Category: Procedure-Ref

Procedure-Ref

"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 18 - Common Sense

WHEN IN DOUBT, GO WITH YOUR GUT!

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Question:
I was the Referee for a U-17 F Premier game this weekend. I made a call for a corner kick on the same side as AR1 but on the far end of his side ( he was a good 60-70 yards away ). I was on top of the play and only 15 yards or so from the corner flag. AR1 raised his flag and proceeded to tell me that the call should be for a goal kick. I didn’t concur. However, the AR1 has quite a bit of officiating experience (many more years than me) and holds a prominent and longstanding position with our local association, but I have been playing for all my life with NCAA Division 1 playing experience, Nationally licensed coaching experience at a high level and, what I believe, excellent judgment as a referee.

I changed my decision and awarded a goal kick. I immediately regretted that and the coaches began to harass me about the change. At the conclusion of the game, the AR1 said we did the right thing by making sure the call was the right call. I didn’t argue but felt that my initial call was the right call.
What is your suggestion on how I should have handled this situation?

USSF answer (September 15, 2008):
As the referee, you are in charge of the team of officials. It means little that the AR may have considerable experience and makes even less difference that he holds office in your local association. The AR’s job is to give you the best information he or she can, but to remember that the final decision is yours. Your job is to make that decision and stick with it.

If you feel you were pressured into taking the AR’s information as the ultimate word, then you might consider taking appropriate measures. No one should use his or her political position to gain his or her way — or do we learn about doing that sort of thing from the professional politicians?…

Law 12 - Fouls & Misconduct

PERSONAL, PUBLIC, PROVOCATIVE = MISCONDUCT

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Question:
I have two different variations of the same question that occurred this weekend in a U16 boys match:

1. My AR was standing near the center line and heard a player on the bench farther away from him say “[CENSORED]” after his team scored a goal. Is the proper response that he brings it to my (center) attention before restart and if he knows which player it is I red card the player for Violent Conduct or offensive language?
2. Same as above but it is the opposing coach who hears the same words and reports to the AR closest to him what was said and by whom?

USSF answer (September 15, 2008):
1. When deciding what to do about either dissent or the use of offensive or insulting or abusive language and/or gestures, the referee must analyze the situation and apply The Three Ps. Was the language Personal? (I. e., directed at someone in particular.) Was the language Public? (I. e., was it loud enough to be heard by others on the field and in its vicinity?) Was the language Provocative? (I. e., could it have led to player management problems involving the other team.) If the answer to these questions is yes, then the matter must be dealt with by the referee and the nearest official to the referee must make sure that he or she learns of it as quickly as possible. (Violent conduct would not apply to either of your situations.)

In this particular case, if the AR can reliably identify the “player” in the bench area who would have to be sent off for using offensive or insulting or abusive language and/or gestures and shown the red card, with full details included in the referee’s match report.

2. The referee cannot take any action (except perhaps a general “talking to” in the direction of the bench) based solely on the word of anyone other than a member of the officiating team.…

Interpretations/IFAB

WRESTLING WITH CHANGES IN THE LAWS

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Question:
Obviously some things have changed in the last year concerning misconduct (violent conduct) by players on and off the field. Would you please correct or clarify two examples that may have changed and what the correct restart (and by whom) should be:

1. The classic example of the goalkeeper that steps into the goal and over the goal line while the ball is in play to strike an opponent who is caught in the goal net due to momentum. The previous restart would have been a dropped ball. It seems the new restart is now an indirect free kick at the point of the ball. Correct?

2. A player on the field of play is guilty of violent conduct while the ball is in play against a substitute or substituted player. I find an answer (AIG 08; FIFA LOTG 2009) as an indirect free kick… but for whom? Chronologically the substitute or substituted player has entered the field of play illegally (caution; unsporting conduct) before the player misconduct which would be an indirect free kick for (and sent off) for violent conduct with and indirect free kick awarded to the opposing team. Pulled in both directions.

USSF answer (September 15, 2008):
Considering the amendments to and revision of the Laws of the Game for 2008/2009, you may have a point here.

In the first scenario, the IFAB has now made it clear that referees have to decide if the player left the field for the purpose of committing the misconduct or whether the player left the field (or was ordered off — blood, equipment — or was given permission to be off) for some other reason and happened to commit misconduct while off the field. Indirect free kick for the former, dropped ball for the latter.

In the second scenario, the change in emphasis occurred at the same time as the change in restart. After declaring that the restart for an illegal entry by a substitute or substituted player was indirect free kick rather than dropped ball, the Board made it clear that restarting for the illegal entry was the referee’s only choice — i. e., it didn’t matter what the substitute/substituted player did while on the field illegally or what a player did to the substitute or substituted player who was on the field illegally, the restart would still be the indirect free kick for the illegal entry.…

Law 5 - Referee

RULES FOR THE PREGAME CONFERENCE

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Question:
Yes, I have been a ref since I was 16. I am 25 now. I have just started to get more serious about being an official. I know that having a good pregame speech is a good indicator of how seriously you take your job as an official. I would like to have a pre-packaged speech before a game to give to both my assistants & the coach/captains. What I am asking is for an example of what to say.?.?

USSF answer (September 15, 2008):
Whoa! The referee should NEVER — let us emphasize it — NEVER, give a speech of any sort to the coaches and captains of the teams whom he or she is refereeing. Doing so only invites later criticism and shouts of anger when the “promises” made in the speech are not kept — not unlike our general run of politicians, who rarely deliver what they promise. Giving a speech to the players and coaches is simply pouring fuel on a fire that might not be extinguishable.

Nor should the referee have a long and fully packaged pregame conference for every occasion. There are too many variables, such as the experience of the referee, the assistant referees, the fourth official (if you are so lucky as to have one), the experience and skill levels of the players, the importance of the game, and many other factors.

In general, the referee should be certain that the ARs are familiar with and ready to practice the information contained in the USSF publication “Guide to Procedures for Referees, Assistant Referees and Fourth Officials.” Then the referee should give his/her fellow officials guidance on what is expected of them in field coverage and signals for various special situations.

Examples:
1. Make eye contact with me at every through ball and at every stoppage.
2. Flag only for infringements that I cannot see; do not flag if it is clear that I can see it and have chosen not to call it.
3. Keep your signals simple, using only the signals authorized in the Laws of the Game. If something unusual occurs, for example, (whatever it happens to be), let us agree on this unofficial signal (whatever it happens to be).
4, If I miss your flag, keep it up for only a short time and then drop it. Leave it up only for serious fouls and misconduct.
5. Keep an eye out for signals by the other AR (or the fourth official) and alert me if I am missing something.

Go into great detail only on things that are unique to the particular competition, which may have rules different from the Laws of the Game.

You also need to remember that the pregame is a CONFERENCE, not a speech.  The days when the referee “lectured” the lowly subservient assistants on “the way things are going to be” are long gone — thank goodness.  The pregame is a discussion among equals, of whom the referee is the designated leader, not the dictator.  “Discussion” means that communication is two-way — the referee should be listening for important information from the appointed assistants, one or both of whom might know something the referee does not, may be more experienced, and may have officiated one or both of the teams before.  The participants in this pregame conference need to agree on their respective roles and responsibilities.  Only when there is not agreement does the referee decide what he wants for this specific game — remembering that the roles may be reversed in the next game.…

Law 12 - Fouls & Misconduct

PREVENT PROBLEMS: CONTROL YOUR MOUTH

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Question:
I have a question.. if a player questions the Center ref’s call is that grounds for a Red Card?

What are the grounds for a red card to a player?

Situation:
Ref calls a foul!
Player: “What kind of call was that?”
Ref: “Who are you to ask me what kind of call?!” Gives the Player U16 a yellow card.
Player~ walks away
Ref: yells You don’t walk away from me!
Player: yells give the yellow card then!
Ref: you don’t talk to me like that!  Gives 2nd yellow card then pulls out red card and kicks U16 player off field.

Please advise.

USSF answer (September 11, 2008):
The Law is very clear on what is cautionable and what constitutes a sending-off offense. The player would appear to have expressed dissent from the referee’s original decision and then dissented again, a second cautionable offense in the same game, for which he/she must be cautioned a second time and then sent off and shown the red card. Here are the reasons, excerpted directly from Law 12 (Fouls and Misconduct):

Disciplinary Sanctions
The yellow card is used to communicate that a player, substitute or substituted player has been cautioned.

The red card is used to communicate that a player, substitute or substituted player has been sent off.

Only a player, substitute or substituted player may be shown the red or yellow card.

The referee has the authority to take disciplinary sanctions, as from the moment he enters the field of play until he leaves the field of play after the final whistle.

A player who commits a cautionable or sending-off offense, either on or off the field of play, whether directed towards an opponent, a teammate, the referee, an assistant referee or any other person, is disciplined according to the nature of the offense committed.

Cautionable Offenses
A player is cautioned and shown the yellow card if he commits any of the following seven offenses:
1. unsporting behavior
2. dissent by word or action
3. persistent infringement of the Laws of the Game
4. delaying the restart of play
5. failure to respect the required distance when play is restarted with a corner kick, free kick or throw-in
6. entering or re-entering the field of play without the referee’s permission
7. deliberately leaving the field of play without the referee’s permission

A substitute or substituted player is cautioned and shown the yellow card if he commits any of the following three offenses:
1. unsporting behavior
2. dissent by word or action
3. delaying the restart of play

Sending-Off Offenses
A player, substitute or substituted player is sent off if he commits any of the following seven offenses:
1. serious foul play
2. violent conduct
3. spitting at an opponent or any other person
4. denying the opposing team a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball (this does not apply to a goalkeeper within his own penalty area)
5. denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity to an opponent moving towards the player’s goal by an offense punishable by a free kick or penalty kick
or a penalty kick
6. using offensive or insulting or abusive language and/or gestures
7. receiving a second caution in the same match

A player, substitute or substituted player who has been sent off must leave the vicinity of the field of play and the technical area.

Of course the referee could easily have prevented the second caution and the send-off by simply not asking the player an inflammatory question.…

"Inventive" Refs

VERBAL THREATS

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Question:
A case recently happened in one of my U19 games that I was playing in. In the 7th minute of play, one of my teammates was sent off for “making verbal threats to an opponent on the field” after telling an opposing player “don’t you dare go after my player #29”. I myself am a certified referee and looked through every single book I had and I could not find any ruling as far as how supposed “threats” were handled. The closest othing I could find for a send-off offense would be what was considered abusive language. However, I explictily remember during my recertification course that my instructor told us that you cannot give cards for threats and you must duly make a note of the player number and make sure that player stays under control. Is it possible or even legal for the referee to send off a player for making a verbal threat?

USSF answer (September 8, 2008):
Verbal threats are remarks that carry the implied or direct threat of physical harm. Such remarks as “I’ll get you after the game” or “You won’t get out of here in one piece” shall be deemed abuse.

This answer paraphrases an answer of April 1, 2002, which dealt specifically with the verbal abuse of referees by players. The principles expressed there are equally applicable to interactions between players.

The use of offensive or insulting or abusive language and/or gestures is punishable by a dismissal and red card. Offensive or insulting or abusive language and/or gestures that threaten physical harm are a step up and involve misconduct plus a threat.  Behavior that involves “threats” pushes the act to the level of abuse and can carry not only a red card penalty but additional sanctions if the state association so chooses.

So, yes, the offensive or insulting or abusive language and/or gestures could be construed as abuse, most especially if it is ongoing — more than just a word in the heat of anger. If there is a clear indication that some physical punishment will be extracted, even though there is never any explicit threat of physical harm (“Don’t you dare go after my player, #29!”, and on and on as an example), it could be considered to be abusive. In this instance, the key is whether or not it is ongoing or is a single word or phrase in the heat of the game. For the single word or phrase (depending on the circumstances) the caution or sending-off option is available; for a tirade or series that is ongoing, the situation clearly constitutes an instance of threat and abuse.

You might suggest that your instructor review this message.…

Disciplinary Matters

ATTACKING THE REFEREE

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Question:
What should the penalty be for a player and or their team for striking the referee after a game was over? A review of incident shows several players chasing the referee and one of them hits the offical with a jersey.

USSF answer (September 4, 2008):
The punishment for this serious misconduct would be up to the competition authority. If the referee was still on the field, he or she could show the red card for violent conduct, but that doesn’t sound like a viable action in this situation. The best thing would be for the referee to include full details — as many as he or she could remember — in the match report. And if there is a video, the referee should also send a COPY of the video along with the report.

In addition, the referee should pursue remedies through his/her state or regional referee associations. If the referee was actually struck, there are civil and criminal remedies available.…

Coach

COACHING ILLEGAL GAMESMANSHIP

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Question:
I have a question about a restart off a free kick.

Recently, I was coaching a game and a young referee called a hand ball right outside the penalty area. My players lined up a wall right behind the ball so the other team could not take a quick free kick. The referee was moving back the wall when the other team set the ball and scored while the referee was moving back the wall. I quickly yelled and protested to the referee that a whistle was needed because he was moving the wall. He agreed and a re-kick was ordered and the other team did not score. The opposing coach protested saying a whistle was not needed.

USSF answer (September 4, 2008):
Let’s do a little analysis here on the true state of the situation that concerns you.

First, if your team actually “lined up a wall right behind the ball so the other team could not take a quick free kick,” this is a blatant violation of both the spirit and the letter of the Laws of the Game. The referee should immediately have indicated that the restart could not occur, cautioned one of your players, advised the other players to quickly retreat to the required minimum distance, and then signaled for the restart. There would then have been no question that the kick could not be taken until the referee signaled — your team would have (as it did) successfully prevented a quick restart, but it would have paid at least some price for this obvious misconduct.

Second, assuming the referee failed to understand the need to deal with the misconduct and proceeded to move the wall back, the attacking team was still free to take an quick kick because they had not been ordered by the referee to wait. Clearly, the referee was distracting the opponents but, frankly, this was their own fault. None of this would have happened had they not violated the Law by being closer than the minimum distance. In short, what the referee did was bad mechanics but not a violation of the Laws of the Game.

Lessons to be learned from this:
The defending team has only one right at a restart, not to be distracted by the referee. They have no right to form a wall nor to prevent the opponents from taking a position anywhere on the field. In this case, you are correct about the referee: Because he was pushing your team back, this required a clear indication to the kicking team to wait for his whistle to restart. The referee should have called the kick back and had it retaken, but the referee should have been astute enough to notice that the kicking team wanted to take a quick free kick. That would have solved every problem.

If your team insists on engaging in illegal gamesmanship, they must be prepared to assume the consequences, regardless of whether the referee uses recommended mechanics or not.
Who is correct? What is the correct ruling?…

Law 14 - Penalty Kick

COMMUNICATE!!! WITH YOUR ASSISTANT REFEREES

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Question:
Near the end of the first half, an attacker with the ball is clearly tackled from behind in the penalty area. However the referee is screened at that moment and thinks the attacker merely tripped, so there is no whistle. The AR, who has a good view of the play, pops his flag, but the ball is immediately booted upfield and the CR turns to follow the play and never sees the flag, which continues to be raised.

Seconds later, the CR blows the whistle for half-time. At that point he sees the AR with flag raised and consults with him. He accepts the AR’s view that there was a trip but says that because the whistle has been blown to end the half, there can be no penalty kick.

He does card the defender who tackled from behind however.

Is this ruling correct?

(Note: it might have helped if the second AR had mirrored the flag but unfortunately that did not happen.)

USSF answer (September 2, 2008):
Whenever the assistant referee signals for a foul and the signal is not seen immediately and play continues for several seconds, the restart, when taken, must be in accordance with the Laws (free kick, penalty kick, etc.). In this situation play had not stopped and been restarted since the flag was raised, so, when the referee acknowledges the flag and accepts the assistant referee’s information, the correct thing to do is to send off or caution (as appropriate to the act) the player involved and restart with the penalty kick.

In addition, the assistant referee should maintain a signal if a serious foul or misconduct is committed out of the referee’s sight or when a goal has been scored illegally. This and the original situation (above) should be covered by the referee during the pregame conference with the assistant referees.…