Question:
I’ve been questioned for advice by a junior referee on the following situation:
Referee whistles a foul that would call for an IFK restart. However referee fails to signal IFK, kick is taken, and the ball travels directly into the3 opponent’s goal.
What is the current consensus on the referee’s next action? Restart? (Retake, Goal-Kick, or Center-Kick?)
Answer (July 9, 2007):
The Questions and Answers 2006 tells us:
6. An indirect free kick is awarded to the attacking team outside the opponents’ penalty area. The referee fails to raise his arm to indicate that the kick is indirect and the ball is kicked directly into the goal. What action does the referee take?
He has the free kick retaken because of the referee’s mistake. The initial indirect free kick, is not nullified by the referee’s mistake.
7. A player takes a quick free kick and the ball goes into goal. The referee has not had the opportunity to indicate that the free kick was indirect. What action should the referee take?
Order the kick to be retaken as the original offence only merited an indirect free kick but the referee did not have the opportunity to give the recognized signal.
This information is repeated in the Laws of the Game 2007, under Additional Instructions and Guidelines for Referees:
LAW 13 – FREE KICKS
Procedure
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An indirect free kick should be retaken if the referee fails to raise his arm to indicate that the kick is indirect and the ball is kicked directly into the goal. The initial indirect free kick is not nullified by the referee’s mistake.
