Category: “Only in America!”

"Inventive" Refs

THERE IS NO “AFTER THE FACT” OFFSIDE CALL!!!

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Question:
Offside – at a recent [college] match there was a difficult call made by the referee concerning an attacking player. Here is the scenario.

A lone attacking player is played a long ball from the back and at the time of the pass was onside. The pass was not accurate and the last defender tried to head the ball back down the field. The header ended up going backward to the attacker who had continued to run forward (now the attacker found herself between the last defender and the goalkeeper). The on-field call, after a goal was scored, was that the attacker was seeking to gain an advantage by being in the position they were in when they actually received the ball.

I’m not sure how the referee could have determined where the advantage was as the attacker could not have known the last defender would head the ball in her vicinity. This was not a deflection per se nor was the pass made by one of her team mates.

Can you clarify?

USSF answer (September 28, 2010):
We need to repeat and stress (for ALL readers) that we do not have any competence to answer questions on college or high school rules, so must address your question as if it had occurred in a game played under the Laws of the Game, the rules the entire world plays by.

If a player was in an onside position when the ball was last played by a teammate, then he or she cannot be declared offside if the ball is then deflected, miskicked, or otherwise misdirected by an opponent. Under the Laws of the Game, this referee would seem to have erred, at least in his description of his decision-making process. The word “seeking” was removed from Law 11 many years ago and the critical decision that has to be made in this scenario is whether the defender PLAYED (possessed and controlled) the ball — including situations in which the defender PLAYED the ball in what turned out to be an unfortunate direction — or whether the ball merely DEFLECTED from the defender (including situations in which the ball was misplayed). Whether the referee further erred in his basic decision we cannot say in the absence of a clip of the play.…

"Inventive" Refs

PARRYING THE BALL; DIFFERENT RULES IN THE UNITED STATES

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Question:
First question:
I’ve been taught that referees, for good management of a game, for players and spectators will enjoy the game, have to “sell their calls.” (For example, don’t lightly blow your whistle for a penalty kick. Blow the whistle like you know for sure!) My question is, what is the best way to “sell” the second touch call by a keeper after parrying a ball? Its a rule that many (or I should say EVERY) senior referees and assignors have advised I don’t call, a rule players are not aware of because it is never called. I am not afraid to have the conviction to call tough calls, but I need advice on this one. Would a pregame warning to keepers help? Maybe I can get petition for the rule to change to make it so that it applies to the spirit of why the rule was made (prevention of time wasting)? A wink and a nod to use discretion and to think that every shot, no matter how soft, will knuckle and might need to be knocked down?

Second question:
This is about the politics of FIFA, NFHS, and NISOA. Why don’t they have the same rules? Is any party trying to unify with the other?

USSF answer (September 7, 2010):
First question:
a) Never, NEVER lecture the players before the game. Why? Because they will then expect you to live up to every word, something you cannot possibly do.
b) Don’t call a foul because the players don’t know that this is a violation? Please! That is the most idiotic bit of sophistry we have ever heard! If no one ever calls the foul, how will the players ever learn? Pay no attention to such “old referees’ tales.”

We might add that this is one of those calls that you need to be sure about and, particularly, that it made a difference in the run of play (i. e., the keeper took second possession in order to prevent an opponent from challenging for the ball).

Second question:
There are no politics involved here. The NFHS and the NCAA (not NISOA, which is simply a referee organization) do not belong to the U. S. Soccer Federation and are thus not bound by the Laws of the Game, the rules the rest of the world plays by.…

"Inventive" Refs

“LAST DEFENDER!”

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Question:
I am currently a coach, parent, and member of our local soccer club board of directors. I have been around soccer most of my life. Our local youth premier league had their opening weekend recently, and I saw 4 occasions of what I would I thought was a strange call. This happened in U11 girls, U13 girls, U11 boys, and U12 boys.

The call as stated by the referee in all occasions was simply “last defender” One coach asked the referee what this meant, and was not answered beyond those words. The call incurred a yellow card in each case.

The first instance was in U11 boys. One of our defenders was playing catch up with a break away, and was just about to gain the goal side on the other player. The other player tried to take a quick shot, and kicked the turf and went tumbling. No contact happened, but I chalked it up to a center ref not leaving the center circle.

The second instance was in the U12 boys game. This time our player was making a run on the goal, and the opposing defender made a perfect tackle on the ball. Surprisingly there was no body contact, or slide involved. It was just a good solid tackle of the ball. The kind of defensive save that makes you cheer even when it prevented your team from scoring. The referee was at a very good vantage point to make this call.

The third was in U11 girls game. This time the defender was containing the girl nicely. Had per pressed to the outside, making a shot difficult at best. The girl took a sweeping kick, and the defender made her tackle on the ball at this time. The ball shoots out along the goal line.

The fourth instance was in the U13 girls game, and the offensive player came from the corner into the penalty area, and tried to make a move past the defender. Her move took her straight into the stationary defender, and she fell.

In all these case the ruling of the referee was “last defender”, and a yellow card was issued. It appears that in our league this year, it is illegal to be the last defender, but I was wondering if there were a better explanation for these calls.

USSF answer (September 1, 2010):
We see two possibilities here for the totally non-standard term “last defender.”

1.It could possibly have been the referee’s way of saying that the player who was cautioned had committed what used to be called a “professional foul,” usually committed as a last resort to stop a promising attack.

2. Or, rhis was a foul committed by a defender against an attacker under circumstances in which all the elements (the “4 Ds”) of an obvious goal-scoring opportunity have been met, in particular including the number of defenders where the referee has judged that there was only one or no defender between the location of the foul and the goal, not counting the defender who committed the offense. Of course, given this, the card should have been red, not yellow.

We are aware of no possibilities beyond these and can only say that some referees, just like some coaches, are very inventive.…

"Inventive Instructors"

NO OFFSIDE IF ALL OPPONENTS ARE IN OTHER HALF?

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Question:
The prof in a referees’ clinic explained that if all the fullbacks on a team move into the offensive half of the field, then the opponents are freed of any offsides restrictions at all. I’m dubious; I don’t see how this follows from Law XI. Can you explain it to me please, or perhaps the prof is mistaken? Thanks!

USSF answer (August 8, 2010):
You are pulling our legs, right? It makes absolutely no difference where the players on the defending team are, the player in the opposing half of the field must still be no nearer to the opposing goal line than the ball to avoid being in an offside position. On condition that we specify that the attacking player is on the halfway line, he can never be either offside or in an offside position when the ball is played by his teammate in this particular scenario. The Law is clear (emphasis added to ensure understanding):

LAW 11 – OFFSIDE
Offside Position
It is not an offense in itself to be in an offside position.
A player is in an offside position if:
• he is nearer to his opponents’ goal line than BOTH the ball and the second-last opponent
• he is nearer to his opponents’ goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent
A player is not in an offside position if:
• he is in his own half of the field of play or
• he is level with the second-last opponent or
• he is level with the last two opponents

…
"Inventive" Refs

GOALS AND INJURED ‘KEEPER

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Question:
In order to play there are X number of players and a specifically appointed goalkeeper. This is a two part question. If the goalkeeper is injured does play stop? If the keeper is injured for a period of time and play is continuing does the goal count if it crosses the goal line?

USSF answer (July 29, 2010):
A two-part question gets a two-part answer.

1. Play is stopped only if, in the opinion of the referee, the player is seriously injured. That includes all players, whether field player or goalkeeper.

2. If the goalkeeper is not, in the opinion of the referee, seriously injured and play continues, a goal would be counted if the whole of the ball completely crosses the entire goal line between the goalposts and beneath the crossbar.…

"Only in America!"

REFEREE CARELESSNESS LEADS TO PROBLEM

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Question:
I’m eager to learn how to correctly handle the following situation (NFHS Rules Set, whether that makes a difference):

Team A throw-in near Team A’s 18. Team A substitutes; Team B substitutes. Official signals for Team A to proceed with the restart.

With the ball now in play and being kicked about for some seconds, it is recognized by Official X that there are 12 Team B players participating on the field (yes, shoddy substitution management by the officials). A brief second *prior* to Official X sounding his whistle to address the discrepancy (yes, two whistles sound in unintended succession here), Official Y had sounded his whistle upon observing a Tripping Foul by a Team A player in Team A’s penalty area – clearly a PK for Team B. What to do now?

USSF answer (May 18, 2010):
A reminder to all readers: We do not answer questions on high school rules in this forum. We deal strictly with the Laws of the Game. Accordingly, we are answering the question based solely on the Laws of the Game. You will need to determine on your own whether any of the rules you are using would require a different answer.

This problem was caused by three related things: Having two referees with whistles on the field (against the explicit requirements of the Laws of the Game), failure to follow the guidelines in Law 3 regarding substitution, and failure to count the players after the substitution.

Despite the sequence in which the whistles were blown, the primary problem here is the excess number of players for Team B, so that must be dealt with first. The referee cannot know which of the players is the twelfth, so must caution (unsporting behavior) and remove one of the Team B players. Because the excess number of players existed before the “foul” that would lead to a penalty kick, there is no penalty kick. Instead, the game is restarted with an indirect free kick for Team A at the place where the ball was when play was stopped (for the illegal entry onto the field by the 12th B player). As for the “foul,” you could verbally admonish the player who committed it (since it won’t be punished in the usual way) but, depending on the player’s action, you could caution (e. g., unsporting behavior for recklessness or perhaps it was a tactical foul) or you could send off the player with a red card for violent conduct if the “foul” involved violence.

In other words, you retain the ability to card even if the player’s action can’t be counted as a foul…

"Only in America!"

UNUSUAL FIELD MARKINGS

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Question:
Do all of the lines on a field need to be of uniform color?

While common sense would prevail that they should be of the same color that is always not the case due to fields being utilized by more than one sport. In this case it was a grass field, not an artificial surface. It was a U9 “travel” game.

The touch lines were of different colors, the goal lines were different than the touch lines and the penalty area was yet another color. I know there is a law regarding the size of the lines but I could find nothing requiring the uniformity of color for all boundaries. “..all lines must be of the same width, which must not be more than 12cm (5inches)…” the game was played but our coach told me that his team and the referee had difficulty throughout the game identifying if a ball was in or out of a particular are of the field.

USSF answer (May 4, 2010):
While Law 1 states only that the goal posts and crossbar must be colored white, it is traditional that all field markings are in white. And traditional means that this is the way it is supposed to be done. Field managers should not be artistic geniuses; they should prepare the field in accordance with the expected: White lines.

We understand that some competitions use multipurpose fields and that the participants must cope with that.…

"Inventive" Refs

THE REFEREE UNIFORM

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Question:
Evidently the Adidas referee jerseys are making it to the states and being sold at TJ Maxx for #25 each. See the discussion at [an internet referee board]. Referees are purchasing these jerseys with the intent of wearing them in USSF games. They will have enough extra jerseys for referees who don’t have the Adidas jerseys. Is there any reason that referees cannot wear the Adidas jerseys? I can see a lot of confusion if allowed, with referees being pressured to buy the Adidas jerseys or having to wear borrowed jerseys.

USSF answer (March 4, 2010):
The uniform sold by Official Sports International (OSI) is the official uniform for referees affiliated with the U. S. Soccer Federation. The standards for that uniform were established by the USSF Board of Directors and may not be changed by anyone else. The design sold by OSI must be worn to all games and tournaments affiliated with the Federation. If referees find another uniform that meets the same design standard, they may wear that uniform for their lower-level games. Unless the Adidas uniform meets those standards, it may not be worn for any affiliated games.

See the USSF Referee Administrative Handbook for a description and pictures of the only approved uniforms:

Standards of Dress and Appearance Official U.S. Soccer Federation Referee Uniform
Official Sports International (OSI) is the official supplier of referee uniforms to U.S. Soccer.
GOLD SHIRT: with black pinstripes (long or short sleeve)
ONE BADGE ONLY: U.S. SOCCER FEDERATION – WITH CURRENT YEAR (Securely fastened to shirt over left chest. The badge should be for the highest grade for which the referee is currently qualified)
BLACK COLLAR
BLACK CUFF: (on long sleeve shirt only) (no cuffs on short sleeves)
BLACK SHORTS: Bottom edge of shorts not less than 3 nor more than 7 inches above the top of the knee- cap.
BLACK SOCKS: with Federation referee crest
BLACK SHOES: (may have white manufacturers design) with black laces
Alternate Referee Uniforms
The following four shirts have been approved by the Federation as alternates that can be worn in case of color conflict. There is no order of preference among the alternate jerseys. The other parts of the referee uniform (shorts, socks, shoes) do not change if the referee wears an alternate shirt.
BLACK SHIRT with, BLACK COLLAR, and BLACK CUFFS (on long sleeve shirts only). RED SHIRT with, BLACK COLLAR, and BLACK CUFFS (on long sleeve shirts only). BLUE SHIRT with, BLACK COLLAR, and BLACK CUFFS (on long sleeve shirts only). GREEN SHIRT with, BLACK COLLAR, and BLACK CUFFS (on long sleeve shirts only).
Logos, Emblems and Badges: Only manufacturer’s logos and U.S. Soccer approved badges and/or emblems may be visible on the referee uniform.

Note: Older versions of the OSI uniform may be worn until they need to be replaced.…

"Only in America!"

CHANGING SOCCER RULES

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Question:
For U12 girls soccer playing US youth soccer, following 8v8 rules, conforming to FIFA laws of the game, can a coach in charge of the division change the rules for play, specifically the following? Thanks ahead of time for your response.

Rule changes – my goal is to keep games within at least a 3 to 5 goal margin. The best way to do this is with a fair draft. Just in case we fail see below:

1. We may have to drop down to 7vs7 for the spring. So go recruit your friends daughters. We need players.

2. No team under any circumstances will be allowed to have more than 4 players from their fall team. I don’t care if schedule conflict, trade, swap, whatever. If there is a practice conflict that player will need find a place with one of the three other teams. So keep this in mind when you draft.

3. If a team is up by four or more goals, any given player for the winning side will not score more than three goals in the game. If a player kicks in a goal during this period, it will be nullified and other team will receive a penalty shot. A second infraction leads to ejection of that player and a penalty shot along with the nullification of the “goal”. (so if you have a “ringer” move her to defense or goalie after you are up). If a game falls back within a two goal margin the rule is waived.

4. If a team is up by four or more goals that team will be restricted to “three touch” until there is only a two goal margin. Infractions will lead to indirect kick.

5. If my attempts to balance the league are unsuccessful in my opinion then I will draft two players from the top one or two teams to play for the weaker teams at mid season.

USSF answer (January 21, 2010):
Those rules are not covered in the Laws of the Game or in the USYS recommended rules for small-sided soccer. They are, rather, clearly intended to be part of the rules of the competition. If there is a governing body for your league, then they must approve such changes in your rules.…