MAJOR REFEREE ERROR

August 11, 2011 by Jim Allen

Question:
The game has finished, the players are on the sideline when the ref issues a player without their jersey on with a yellow for decent, the player blows up again so the ref issues another yellow to the same player resulting in a red, what is the outcome if the ref reports the wrong player in the paperwork since he had no jersey on how can he be sure he reports the correct player ? and if he does report the wrong player can the team challenge the result ?

USSF answer (August 11, 2011):
The final whistle has been blown, the game is over! Players may now remove their jerseys if they like, whether they are on the field or off. The referee committed an error in judgment and procedure by not determining the player’s name and number before issuing the caution for dissent and the subsequent caution and dismissal for receiving a second caution in the game. (Yes this period counts as part of the game if the referee has not left the area after the final whistle.)

The referee could have resolved the problem by informing the team captain and or a team official, such as the coach, that this player was being cautioned and then sent off and asking for the player’s name.

In answer to your final question, we cannot know what course the competition’s disciplinary committee will take in this matter, other than to remind the referee that procedure should be followed.…

"Inventive" Refs

“DIRECTLY”

August 11, 2011August 11, 2011 by Jim Allen

Question:
In response to the May 18, 2011 question about the meaning of “directly” in Law 11, I imagined the following hypothetical scenario:

Red takes the throw-in, #7 is in an offside position. Ball is received and played by Blue, and no Red player gets to touch the ball. While meandering about in the Blue half near the halfway line, Blue #4 passes back toward Blue GK, with no Red player still having touched the ball since the throw-in. Red intercepts the backward pass and scores.

My instinct tells me that this should be a call for offside and disallowed goal, because the ball wasn’t deflected or misplayed, and it appeared that Red #7 was intentionally in that position to gain an advantage. At the same time, it seems to comply with the letter of the law, in that he was not guilty of an offside offense because the last time the ball was played by a teammate was the throw-in. Since the ball is not in play until the thrower releases it and it enters the field (my understanding), can #7 be called offside here? If so, why (if possible, refuting the arguments presented as if a referee needed to defend his call after the game)?

USSF answer (August 11, 2011):
No, Red #7 cannot and must not be called offside in this situation. Red #7 was indeed in an offside position when the ball was thrown in by his teammate, but that is not an infringement of the Law under any circumstances.

Why? The Law does not say that a player may never be be in an offside position during the game. In fact, Law 11 excludes a player in an offside position at a throw-in from being called offside directly. Law 11 also states that a player in an offside position may be called offside only if he (or she) is in an offside position at the moment a teammate plays the ball and the player in the offside position is involved in play. In addition, Blue, the defending team, took clear possession of the ball from the throw-in and thus Red #7 can not be called for offside until one of his teammates plays the ball and he becomes involved in play.

Finally, referees have to answer questions only from their assessor and in response to their own conscience.…

Advice to Referees

KICKS AT WOMEN’S WORLD CUP FINAL

August 8, 2011 by Jim Allen

Question:
I had a quick question about the women’s world cup final. I noticed that team officials were clearly allowed onto the field to give instructions to players before the taking of the penalty kicks. I was under the understanding that under no circumstances were team officials allowed onto the field in this situation, am I mistaken? I’ve always been told to kept team officials, no matter the age group of the teams involved or whatever level of play, on the sidelines.

USSF answer (August 8, 2011):
During the period between the end of full time and the actual start of kicks from the penalty mark, the referee should allow eligible players to receive water, treatment, equipment repair, or other such assistance on the field near their bench. Team officials may temporarily enter the field but must exit the field when directed by the referee.…

"Inventive Assessors"

SPECIAL RULE FOR GOALKEEPERS AND ATTACKERS? NOT!

August 3, 2011 by Jim Allen

Question:
I recently attended an ODP camp as a referee. I was told by a National Assessor at the camp that there was a rule concerning attackers and goalkeeper interactions inside the goal area. I don’t remember the specifics exactly and I don’t want to say that I was told something that I wasn’t. Could you please clarify if there are any laws/advice/interpretations on this subject?

USSF answer (August 3, 2011):
We have absolutely no idea what the assessor was talking about. There is nothing in writing that we are aware of.…

"Inventive" Refs

NOT ENOUGH TIME PLAYED IN FIRST HALF

August 3, 2011 by Jim Allen

Question:
This situation occurred in an Over 30 match involving my club. The referee blew the halftime whistle at 38 minutes, according to my watch. When my captain asked the referee about the shortened half, the referee insisted that it had been 45 minutes. OK, that’s that, you can’t win an argument like that, so you move on. When the teams were ready to take the field to begin the second half, the referee announced that he had inadvertently shortened the first half by five minutes. He said that he would make up the lost time as follows:

1.He instructed the teams to set up for a kickoff as they did to start the match.

2.They would play five minutes.

3.He would blow the whistle at five minutes and the teams would change ends and play 45 minutes in the second half.

Everyone involved was confused, but nobody knew enough to dispute his remedy. None of this sounds like the correct protocol for this situation. Any help would be appreciated.

USSF answer (August 3, 2011):
According to the Laws of the Game, the referee must not compensate for a timekeeping error during the first half by increasing or reducing the length of the second half. So far, so good. Unfortunately, your referee handled the situation incorrectly. The amount of time remaining the first half should have been played, as the referee finally came to realize, but the correct restart would have been for the reason the ball was out of play when the referee stopped the game short. If the ball was off the field, then the game should have been restarted for the reason the ball had left the field. If it was in play, then the correct restart would be a dropped ball at the place where it was when the referee stopped play. If any time is lost during the remaining amount of time, then the referee must also add that time.…

"Only in America!"

TWO INTERESTING QUESTIONS AND SOME RULES

July 23, 2011 by Jim Allen

Question:
This past weekend I was working a local youth tournament and I have two questions from two different games.

First, while I was on “stand-by” in the referee tent during my 3 hour break, my assignor showed up in a golf cart and took me to a field where we found a young upset female ref and the tournament director at a U-10 game. My assignor told me to finish the last 18 minutes of the game and took the previous ref. After talking to both coaches, I found that an assistant of one team (who’s club was hosting the tournament) had been sent-off after arguing numerous calls. I told the head coach of that team that the previous referee’s decision stands and the coach needs to leave. The tournament director then came on to the field and said that he had “overruled” the ref and had asked for a new one, which is what brought the other official to tears. I told him 1 you can’t replace a ref in the middle of a match and more importantly the referee has sole jurisdiction over the match and cannot be “overruled” after a long discussion which included us reading out of the laws of the game, the ejected coach was allowed to sit away from the players and fans but allowed to stay on site. My question is what should a referee do when a tournament director “overrules” you, even in the middle of the match as this one did? Even though referees know this can’t happen the director seemed to think he had the power to do so.

Secondly, in a u-15 Boys game, a “green” player was fouled carelessly about 4 yards from the top of the penalty area, I awarded the free kick, clearly spotted the foul and cautioned the player who fouled him. With time winding down, the “green” coach began to argue that the card should have been red since the offending player had done it “four or five times.” I told him that he was given a yellow for persistent infringement. I turned around, allowed the kicker to take the kick, and he scored. Next, my AR ran up to me and said the player had moved the ball 2 yards closer to the goal before taking the kick while my back was turned. While my AR should gave told me before the kick, what should I have done with the information? I cautioned the player for unsporting conduct and re-took the kick (was saved on re-take). Did I make the right call? Thanks.

USSF answer (July 23, 2011):
1. First, a rule of thumb known only to tournament directors and those of us who have been around for a very long time: If the tournament director says something is so, then he or she is surely right, even when he or she is blatantly and incredibly wrong. Second, always read and be aware of the competition’s rules when you accept an assignment; the director might actually have that power and, if you accepted the assignment, you acknowledge that you accept the rules of the competition. Third, yes, you were absolutely correct. Fourth, mark the tournament in your mind and alert your colleagues and local referee association that this particular event allows such travesties to occur and you cannot in good conscience recommend taking assignments to its games.

2. More rules: (a) Make a decision and stick to it, unless you recognize you truly were in error. (b) Do not allow yourself to be distracted by outside influences with no authority over any aspect of your game, also known as coaches, at a free kick or at any other time. (c) Always know where the ball is. (d) When you have been distracted by an outside influence, check with your assistant referees to be sure nothing has happened during the distraction. (e) Remember rules (a) and (b). Yes, you made the correct call.…

IFAB/FIFA Experiments

NO CAUTION FOR A TACTICAL FOUL?

July 19, 2011 by Jim Allen

Question:
Instruction was given at the Region II youth championships that a referee need no longer caution for a tactical foul if that foul was committed by the defending team, was penal, and was committed within their own penalty area, resulting in a penalty kick. Can you please confirm or deny this instruction/interpretation change. In the past this never mattered; a player who committed a foul which in the opinion of the referee was tactical, and did not meet the 4 D’s requirement of Denying an Obvious Goal Scoring Opportunity, was cautioned and shown the yellow card, regardless of location of that foul or resultant restart.

USSF answer (July 19, 2011):
The instructions you were given at the Region 2 Youth Championships are part of a concept approved by FIFA and the IFAB. This concept does not yet have final approval, but a position paper will be issued in the near future.…

"Inventive" Refs

NO PK IF NO OPPORTUNITY TO SCORE?

July 19, 2011 by Jim Allen

Question:
Do all penalties within the 18 yard box automatically result in a penalty kick? If I recall during my “ref” days (now retired), penalty kicks occur only if the ref determines the offensive player who was fouled had a clear ability to score a goal. That is, if an incidental hand ball (hand hits ball, not ball hits hand) occurs within the 18 yard box and the ref determines there was no scoring opportunity a free kick at the point of contact (even within the 18 yard box) is award the offensive team. Defensive line must be 10 yards away or as far as possible (even if they must stand on the goal line).

Just want to make sure; I’ve haven’t ref’d for many years and wonder if the laws have changed.

Now a spectator.

USSF answer (July 19, 2011):
What you describe has NEVER been part of the Laws of the Game. We hear of this concept every now and then in various parts of the country and welcome the opportunity to address the matter. Thank you for asking.

All — let us stress it: ALL — direct free kick fouls committed by the defending team in its own penalty area must be punished with a penalty kick, whether or not the player who was fouled had a clear chance to score a goal. Other punishment may also be meted out, but that is outside the parameters of your question.

Accidental (or “incidental”) handling of the ball such as you describe is not a foul of any sort, so should never be punished in any way — although we are aware that some referees do it.

If an indirect free kick offense (foul or misconduct) were to be committed within its penalty area by the defending team, the restart would be an indirect free kick and the defending team would have to remain at least ten yards from the spot of the kick , unless it was within the goal area. Again, other punishment might also be levied, depending on the particular offense and its consequences.…

Interpretations/IFAB

OCCUPYING SPACE

July 18, 2011 by Jim Allen

Question:
Two opposing field players are going up for a header. If one of the players jumped up and over the opponent, knocking the opponent out of the way or to the ground, I’d be calling a foul.

What if the jumping player in the above scenario was a goalkeeper trying to reach a ball with her hands? Is the goalkeeper given any special allowances? I heard an instructor say “yes” and that fouls in this sort of situation are not called (as seen on TV), but it seems to me that the defender has just as much right to fairly challenge for the ball as the goalkeeper and to not be unfairly charged/pushed/struck.

(I indicated a game level of U13-19, but would the answer be different if we’re talking about pros?)

USSF answer (July 18, 2011):
What referees call and what referees SHOULD call are often two different things. The Interpretation of the Laws of the Game and Guidelines for Referees (p. 114) tells us: “All players have a right to their position on the field of play, being in the way of an opponent is not the same as moving into the way of an opponent.” In other words, no player, whether field player or goalkeeper, is allowed to go through any other player, whether field player or goalkeeper, to get to the ball.

Because the goalkeeper’s position is inherently dangerous (subject to hard challenges in the air, diving to the ground, lying on the ground, etc.), goalkeepers are allowed some leeway in doing their job. This means that they are permitted to reach over players and make some contact with the opponent, as long as it is not done carelessly, recklessly, or with excessive force.

Defenders or attackers, on the other hand, must take their chances as they find them. Jumping straight up or backing in to win the ball is not a foul unless the opponent is already in the air and moving to play the ball.…

"Inventive" Refs

SLEEVE LENGTHS

July 18, 2011 by Jim Allen

Question:
What is the official stance of Chicago in regards to referee sleeve lengths? Frequently in the MLS, referees wear different length sleeves. It has been stated by grade 5 referees in my association that wearing different length sleeves constitutes non-uniformity, and that one can be docked points in an assessment for such. Who is correct?

USSF answer (July 18, 2011):
We are unaware of any precise measurements for referee jerseys. A review of the Referee Administrative Handbook informs us that the wearer must always look professional and that the jerseys themselves may be of the short-sleeve or long-sleeve variety. The equipment worn by officials in the MLS is supplied by sponsors of the League and falls outside the requirements for other refereeing officials.

If you mean that a refereeing crew should not mix short sleeves and long sleeves, that is correct, but at lower levels of play it must sometimes be done. We cannot expect every beginning referee to have a complete wardrobe.…