Month: September 2008

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.…

"Inventive" Refs

FEELING THE PRESSURE?

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Question:
I am a coach as well as a referee (Grade 8). I was coaching a game where the ball did not seem like it was properly inflated. I asked the center referee about it and he responded that it was OK. At the half, I took an electronic pressure gauge to check the PSI and it registered 4.25 PSI, half the required minimum pressure according to Law 2. We notified the referee about this. Although we were the visiting team, we took one of our best balls, check the pressure which read 8.5 PSI – the minimum amount according to Law 2. We told the referee this as well but we felt he took it personally and it made the second half difficult for us. Did we do the right thing or should we have allowed the game to continue with an under inflated ball?

USSF answer (September 15, 2008):
A referee? Took something personally? One of the first things a referee is supposed to develop is his or her composure, taking nothing personally and certainly not making the game more difficult for one team than the other.

As to the pressure, only the referee can judge that. if he or she decided the ball was properly inflated, then it was properly inflated, no matter whether that was good for the game or not. You will encounter all kinds of people functioning as referees. Some are intelligent and some are not. Some care and some do not. Some are there only for the pay, but some (most, we hope) are there for the good of the game.

You will find an earlier answer (September 10) on the site that deals with the reasons for using various air pressures for the game ball(s).…

Illegal Gamesmanship

HE WHO LEAVES MUST RETURN QUICKLY

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Question:
Both the LOTG and Advice to Referees state that a player who accidentally goes out of the field of play while contesting for the ball or to beat an opponent should not be considered as having left the field without the referee’s permission. Is there any time or space limit that could apply to this ruling, as if a player runs (uncontested by an opponent) for 10, 20 or 30 yards totally outside the touchline?

This appeared to be the case in a recent game, although the reason for the actual call was not clear. My opinion was that the call would not have been for leaving the field but for some other infringement.

However, I would like a definitive answer.

USSF answer (September 15, 2008):
The Laws tell us: “If a player accidentally crosses one of the boundary lines of the field of play, he is not deemed to have committed an infringement. Going off the field of play may be considered to be part of playing movement.” But they also tell us that any players who do so are expected to return to the field as quickly as possible. The player in your situation would seem to have infringed on the Law.…

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.…

Law 2 - The Ball

BALL SIZE AND PRESSURE

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Question:
What is the right air pressure for U12 boys recreational soccer. If there is a right range why would one choose the lower or higher value?

USSF answer (September 10, 2008):
A good question, as the specifications for the balls other than for adult soccer are not included in the Laws of the Game.

Soccer balls for match use come in three different sizes, 3, 4 and 5. Size 3 balls are the smallest balls and are generally used for players under the age of 8; they are generally 23-24 inches in circumference and weigh between 11-12 ounces. Size 4 balls are generally used for players between the ages of 8 and 12; they weigh between 12-13 ounces and have a circumference of 25- 26 inches.  The details on the ball for adult soccer (Size 5) are in Law 2 of the Laws of the Game. The composition and air pressure figures given in Law 2 apply to all the sizes. Only the weights and circumferences would differ for sizes 3 and 4.

The size ball used for U12 boys recreational soccer is up to the competition authority, the people who make the rules for the particular competition — league, cup or tournament. It would likely be a size 4.

The size 5 ball is spherical, made of leather or other suitable material, of a circumference of not more than 70 cm (28 ins) and not less than 68 cm (27 ins), not more than 450 g (16 oz) in weight and not less than 410 g (14 oz) at the start of the match, and of a pressure equal to 0.6 – 1.1 atmosphere (600 – 1100 g/cm2) at sea level (8.5 lbs/sq in 15.6 lbs/sq in).

Pressure figures are relative to the needs of the game. The air pressure to be chosen depends on weather and field conditions, the skill of the players, and, most practically and importantly, ensuring that the ball pressure is within the manufacturer’s specifications (which are often printed on the ball around the inflation point). A higher pressure usually makes a ball tighter and “faster,” in that it bounces higher and farther and requires much greater skill to control it. A lower pressure will soften the ball and slow it down.…

"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 12 - Fouls & Misconduct

GOALKEEPER FOULS (?) OPPONENT WHILE HOLDING BALL

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Question:
A GK makes a save and falls on his back within the penalty area. As he is getting up he kicks an opponent – non violently – while still holding the ball and within the 6 seconds he has to release it. Is the ball still in play? Or is it out of play while the GK holds onto it? If it is in play and the referee blows his whistle to address the kicking of the opponent by the GK would not the restart be a PK and possibly caution of the GK?

USSF answer (September 3, 2008):
If the goalkeeper has not risen fully, the six-second period has not begun. It begins only when the goalkeeper is upright and in a position o assess the situation and judge where to play the ball. However, the matter of the six seconds is irrelevant if the referee decides that a foul has been committed by the goalkeeper.

The referee must decide whether this was a deliberate act or simply an accident. If a deliberate act and thus a foul, then the restart is a penalty kick and the punishment would be either a caution or a send-off,depending on what the referee saw. It makes no difference whether the goalkeeper has used the allotted six seconds.…

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.…