into general play without interference. That and the right to wear some special protective equipment not permitted to other players is about it.

We would suggest that your referee was operating under a misapprehension. If the goalkeeper commits an infringement of the Laws, he or she must be punished just like any other player.…

Coach

DEALING WITH TEAM OFFICIALS (AGAIN)

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Question:
say a coach is showing minimal dissent due to his players being abused. Then the ref comes over and tells him “this is your final warning” and the coach asks “what was my first warning?” and the ref shows a yellow card. Then the coach asks him why he was carded for asking a question and then the ref shows the red card to the coach and he is ejected. Is the referee just in 1. showing a card to a coach and 2. passing out cards for such minor offenses

USSF answer (October 7, 2008):
Unless the rules of your competition require it, there is no reason or legal basis whatsoever to show a card of any color to a coach or other person affiliated with a team who is not a player, a substitute, or a substituted player.

Law 5 tells us that the referee:

– takes disciplinary action against players guilty of cautionable and sending-off offenses. He is not obliged to take this action immediately but must do so when the ball next goes out of play
– takes action against team officials who fail to conduct themselves in a responsible manner and may, at his discretion, expel them from the field of play and its immediate surrounds

NOTE: We cannot endorse the referee’s method of dealing with the coach. Coaches, no matter how pushy and obnoxious they may be, are entitled to the same courteous and considerate treatment as the referee would give to any other person.…

Coach

DEALING WITH TEAM OFFICIALS

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Question:
I was substitute refereeing a U15 game (the other ref couldn’t make it). And during the first half one of the teams coaches was just yelling at me from the sidelines, that I was missing handballs and aggressive pushing (there was a couple I missed but nothing game changing). But at half-time while I was talking to my boss (he was informing me that there are only suppose to be two coaches on a side per team) the “yelling coach” came over and just started criticizing me, my fellow ref, and our local soccer organization. We tried to explain to him that we are just kids so we do not have the ability to see everything, but he just couldn’t stop.

In the process he ended up wasting 15 minutes of halftime and reduced the other ref into tears. We told him that if he has problems he should file a complaint or talk to us after the game. He stepped off the field and sat with the parents the rest of the game.

So my questions are:
Could we have handled it better?
Is it possible to just call the game due to the coach?

and please keep in mind I am only 16 and have been reffing for two seasons.

USSF answer (October 7, 2008):
No ageism here, sir. We treat all referees as equals. Well, maybe not those whose associations put them on two-referee games, which are not allowed under the Laws of the Game. To them we recommend that they either convince their association to use the Diagonal System of Control (one referee and two assistant referees) or find another association that does.

Not forgetting your question, we can state simply that you should have told this “coach” to get back to his team area immediately and not to bother you before, during, or after the game. If he had a problem, he is welcome, as you clearly told him, to submit a report to your association and to the state organization, but he is not welcome to interfere with your work or your break at halftime. If he persists after this notification, then you should use the power granted you by Law 5 and take action against the coach or any other team officials who fail to conduct themselves in a responsible manner. That means that you may, at your discretion, expel them from the field of play and its immediate vicinity.…

Advantage

EARLY WHISTLE?

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Question:
The recent events in the NFL made me think of writing in to discuss a call from several years ago:

In a recreation level tournament, I was involved in the following call and while I think I blew the call, I want to get your opinion. In a well played but very aggressive match at the U-17 level(several yellows had already been issued to both teams), with less than 5 minutes left in the second period, player A1 was fouled while on the attack just outside the penalty box. Player B1 was called for the foul (not serious enough to warrant a card) and Team B proceed to set up a wall in preparation for the direct free kick. Player A1 asked for his 10 yards, so when I walked it off, it put the wall of Team B inside the penalty box. As player A1 took the shot, one of the players from Team B within the wall stepped forward toward player A1. I was the ref watching for any offside and as soon as the player from Team B stepped forward, I blew the whistle. The unfortunate thing is, the ball went into the net for what Team A thought was a score. In that split second, I realized that I blew the whistle too early and had to proceed forward from there. I waved off the goal, carded the player from Team B for the “failure to retire” and since the foul occurred within the penalty box, awarded Team A the penalty kick. Unfortunately, the shot off the penalty kick did not go in the net. One of  my question is this, while I know there is no such things as a delayed foul, could I have applied “advantage”, waited to see what happen to the shot, and then carded the player on Team B for “failure to retire” and re-awarded the direct free kick which as a result of the foul would have made it a penalty kick? Am I correct that while the ball is in actively in play, any whistle basically immediately make the ball “DEAD”?  Team A did not need the goal that I waved off to win the match, but I went up to the Coach of Team A and explained myself as best as possible with regards to the fact that I felt like I blew the call.

USSF answer (October 3, 2008):
You are correct that the whistle stops play and we were with you until you awarded the penalty kick. Whatever for?? The correct restart was a retake of the original direct free kick. As we state in the USSF publication “Advice to Referees on the Laws of the Game,” Advice 13.3: “If one or more opponents fail to respect the required distance before the ball is properly put into play, the referee should stop the restart to deal with this infringement as required by the Law. The free kick must be retaken even if the momentum of play causes the ball to be kicked before the referee signals.”

And the entire problem would have never come up if you hadn’t whistled too soon. Consider holding off a moment unless there is some mischief that MUST be dealt with NOW.…

"Inventive" Refs

RULES OF COMPETITION BRING ABOUT UNSPORTING TACTICS

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Question:
I was center referee for a U14G Class I Select tournament game this weekend. Standings for the tournament were based on points for each flight’s round robin games. This particular event deducted a game point if the goal differential was greater than four. Shutouts also earned an extra point, but that didn’t factor into this game.

During the course of this game, one team had a clear advantage over the other. At a certain point during the second half, they exceeded the 4 goal differential limit by a score of 6-1. Not wanting to hurt their game points in the standings, they allowed their opponents to score a free goal with no pressure at all–the entire team stood like statues (6-2). They scored another goal and then repeated the process (7-3).

Clearly at this point the team which was behind got very frustrated with these tactics. However, since they were complicit by scoring the freebie goals, I just kept on with my normal referee duties. And yet again, the team scored bringing the score up to 8-3. The losing team put the ball into play, but their players didn’t actually challenge for the ball. The winning team did not want to lose their point, so they dribbled down and scored an own goal against themselves (8-4).

The sidelines got extremely verbal at this point.

The coach of the losing team called his players off to stand on their side of midfield and everyone just stood around. After 10-15 seconds, I told the center forward to put the ball into play. After she did, I blew the whistle and ended the game 2 minutes prior to the actual end time.

After the game, there was a lot of complaints about sportsmanship from the losing team, and a lot of grousing about the rules of the tournament from the winning team. I kept the situation under control, but it should have never gotten to that point.

So my question is this: What is the best way to handle this situation? As referee, my decisions shouldn’t really be informed by the scoring rules of the tournament, but I need to be able to control a potentially inflammatory situation. It’s not a good position to be in.

The center referee for the following game and I talked about the situation later; he had seen it unfold. His suggestion was to issue a yellow card to the captains of the winning team for unsporting behavior once they stopped playing defense and letting their opponents score. This would send a signal to the coach that this behavior is not tolerated. I suppose this could be considered “acting in a manner which shows a lack of respect for the game” but I’m not quite convinced there isn’t a better way.

Any suggestions? (Besides eliminating the goal differential rule for an event of this caliber)

USSF answer (October 2, 2008):
The referee who accepts a game in such a competition thereby accepts the rules of the competition, no matter how incredible they may seem, and has no authority to act in such a situation. He or she simply includes full details in the match report.

That means no cautions for reasons not covered by the Law of the Game, no lectures, no pleading. Just put it in the report. Let the competition authority defend its own rules.…

Law 12 - Fouls & Misconduct

RESTART FOR VIOLENT CONDUCT

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Question:
Corner kick for team A. The corner kick is taken and cleared away. After the ball has left the penalty area and is in the air an attacker and defender become tangled up. The attacker and defender square up to each other and the defender attempts to kick the attacker from team A (they are in the penalty area). At this point the referee sees this blows the whistle and issues a caution to defender b for usb, and sends off the attacker for violent conduct.

What is the proper restart (the ball was near midfield in the air)?

If the defender made contact with the attacker is the restart different?

USSF answer (October 1, 2008):
And why is the defender not being sent off for violent conduct? We haven’t heard what the attacker did, but what the defender did is clearly violent conduct.

If what the attacker did also constituted violent conduct and preceded the attempted kick — under the Law that is EXACTLY like actually making contact — then the correct restart is a direct free kick for the defender’s team at the place where the infringement occurred. In this case, the location of the ball — as long as it was on the field of play at the time — is totally irrelevant.…

Law 12 - Fouls & Misconduct

ACTIONS OFF THE FIELD OF PLAY

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Question:
A defender is physically off the field of play, (feet, legs, and torso), but reaches ONTO the field of play to either 1) hold or push an opponent, or 2) strike an opponent. The question is the determination with regard to “on the field of play” and therefore foul versus misconduct?

Striking
With striking, the guidance is pretty clear that the offense is committed where the contact is made or would have been made if the attempt is unsuccessful. A punch thrown by a defender who is inside the PA at an opponent who is outside the PA results in a DK, not a PK, but a defender who is outside the the PA and strikes an attacker who is inside the PA results in a PK because the striking offense is where the contact occurs, not where it was initiated. What is confusing in this situation is determining what happens when the offender is physically off the field of play but strikes a player who is on the field of play? Is the person doing the striking considered to be off the field of play even though his “fist”, and the offense, are ON the field of play?

Holding, Pushing, etc.
Same situation(s). Most of the person committing the offense is physically off the field of play, but they reach onto the field of play to hold or push an opponent. Is the person committing the offenses considered to be off the field of play, therefore guilty of misconduct, or on the field of play, therefore foul?

Methinks it is misconduct, but I’ve been wrong before.

USSF answer (September 28, 2008):
If the player has left the field during the course of play and that player reaches a hand or a foot (or any other body part) back onto the field of play to interfere with an opponent, that is considered to be a foul. The restart would be in accordance with which particular foul was committed.

However, if the player has left the field with the permission of the referee and reaches a hand or a foot (or any other body part) back onto the field of play to foul or interfere with an opponent, that is considered to be both a foul and an act of misconduct — entering the field without the permission of the referee. The player is cautioned for re-entering the field of play. If the foul itself is deserving of a caution the player will be sent off for receiving a second caution in the same match. Play is restarted in accordance with the nature of the foul.…

"Inventive" Refs

HIP CHARGES; REFEREE COWARDICE

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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.…

"Inventive" Refs

NO MAKEUP CALLS!!

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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).…

Law 12 - Fouls & Misconduct

UNSPORTING BEHAVIOR, ABUSIVE GESTURE, SERIOUS FOUL PLAY?

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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.…