Question:
Situation- the keeper comes out of the penalty area prior to releasing the ball from his hands. The AR & Center Referee Both signal a foul- the Center Referee signals a indirect free kick which a attacking players puts the ball into play & another attacker shoots the ball into the net. This is a direct kick violation however the defending coach complians that it confused his players. What is the correct action after this takes place?
USSF answer (February 2, 2009):
While we could understand the coach’s complaint if the ball had gone into the goal after touching one of his players, that did not happen here and no harm has come from the referee’s error. It’s a nice talking point for referee discussions and for complaining coaches, but worth considering only if the ball was actually played by or made contact with one of the defending team. Now, if the offense had been an indirect free kick offense and the referee signaled for a direct free kick and the ball went in directly, that would be a different matter, one which required a retake of the kick.
