ENDING A PERIOD OF PLAY

July 14, 2009 by Jim Allen

Question:

I am a fully qualified referee in [another country] and was recently spectating an U17 girl’s national championship match. At a guess, first-half time was almost expired. A player was hurt and had been receiving on-field medical attention for a couple of minutes while the ball was out of play (went out over the touchline). On resolving the player’s injury the referee blew her whistle for half-time. It was my understanding a referee can only blow their whistle for end of a half when the ball is in play? Am I right on this issue, or can a referee in fact signal the end of a half when the ball is out of play?
I’ve been researching this for a while because it would be helpful
to know the real ruling.

USSF answer (July 14, 2009):
While we cannot necessarily condone the referee’s allowing treatment on the field for a non-serious injury nor her not allowing additional time in the half (if there was still time left until the half truly ended), the whistle to signal the halftime break was probably okay. It is a practical way to let everyone involved in the game know that the half is indeed over.

Except for time running out before a penalty kick can be taken, there is no requirement in the Law that a period of play cannot be ended with the ball not in play. Although many referees will attempt to discover “added time” for such restarts as a corner kick, the fundamental point is that, when time is up (including allowances for time lost due to excessively delayed restarts), it’s up. End it.…

Guide to Procedures

USING THE NEW ASSISTANT REFEREE SIGNAL

July 9, 2009 by Jim Allen

Question:
Please clarify the new signal for the AR. As I understand it, the AR is to Hold the flag in both hands parallel with the ground if a foul is called by the referee and the referee is looking to the AR for guidance rather it occurred inside the penalty area or outside. If inside, the flag as mentioned above, if outside the flag down at the AR’s side.

If the AR calls the foul (inside the penalty area) the AR should raise the flag, give it a wave, then walk to the corner flag while making eye contact with the referee.

I was recently told that this was no longer the case, the AR would signal for the foul, then bring the flag down parallel to the ground as mentioned above.

USSF answer (July 9, 2009):
When the referee has signaled a direct free kick foul and makes obvious eye contact with the assistant referee for advice on whether the offense occurred inside the penalty area, the assistant referee’s signal to indicate that the offense was inside the penalty area is to display the flag across the lower body. The same signal is also used when the AR has indicated a direct free kick foul committed by a defender inside the defender’s penalty area. In a change from last year, the AR should insert the new flag signal (display the flag across the lower body) after waggling the flag to indicate the foul and before beginning to move down toward the goal line to take the position for the recommended penalty kick.

In addition, the responsibilities of the lead assistant referee for the taking of a penalty kick (as well as for kicks from the penalty mark to break a tie) will now clearly include assisting the referee in determining if a goal has been scored and for indicating if the goalkeeper has moved illegally AND IT MADE A DIFFERENCE. The signal to indicate this is the same as the signal described in the previous paragraph. Referees must be sure to discuss these changes regarding penalty kick and kicks from the mark situations in their pregame and to be very clear about the circumstances in which the signal for goalkeeper movement should be given.

This information will be included in the 2009/2010 edition of the Guide to Procedures for Referees, Assistant Referees and Fourth Officials.…

Law 18 - Common Sense

NOTIFYING REFEREE OF GOALKEEPER CHANGE

July 7, 2009 by Jim Allen

Question:
My basic assumption about this was challenged this weekend by a seasoned referee. I realize that the ref must be notified if another player already on the pitch changes places with the goalkeeper during the game, lest the ref caution each player at the next stoppage. I had always been led to believe that this same rule applied to coaches changing keepers during the halftime interval, that if the ref is not notified of the change, then the cautions apply. I was told I was wrong on my understanding and that cautions could only be issued if the change happened during the run of play, not during halftime.

Keep in mind that the majority of my games are youth games with open, unlimited substitution permitted and have always chosen to “remind” coaches of this if I noticed a goalkeeper change at halftime rather than issue cards. Nevertheless, should it be desireable for me to do so, could I caution both players involved in a GK change at halftime if I were not notified, or does this apply only to a GK changing places with a field player on the pitch during the run of play.

Thank you for you assistance.

USSF answer (July 7, 2009):
Although that is no longer in writing, the Federation still recommends that the referee be proactive in such cases and ask if there will be/have been any substitutions at the halftime break, particularly at the youth level. The Law itself now requires that the full substitution process be completed before the half begins or any period of extra time begins. See the Interpretations of the Laws of the Game and Guidelines for Referees at the back of the law book. The final bullet point applies here.

LAW 3 – THE NUMBER OF PLAYERS
Substitution Procedure
– A substitution may be made only during a stoppage in play
– The assistant referee signals that a substitution has been requested
– The player being substituted receives the referee’s permission to leave the field of play, unless he is already off the field of play for reasons that comply with the Laws of the Game
– The referee gives the substitute permission to enter the field of play
– Before entering the field of play, the substitute waits for the player he is replacing to leave the field
– The player being substituted is not obliged to leave the field of play on the halfway line
– Permission to proceed with a substitution may be refused under certain circumstances, e. g., if the substitute is not ready to enter the field of play
– A substitute who has not completed the substitution process by setting foot onto the field of play cannot restart play by taking a throw-in or corner kick
– If a player who is about to be replaced refuses to leave the field of play, play continues
– If a substitution is made during the half-time interval or before extra time, the process is to be completed before the second half or extra time kicks off.

…

Law 18 - Common Sense

REFEREE-ASSISTANT REFEREE COMMUNICATION

July 6, 2009 by Jim Allen

Question:
1. Is there a proper way as an AR to signal the center referee over?

2. When an AR feels a necessity for a player to become carded, what way is the AR suppose to let the center referee know?

USSF answer (July 6, 2009):
This is a matter to be discussed in the pregame conference. Normal procedure for dealing with situations of that nature are:
1. Stand at attention.
2. Stand at attention; when the referee looks over, indicate by patting the chest that a card is necessary.…

"Inventive" Refs

“FACTUAL DECISION” AND “TECHNICAL ERROR”

July 1, 2009 by Jim Allen

Question:
I was wondering if you knew the official definitions of the refereeing notions: “referee’s factual decision” and “referee’s technical error” as per the examples below:

“the factual decision taken by the referee has to be accepted, even if it is wrong.” http://www.uefa.com/uefa/news/kind=2/newsid=151.html

“taking into consideration that the referee in the match in question had indeed committed a technical error.” http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/germany2006/news/newsid=27212.html

USSF answer (July 1, 2009):
The Laws of the Game define “the factual decision” in this way (Law 5):
QUOTE
Decisions of the Referee
The decisions of the referee regarding facts connected with play, including whether or not a goal is scored and the result of the match, are final.

The referee may only change a decision on realizing that it is incorrect or, at his discretion, on the advice of an assistant referee, provided that he has not restarted play or terminated the match.
END OF QUOTE

and
“Decision 3
“Facts connected with play shall include whether a goal is scored or not and the result of the match.”

As pointed out in the UEFA decision, it makes no difference if the decision was correct or wrong, it was the decision and must therefore be respected as such.

A technical error occurs when the referee recognizes an infringement of the Laws but restarts the game in the wrong way (as in your example of the penalty kick in World Cup qualifying game). Such a decision is correctable by the competition authority.…

Interpretations/IFAB

SIGNALING A PENALTY KICK

June 29, 2009 by Jim Allen

Question:
What is the proper procedure for a referee to signal that it is OK for a player to take a penalty kick? The Laws of the Game say, “After the players have taken positions in accordance with this Law, the referee signals for the penalty kick to be taken,” but they don’t specify how the referee is to signal. It has always been my understanding that the referee is use his/her whistle to signal that it is OK for a player to take the penalty kick. However, in a game earlier this month, no referee’s whistle preceded the a penalty kick. When I subsequently asked the referee, he said that a recent FIFA (or maybe US Soccer) referee advisory indicated that no whistle was required. He said that after ascertaining that all players were in the proper position, he told the player who was taking the penalty kick to proceed when he (the player) was ready. I was unaware of that rule, and I thought that the goalkeeper was somewhat taken by surprise – although it probably wouldn’t have mattered because the penalty kick was very well struck. In any event, what is the rule?

USSF answer (June 29, 2009):
Some referees like to make up their own rules as they go along. Others are quite inventive and also make up their own sources of information. Such is the case with your referee.

Here is what it says in the Laws of the Game, under Interpretations of the Laws of the Game and Guidance for Referees (back of the book):

REFEREE SIGNALS
//snipped; not applicable here//

Use of whistle
The whistle is needed to:
* start play (1st, 2nd half), after a goal
* stop play
– for a free kick or penalty kick
– if match is suspended or abandoned
– when a period of play has ended due to the expiration of time
* restart play at
– free kicks when the wall is ordered back the appropriate distance
– penalty kicks
* restart play after it has been stopped due to:
– the issue of a yellow or red card for misconduct
– injury
– substitution

The whistle is NOT needed
* to stop play for:
– a goal kick, corner kick or throw-in
– a goal
* to restart play from
– a free kick, goal kick, corner kick, throw-in

The referee should NEVER advise a player at a restart to “Take the kick (or throw) when you are ready'”! What a can of worms that would open up.…

Law 12 - Fouls & Misconduct

HOLDING HANDS

June 28, 2009 by Jim Allen

Question:
ast weekend I was the CR for a U12G game at a local tournament and had a situation that I had never seen before. Early in the first half. Red player has the ball and is attacking. Blue defender is trying to stay between the red attacker and the goal.

The odd thing was that both the attacker and the defender had interlaced their fingers to get a grip on the other player. The attacker appeared to be trying to hold off the defender and the defender appeared to trying to move the attacker away from the goal.

I stopped play, warned both girls, and restarted with a dropped ball (closer to the red player that had had possession). My theory was that both girls were equally guilty of holding.

What should the call and the restart have been? Would your answer change if this happened in the blue defenders penalty area?

USSF answer (June 28, 2009):
Unless there is some way of determining which of these “lovebirds” started holding first, then your decision might be correct. However, a viable alternative to the dropped ball would be to wait until the outcome of the “mutual holding” becomes clear. The dropped ball is rarely a good solution for offsetting fouls.

Most important of all, please remember that in no case should the referee make a different call if this were to occur in the penalty area. We call a foul the same in all situations, no matter where it occurs on the field.…

Kicks from the Mark

COACH’S COMPLAINTS VS. REFEREE’S DERELICTION OF DUTY

June 25, 2009 by Jim Allen

Question:
In a penalty shoot out the referee places the ball for the first kick, blows the whistle, the kick is taken and saved. The field is muddied up and the penalty spot is not clearly marked. One coach complains that the ball was not placed in the correct position, the referee paces out and finds the correct spot is actually 1 yard closer to the goal. He makes the first kicker retake the kick. 1) Should the first kick have counted – if not what if the complaint about the ball position been made after, say, 3 kicks, would all 3 kicks have to be retaken. Perhaps the referee should have had the opposing player take from the incorrect spot to equalize the situation and then all other kicks should have been from the correct position.

My sons team lost on the penalty shoot out, it is too late now but I was curious what the correct decision should have been.

USSF answer (June 25, 2009):
The coach has no right to complain about the distance of the kick. But the referee bears the responsibility — under the Laws and in the spirit of the Game — to ensure that the distance is correct. Yes, the decision to retake the kick was correct, but it would not have been necessary if the referee had done his job correctly.…

Interpretations/IFAB

LEAVING THE FIELD OF PLAY AND OFFSIDE

June 25, 2009 by Jim Allen

Question:
Two players (attacker and defender) momentum take them both out off the field of play by the goal line about 5 yards from the goal. Just prior to going off the pitch, the attacker saves the ball from going out and passes it back to a teammate just inside the box.

The attacker that saves the ball and passes it back goes off the pitch and then comes back on the field in a matter of 1-2 seconds. In the process the teammate that received the pass shots wide and to the feet of the first attacker that just came back on the field. When the ball is struck, he is in front of the keeper and the defender that followed him off the pitch (the defender is still off the pitch when the ball is struck and also received by the attacker). The defending team claim it is offside because the defender was not on the field of play. Then they complained that the attacker didn’t get permission to enter the field of play. What should the call had been? Was I correct by not calling offside and that there was no need to ask to re-enter the field when your momentum takes you off the pitch. Thank you for your help.

USSF answer (June 25, 2009):
If a player accidentally crosses one of the boundary lines of the field of play, he is not deemed to have committed an infringement. Going off the field of play may be considered to be part of playing movement. Players who leave the field during the course of play are permitted to return without the permission of the referee and play the ball.

A recent change to the Laws of the Game (see Interpretations and Guidance for Referees, Laws 2008/2009) makes it clear that “Any defending player leaving the field of play for any reason without the referee’s permission shall be construed to be on his own goal line or touch line for the purposes of offside until the next stoppage of play. If the player leaves the field of play deliberately, he must be cautioned when the ball is next out of play.” You will also find this change in the Memorandum 2008, available through the referee page at the ussoccer.com website:

“USSF Advice to Referees: The new text more explicitly describes how referees are to consider the location of a defender off the field when deciding if an attacker is or is not in an offside position. A defender who is off the field with the referee’s permission (and thus cannot freely return to the field) is not included in determining where the last and second to last defenders are located. A defender whose position off the field was not with the permission of or at the direction of the referee is deemed to be on the goal line or touch line closest to where the defender left the field and must therefore be considered as though still on the field. Furthermore, if the departure from the field is “deliberate,” (i.e., other than during the normal course of play), the defender is to be cautioned for the misconduct.”

So, yes, your decision was correct. Well done!…

Law 12 - Fouls & Misconduct

PROCEDURE AT SECOND CAUTION

June 24, 2009 by Jim Allen

Question:
Question involves procedure for issuing a red card when 2 yellows are given. Incident as follows: a reckless tackle deserving of a caution. As the yellow card is shown, the culprit jumps up, gets in the face of the referee and will not stop criticizing the call. The referee decides this dissent warrants another caution and the subsequent red card. I believe it is USSF policy not to show the second yellow but to go straight to the red. Is this true or do we show the second yellow and then the red?

USSF answer (June 24, 2009):
Correct procedure is to show the second yellow card for the cautionable offense, immediately followed by the red card for the send-off for receiving a second caution in the same match.

A cautionary note: Because a second caution will result in the player being sent off, the second caution should be given when, in the opinion of the referee, it is truly a cautionable offense (in other words, you would have given a first caution for the misconduct) and the misconduct clearly continues a pattern of behavior of that player despite the prior notice of the first caution that a continuation would result in the player being sent from the field. In circumstances where the behavior of the player does not represent such a continuation, the referee should attempt to manage the player using other techniques short of a caution.…