Question:
I need some advice on a U10 girls game I was refereeing yesterday.

There was a direct free kick for White just outside Blue˙s penalty area. Blue setup for the kick without a wall and with just the goalkeeper inside the penalty box. There were two White players closer to the goal than the ball but not behind the Blue Goalkeeper.

If I understand Rule 11 correctly, when the ball is kicked by White, if neither White player touches the ball or is involved in the play there is no offside penalty called. If either White player touch the ball or are involved in the play there would be an offside penalty called. If the ball bounces off the Blue goalkeeper and either White player touch the ball an offside penalty would be called.

First, please let me know if I am interpreting Rule 11 correctly.

Second, would an Indirect Free Kick be judged any differently?

Third, is it valid for Blue to set up this way forcing White to stand behind the second to last player?

USSF answer (April 14, 2008):
You are correct. It is perfectly legal for players to be in the offside position, even when their teammates play the ball, as long as they do not become actively involved in the play by interfering with an opponent, interfering with play, or gaining an advantage because of their position. If they do become actively involved, then they may be judged to be offside.

Offside may occur at any free kick, whether direct or indirect. And the intelligent referee will remember that interfering with play is not limited to touching the ball. Too many referees seem to become wound up with the “got-to-touch-the-ball” idea.…

Question:
I recently officiated an Adult Men’s League game from my area in which a player received a red card for foul or abusive language toward the referee. When I was leaving I noticed the referee that had given the red card was not going to write a supplemental explaining the circumstances in which the card was given. I told him that when giving a red card in a USSF sanctioned game, a supplemental report was required. Another referee, who was on the game, said that in the USSF match report the type of misconduct was on the report itself, and the supplemental was only for “unusual circumstances”. I continue to disagree. Could you please inform me of the proper time to use a supplemental report?

USSF answer (April 10, 2008):
Much depends on the level of the match. For most youth/recreational matches, referees don’t even use the “official” USSF report form, much less the supplemental form. Same at the senior amateur level below Premiere. You start seeing official USSF forms being used in matches that are directly sanctioned by USSF (e. g., the new national youth academy league) or by sanctioned regional cup matches on up.

We suggest you become familiar with this recent position paper from USSF, issued April 7, 2008:

From the U.S. Soccer Communications Center:

To: National Referees
National Instructors
National Assessors
State Referee Administrators
State Directors of Instruction
State Directors of Assessment
 
From:  Alfred Kleinaitis
Manager of Referee Development and Education

Subject:  Match Reports Involving Discipline

Date:  April 7, 2008

A Circular (No. 1137) recently received from FIFA’s General Secretary emphasized the importance of referee match reports in properly evaluating acts of misconduct for any further response by FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee. The issues raised by the Circular are equally important for the professional leagues, high level youth and amateur leagues, and major tournaments in this country. The same concerns are also felt in the regional and state associations.

Although all aspects of the referee’s match report must meet high standards of clarity, accuracy, brevity, and pertinence, those sections involving misconduct require special attention, and reporting on acts of misconduct leading to a send off merit the highest concern. The need for effective match reporting starts at the lowest competitive level and becomes ever more critical as the competitive level of the match increases. State Referee Administrators and State Directors of Instruction are strongly urged to ensure that effective match reporting is incorporated in their training of senior referees.

In order for Disciplinary Committees to evaluate serious misconduct, match reports must start with:
– The name of (and additional identifying information for) the player who was sent off
– The time of the send off
– The specific reason in the Laws of the Game for the send off (Law 12)
In addition, however, the referee must supply sufficient detail regarding the circumstances of the misconduct to aid in evaluating its level of seriousness. Among the factors that should be addressed, where relevant, are:

– Whether the action occurred during a challenge for the ball
– Whether the misconduct occurred at a stoppage of play or during play
If anyone was injured as a consequence of the misconduct
– Whether there was any prior incident that may have led to the player’s actions
– The demeanor of the player during the send off (including any difficulties in implementing the player’s removal from the field)
– The location of the action in relation to the goal line and penalty area being attacked at the time
– The subsequent intrusion of any other players (teammates or opponents) during the time the referee is managing the send off
– The specific words or gestures which were determined to be insulting, offensive, or abusive
– The identity of the opponent or official toward whom the misconduct was directed
– A summary of the prior misconduct (or a reference to the section of the report which detailed the prior caution) preceding the second caution for which the player was sent off
– The identity of the assistant referee, fourth official, or reserve assistant referee who provided independently observed facts to the referee regarding the misconduct
– All other details of the action which materially shaped the decision to send the player off
Any other facts which a Disciplinary Committee might decide it needs as a result of its review of the match report can be supplied by the referee on request of the Committee, but the most useful information will come from a properly completed, accurate, detailed, and clear match report. Match reports provided independently by assistant referees, fourth officials, or reserve assistant referees should follow these guidelines as well.

Question:
Most youth teams do not have long-sleeved shirts or thermal underwear as part of their team uniform. Instead, it has been customary in cold weather for players to wear their own long-sleeve shirts or thermal wear under their jerseys. More often than not, these undergarments do not match the players’ jerseys. Now that the new “matching undergarments” rule has been adopted by FIFA, in cold weather games should a referee (i) enforce the rule and thus require the youth players to either remove their mismatching undergarments (risking hypothermia) or not play or (ii) follow the guidance of the USSF’s position papers on the “no sleeves” rule and exercise common sense and judgment, not enforce the rule, and allow the players to play with the mismatching undergarments?

A leading question to be sure, but one that could use official guidance from the USSF.

USSF answer (April 10, 2008):
Even with the recent IFAB interpretation regarding the color of all undergarments, this answer of November 14, 2002, still applies. Please note that we have updated the excerpt from Advice to the current edition:

Under normal conditions, players are restricted to the uniform and equipment specified in the Laws of the Game under Law 4: jersey or shirt, shorts, stockings, shinguards, and footwear. This and other pertinent information is encapsulated in section 4.1 of the USSF publication “Advice to Referees on the Laws of the Game”:

QUOTE ADVICE
4.1 WEARING UNIFORMS
It is implicit in the Law that each side wear a distinctively colored jersey, that shorts and socks be uniform for each team, and that the uniforms be distinguishable from the uniforms worn by the other team. However, the details of the uniform are governed by the competition authority and can vary widely from one match to another. The referee must know and enforce the rules of each competition worked. Players’ jerseys must remain tucked inside their shorts, socks must remain pulled up, and each player must wear shinguards under the socks. All undergarments (slide pants, undershirts, etc.) which extend visibly beyond the required uniform must be as close as possible in color to the main color of the uniform part under which they are worn.
//rest deleted//
END OF QUOTE FROM ADVICE

However, the intelligent referee will try to make an exception due to severe weather conditions, such as knit caps or gloves on very cold days. This would even extend to tracksuit pants, provided everyone on the team wears the same color — which need not be the same as the color of the shorts.
//rest deleted//

Furthermore, it is not uncommon for local leagues (less so tournaments) to have a local rule exception dealing with less than perfect uniforms.…

Question:
Goalie gloves. What (if any) aftermarket substances are goalies allowed to put on their gloves? Can the referee have them remove the glove for being too sticky?

USSF answer (April 8, 2008):
There has been no change in USSF policy since the following answer was given in March 2007.

USSF answer (March 12, 2007):
The goalkeeper is allowed certain exceptions in the equipment he or she is permitted to wear. These exceptions for the goalkeeper are designed strictly for protection of the goalkeeper, who is often expected to dive quickly to the ground. Law 4 is meant to ensure player safety, not player superiority through artificial means. There is no provision for the goalkeeper or any other player to wear artificial aids to enhance their ability to play. Therefore tacky substances on the hands or “sticky” gloves are illegal equipment and, if used, constitute unsporting behavior for which a caution should be given. The offending substance must be removed and offending gloves may be replaced by others that are not “doctored.”

Question:
I am even embarrassed to ask you this question but I promised my referees to get an answer for them. Here it goes, one of our State referees indicated at State Cup this weekend that USSF is no longer looking favorably on referees handshake (three way hand shake as we call it in this neck of the woods as MLS handshake). The first thing that it came to my mind was that I am sure that USSF have more fish to fry than worrying about a handshake. Could you please solve this mystery?

USSF answer (April 7, 2008):
There is no such restriction on referees shaking hands before the kick-off. It is traditional and done throughout the world. This would seem to be a case of someone misunderstanding something said by an assessor.…