Guide to Procedures

TRAINING FOR REFEREES AND COVERING OFFSIDE

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Question:
i wish to know the best training practices for referees and how to best judge whether in line with the last but one defender

USSF answer (August 17, 2009):
Think of referee training as similar to the musician who wants to get to Carnegie Hall — practice, practice, practice.  The best practice is “guided” and so the answer is to hook up with an experienced, reliable referee who can provide quick feedback.

A brief guide can be found in the U. S. Soccer Federation’s “Guide to Procedures for Referees, Assistant Referees, and Fourth Officials.” This book is available from the U. S. Soccer Shop or from your state referee authorities.…

"Inventive" Refs

DETERMINING INVOLVEMENT FOR OFFSIDE

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Question:
This question concerns becoming involved in play in determining an offside infraction:

U15 boys game, attacking team is highly skilled. A pass is made by an attacking player to a team mate in the offside position. The ball actually passes between the legs of the offside player who turned toward the ball as it passed. The AR determined that a ball that close to a skilled player caused the player to be involved in the play, although he did not in fact touch the ball before it was touched by a team mate who came to the ball from an on-side position, and signified the offside infraction. Whether the player in the offside position misplayed the ball by being nutmegged by his team mate or whether he intentional dummied the ball is speculation. Had this been a ball played to open space with both an offside an onside player going for the ball, then clearly when the onside player first touched the ball no infraction would have occurred. Is it however reasonable for a referee to be of the opinion that this player was involved in play and be guilty of the offside infraction in this situation?

USSF answer (August 17, 2009):
If the player in the offside position did not interfere with the ability of an opponent to play or see the ball and did not draw undue attention from an opponent, then that player has not become involved in play. In that case, the assistant referee should have kept the flag down, and the referee should not have called offside. We recommend that the AR wait and see what happens.…

Law 4 - Equipment

STOCKINGS AND ANKLE TAPE

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Question:
I have a quick question regarding Stockings and ankle tapes.
http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/affederation/bodies/01/02/18/76/2009-12-ifabagenda2009-e.pdf
Point 3, Law 4.

German DFB has this as a rule that the ankle tape over 1-2cm has to be the same color than the stocking. Yet I don’t see this on any FA player.

Can anyone clarify this, maybe with a link to the IFAB’s decision regarding this?

USSF answer (August 17, 2009):
The item in the IFAB agenda regarding stockings and ankle tapes was simply a proposal by the Scottish Football Association for a change in Law 4. The proposal was not accepted and thus the Law was not changed to include it.

The German Football Federation (DFB) has made its own ruling on ankle tape. This does not apply to other countries nor to international games played in Germany.…

"Inventive" Refs

MISCONDUCT BY REFEREE

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Question:
I’m an assistant coach of a U14 girls team and was put into a situation on the weekend. During a game on the weekend, one of our girls was chopped down from behind on a breakaway and there was no call from the ref. My coach and I as well as our parents all let out a “Come On”. The ref stopped the game and came over to the coach asking him why he yelled at him. Our coach calmly told him that he thought there should have been a call. The ref asked him if he would like to ref the game and he said No. The ref left and the game continued.

After the game, the ref quickly removed his shirt and proceeded to strut around without his shirt on in front of the girls. He came over to our bench and asked if we got our player cards (which we did) and our coach asked if he had everything he needed. The ref got very defensive and was up in our coaches face asking “What do you mean?” Our coach said “I just asked if you had everything?” and this ref wouldn’t let up asking him “I don’t get what you mean?” He was looking to get something started. Our coach walked away from the incident. About 5 minutes later, this ref called me over (again without his shirt on) and questioned me “How would you feel if during the game I yelled at you and your players?” At this point he was 2 inches from my face (I’m a female approx 5’4) I stepped back and told him that it wasn’t his job and proceeded to walk away. He kept yelling things at me as I kept walking. This ref was desperately trying to stir something up and the look in his eyes terrified me.

What is the best thing to do at this point? You hear about abusive coaches towards refs, but what about abusive refs towards coaches?

Also, the fact that he was half naked walking around 14 year old girls, disturbs me as well.

USSF answer (August 17, 2009):
If this incident were to have occurred in the United States, rather than in your country, the team would be able to file a report under U. S. Soccer Federation policy, viz., Policy 531-10 Misconduct of Game Officials. Surely there are similar procedures to be followed in your country. To save some time, we will forward your question to the appropriate person in your country.…

Law 18 - Common Sense

MISCONDUCT REPORTS

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Question:
On USSF sanctioned games, does the referee have to fill out a sent off report? If so, please direct me as where does it say we have to do this. I realize that state organization may require it (you have to have your head examined by not doing it) but we are experiencing huge problems here in [my state] with useless sent off reports and lack of accountability of leagues not wanting to even see the 24 hour report.

As always thanks for your time.

USSF answer (August 17, 2009):
Law 5 requires the referee to report (without designating the recipient — stating only “the appropriate authorities”) any disciplinary action (cards) taken against players or team officials (dismissing from the field) “and any other incidents … Before, during or after the match.”

Misconduct reports must be filed on all matches affiliated with the U. S. Soccer Federation. See the USSF Referee Administrative Handbook (RAH), pp. 48-49. This includes cases of referee assault and abuse (see RAH, Policy 531-9, pp. 7-9). The topic is also covered in other sections of the RAH.…

Law 12 - Fouls & Misconduct

INCIDENT AUGUST 8 2009 NE REVOLUTION VS LA GALAXY

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Question:
This is a query about a basic refereeing incident that I had hoped would be highlighted in your excellent Week in Review series (but unfortunately was not mentioned in Week 20).

I was one of the 26,000+ people at the Gillette Stadium watching the New England Revolution vs Los Angeles Galaxy match on Sat August 8 2009.

In the second half, an LA Galaxy player appeared to have an injury to his face region and went to ground but play continued. Eventually, with the ball still in play, the referee (Jorge Gonzalez) whistled for stoppage. But at the restart, another LA Galaxy player (David Beckham, no less) took a direct free kick. This was a bizarre incident. As referees well know, the proper restart should have been a drop ball. Also, the ball was not purposely kicked out at the touchline, otherwise the restart would have been a throw-in (which BTW was another refereeing incident that was excellently highlighted in your Week in Review – Week 15 item Injury Leading to a Throw-In: Law 15). I am puzzled by this bizarre incident.

Can you please officially reply to my query, and/or better still also post a constructive comment on your excellent US Soccer Referee website about this incident.

Please keep up the great work; your efforts are deeply appreciated not just domestically but also all around the world!

USSF answer (August 15, 2009):
We are happy to send along this explanation to our visitor. And thank you for the compliment on our website.

At 46:00, there are two back-to-back challenges in the center circle. In the first challenge, the Galaxy player goes down from a challenge the referee judges as fair. The ball then goes to Donovan, who is fouled, and the referee immediately and correctly calls the foul. There is some minimal and unintentional contact made with Donovan’s face and he holds it on the ground but gets up without complaining. However, the referee does everything correctly. He stops the game for a foul and restarts it with a Galaxy free kick as it was the Galaxy who were fouled.

This is the closest to the situation questioned and it is handled correctly by the match officials.…

Law 1 - The Field

GOAL NETTING, ETC.

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Question:
I have been looking on the internet about soccer goals and the rules about other netting with posts sticking out of the ground and the posts and netting is in the goals is there some kind of rule that says that where there is a goal you have to have so many feet away from a goal for clearance do you understand what I am trying to say???

USSF answer (August 14, 2009):
We are not entirely certain that we understand your question, but here is what the Laws of the Game, the rules we play by, call for. Law 1 (The Field of Play) tells us:

Goals
A goal must be placed on the center of each goal line.
A goal consists of two upright posts equidistant from the corner flagposts and joined at the top by a horizontal crossbar. The goalposts and crossbar must be made of wood, metal or other approved material. They may be square, rectangular, round or elliptical in shape and must not be dangerous to players.

The distance between the posts is 7.32 m (8 yds) and the distance from the lower edge of the crossbar to the ground is 2.44 m (8 ft).

Both goalposts and the crossbar have the same width and depth, which do not exceed 12 cm (5 ins). The goal lines must be of the same width as the goalposts and the crossbar. Nets may be attached to the goals and the ground behind the goal, provided that they are properly supported and do not interfere with the goalkeeper.
The goalposts and crossbars must be white.

Safety
Goals must be anchored securely to the ground. Portable goals may only be used if they satisfy this requirement.

The Law does not require netting on the goals. The net is something required by the rules of the competition (league, tournament, etc.).

Other than the corner flag posts (and the optional posts 1 yard/meter from the halfway line, no other posts are allowed anywhere near the field and certainly no netting would be allowed anywhere but on the goals themselves.

If you are asking how far back from the goal frame the netting must be secured — whether “staked back” or hung on a frame, the answer is the same — there is nothing in the Laws of the Game about any of this. The primary emphasis in dealing with equipment the referee finds at any given field is on the safety of that equipment.…

Law 11 - Offside

JUDGING OFFSIDE POSITION WHEN A PLAYER LEAVES THE FIELD

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Question:
In connection with Memorandum 2009 on www.ussoccer.com Law 11, where should an assistant referee stand in order to judge the offside position if a defending player leaves the field of play over the touch line on the opposite side of the assistant referee (the AR can not know what is the place where the defender left the field)?

USSF answer (August 13, 2009):
Memorandum 2009’s treatment of Law 11 (Offside) has been updated in a position paper published August 12, 2009:

QUOTE

Subject: When Defenders Leave the Field

Date: August 12, 2009

A more definitive interpretation of Law 11 (Offside) was circulated this year by the International Board as part of its annual notice of Law changes and clarifications. This has led to some discussion among referees, players, and coaches regarding how this interpretation should be implemented in different game situations involving a defender leaving the field during play across the goal line or touch line. The following scenarios should be considered:

– During the normal course of play. The critical issue is whether, in the opinion of the referee, the defender’s action was a normal part of play. For example, the defender left briefly to get around an opponent or the defender’s momentum necessarily resulted in crossing the goal line or touchline. In this case, no violation has occurred and the defender is expected to return to the field without undue delay. The permission of the referee is not required.

– Attempting to create an offside situation. If, in the opinion of the referee, the defender left the field with the intention of placing an attacker in an apparent offside position (by changing the determination of which teammates are the last and second to last defenders), this is a violation of the Law and a form of misconduct (leaving the field without the permission of the referee). However, play should normally be allowed to continue but the defender off the field is considered to be on the closest point of the boundary line for purposes of determining an attacker’s offside position. Thus, if the defender on the field closest to the goal line is the goalkeeper standing a few feet from the goal line and the defender left the field across the goal line, that defender is, in effect, considered to be on the goal line as the last defender and the goalkeeper has become the second to last defender.

– Misconduct. When a defender has committed misconduct by leaving the field in an attempt to place an attacker in an offside position, the referee’s normal course of action is to allow play to continue but to caution the defender when the ball goes next out of play. However, it is not necessary to wait for the ball to leave the field. The next stoppage of play could occur in a number of ways – a foul or a serious injury or the expiration of time, for example. The referee could also whistle to stop play solely because the attacking team no longer controls the ball (e.g., a shot on goal by the attacker is saved and held by the goalkeeper). In this case, the stoppage is due solely to misconduct by a player off the field: after showing the yellow card, the restart would be an indirect free kick for the opposing team where the ball was when play was stopped by the referee.

We believe that this position paper will resolve many questions for referees and ARs. As to what the AR should do, we recommend that the assistant referee continue to remain even with the second-to-last defender or the ball, whichever is nearer to the goal.  The only thing that changes when a defender leaves the field is the determination as to WHICH defender is second to last.  If the defender left the field farther away from the goal than the second-to-last defender, then the defender off the field is not taken into account at all, either in determining the second-to-last defender or in where the AR should be.…

Law 12 - Fouls & Misconduct

SAVING FALLEN COMRADES (REDUX)

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Question:
I pose this question only to test the limits of your imagination and wisdom (which always impresses me).

The goalkeeper runs into a goalpost and falls unnoticed by the referees. The ball comes rolling toward the open goal when the last defender grabs the hands of the unresponsive goalie and stops the ball
– puppeteer-like.

Is this handling by the defender and thus a red card incident?

USSF answer (August 12, 2009):
Please see our answer of August 11, 2009, on a similar topic. This would not be a case of deliberate handling by the ingenious last defender, but it would certainly be unsporting behavior, punishable by a caution and an indirect free kick for the opposing team from the place where the misconduct occurred. It also meets the requirements for a send-off for denying the opposing team a goal or a goalscoring opportunity through an act punishable by a free kick.

Of course, there is always the alternative for the intelligent and proactive referee, who, before the defender’s act, sees that the goalkeeper’s injury was obviously serious (though unnoticed earlier) and stops play. In such a case, with the mental decision by the referee predating this curious behavior, play would be stopped (for the injury) before all this foolishness occurs. Some harm, no foul, no outrage from either team.…

Ball in Play

PLAYING THE BALL OFF THE FIELD

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Question:
Can a player in the game be standing out of bounds then run over jump up and head a ball that is in the air but over the side line, with out stepping in before making contact with the ball.

USSF answer (August 11, 2009):
Assuming the ball had not left the field by crossing entirely over the touch line when the player headed the ball and that the player in question was not off the field with the permission or at the order of the referee, it doesn’t matter if that player at the time was partially or even entirely off the field.  While players are expected to be on and to remain on the field during play, the Law allows a player to leave the field briefly if this is done “in the course of play.”

If the ball left the field of play before being headed by the player, then the continued play must be ignored because play is considered stopped whenever the ball leaves the field.  If the player who headed the ball was off the field with the permission or at the order of the referee, then the player must be considered to have re-entered the field illegally (i. e., without permission) — play is stopped, the player is cautioned, and the match restarted with an indirect free kick for the opposing team where the ball was when play was stopped.  These responses would be the case whether the player headed the ball or played it in any other way.…