USING TIME

March 26, 2009 by Jim Allen

Question:
Under what circumstances would a goalkeeper’s delaying picking up the ball until seriously pressured by an opponent be classified as “taunting?”

My son was verbally warned by the AR to pick up the ball lest he be cautioned. (This was a high-school game where taunting is stressed more than in normal FIFA-governed situations.) My son made no overt gestures and said nothing to the opponent. He was trying to (legally) waste a few seconds since we were ahead. An opponent approach and my son reached down as if to pick up the ball. When the opponent retreated, my son just stood up until the opponent approached again -much closer this time!

In the event that nothing other than standing over the ball occurred, could this be classified as taunting? How would this be different from taking the ball into the corner or passing the ball around without pressing any attack?

USSF answer (March 26, 2009):
We are not aware of any reason why a player who is clearly “using” time, rather than wasting time, should be harassed by an assistant referee. We cannot speak to what might be called in a high school game, but your son has not committed any infringement of the Laws of the Game.…

Law 14 - Penalty Kick

KICKER TAKES THE PENALTY KICK EARLY

March 26, 2009 by Jim Allen

Question:
My question is about a penalty kick which changed the outcome of the game. A player on our team fouled a player on the other team inside of our penalty box. Everyone was lined up and ready. The player taking the penalty kick took the shot before the goalie blew the whistle, and out goalkeeper stopped the shot. Play started, but the referee blew the whistle and awarded the penalty kick over and a goal was scored. Is this the correct action by the referee? My understanding from reading the website is that the shooter violated Law 14 and our team should of been awarded an indirect kick from the spot of the foul. Please help. Thanks.

USSF answer (March 26, 2009):
If the penalty kick is taken before the referee signals, the kicker should be warned and, upon repetition, cautioned for unsporting behavior. The kick must be retaken, regardless of the outcome of the first kick.…

Advice to Referees

RETURN OF PLAYER OFF FIELD FOR BLEEDING

March 24, 2009 by Jim Allen

Question:
What is the proper procedure for a player who is bleeding or is seen with blood on his/her uniform? I know the player has to leave the field of play and can not return until the Referee or A.R. has inspected the player ensuring that the bleeding has stopped or blood removed but what about the stoppage of play and substitution? I’ve seen referees stop play, send the player off, allow substitutions then restart with a drop ball. I’ve seen other referees send the player off, allow play to continue and no substitution.

Thanks.

USSF answer (March 24, 2009):
See the Advice to Referees, Advice 3.13 and 5.8

3.13 RETURN OF A PLAYER TEMPORARILY OFF THE FIELD
//snipped//
If a player has been instructed to leave the field to correct bleeding, blood on the uniform, or illegal equipment, the procedure for permitting that player to return to the field is described in Advice 5.8.

5.8 RETURN AFTER BLEEDING OR EQUIPMENT REMEDY
If a player is bleeding or the uniform is blood-soaked, the player must leave the field immediately to have the bleeding stopped and his or her skin and uniform cleaned as thoroughly as possible (replacing the uniform may be necessary to meet this requirement). Before the player can return to the field, the correction of the situation must be confirmed by an official-the referee or, if delegated by the referee in the pregame conference, the fourth official or, if there is no fourth official, an assistant referee. Once the correction has been confirmed, the player can be permitted to return to the field if beckoned by the referee, even if play is continuing. The objective is to bring the team back to its authorized strength as soon as possible.

To the extent that your question deals with substitutions, the only answer we can offer is that you review the rules of the competitions in which you are working. For example, if the match is using the so-called “youth substitution rules,” then certainly the team will want to put a substitute in for one of its players who is off the field dealing with a bleeding/blood on the uniform problem. If the match uses full Law 3 substitution rules, then more likely than not the team will NOT want to substitute (thus using one of its limited substitutions) for a player who might otherwise be ready to play in a few minutes.

It also depends on whether the player in question was ordered off at a stoppage (which might then also be a substitution opportunity under the rules of competition) or whether the player was ordered off during play with no stoppage.…

Guide to Procedures

REFEREE SIGNAL VS. ASSISTANT REFEREE SIGNAL (REVISED)

March 24, 2009March 25, 2009 by Jim Allen

Question:
In the July 2008 edition of the Guide to Procedures, page 18 includes (under the heading “Throw in – Assistant Referee’s End Of Touch Line”) the following guidance for the referee:
o Points in direction of throw-in only if assistant referee signal needs to be corrected due to unseen contact with the ball

I was under the impression that Law 5, in stating that the referee “indicates the restart of the match after it has been stopped,” requires that the referee signal EVERY restart of play. While only seeing one signal (from the AR) is greatly preferred to seeing conflicting signals from the AR and referee, it has still been my habit to echo throw-in signals by the AR when it is “his/her call”, as well as that my arm often seems to be more in the players’ field of view than the AR’s flag. I have also found it a very useful dictum, when instructing new referees, that they are required to signal every restart.

Am I missing something here?

USSF answer (March 24, 2009):
The Guide to Procedures, in various locations, calls upon the referee to signal only “when necessary” because often the signal by the assistant referee and its acceptance by the referee are sufficient. When it is necessary, for example, to confirm an AR signal that is being disputed by the players or to change an AR signal due to the referee having additional critical information, the referee may need to signal as well. It is also important to remember that the requirement in Law 5 that the referee “indicates the restart” clearly supports the proposition that the throw-in can be taken — unless the referee has a further reason to delay the restart, in which case the restart is ceremonial and requires a whistle.

Furthermore, the soccer community, both internationally and here in the US, has increasingly emphasized the role of the assistant referee as a fully functioning member of the officiating team. Just to make it doubly clear: This means that when the AR has signaled in accordance with the guidelines discussed in the pregame and the referee has no reason to do anything other than what the AR advises, no further action is needed by the referee (unless the restart must be held up for a substitution, card, injury, etc., in which case the referee must whistle to restart play).…

Interpretations/IFAB

WHISTLING FOR RESTARTS

March 24, 2009 by Jim Allen

Question:
The FIFA “Interpretations of the Laws of the Game and Guidelines for Referees”, under the heading “Use of Whistle” on page 76, states:

The whistle is needed to: …

– restart play after it has been stopped due to: …

– substitution

But, the July 2008 USSF “Guide to Procedures”, under the heading “Substitutions” on page 40, states:

[The referee] indicates that the restart will be delayed for the substitution and cannot occur except by the referee’s signal (whistle only if necessary)

So, does a substitution require a whistle for restart, or not?

USSF answer (March 24, 2009):
The whistle is required for all ceremonial restarts (every PK and KO, plus any other restart which the referee has delayed for any reason). We also missed changing it completely in the 2008 edition of the Advice to Referees. We will adjust to the instructions of the IFAB and FIFA. Draft editions of both books for 2009 include the changes made in the Interpretations in the 2008/2009 Laws of the Game.…

Law 18 - Common Sense

WHO TAKES OVER FOR REFEREE UNABLE TO CONTINUE?

March 24, 2009 by Jim Allen

Question:
I had this happen to me while being the Referee of a tournament game this past weekend. It was the second half (about 15 minutes remaining in the match) and I was sprinting across the field on a fast play and I got a cramp in my calf. At first it slowed me quite a bit and I hobbled around for about 45 seconds and was able to work it out without stopping the game.

So, my question is what would be the appropriate action to take if the Referee becomes unable to finish the match? Do one of the AR’s take over or is the match called if it is in the 2nd half?

USSF answer (March 24, 2009):
Unless the rules of the competition specify otherwise, the senior assistant referee (AR) takes over if the referee is unable to complete the match.

If there is no competent person to assume the duties of the senior AR, the new referee and the junior AR work the game alone. However, there is no change in authority; the referee remains in full control. The referee works one side of the field, the AR the other, but only the referee is permitted to use a whistle and retains all duties and powers granted by Law 5.…

Law 12 - Fouls & Misconduct

MISCONDUCT AFTER WHISTLE FOR PENALTY KICK

March 21, 2009 by Jim Allen

Question:
In the final few minutes of a tied match the referee correctly awards a normal PK to the blue team.

The whistle signal to begin the PK occurs first.

Then, out of sight of the referee, outside the penalty area, a red defender deliberately kicks the ankle of a blue attacker. The PK is taken but initially saved by the keeper; however, the rebound is fought for. In a bit of scruffy ping-pong play the ball eventually winds up inside the red goal. Referee was good to go with the goal and a kick off but when he looks over to the lead AR to confirm, he sees the AR has raised his flag pointing across to the trail AR. By now a blue attacker is retaliating against the red defender punching him, so the referee is briefly unaware that the raised flag was to mirror the TRAIL AR who witnessed the kicking offense! After the MESS is discussed and the dust settles the referee disallows the goal, retakes the PK and only cautions the defender who kicked and the attacker who punched!

The retaken PK is saved and the game ends tied.

If you were referee what would you have done differently, if anything at all?

USSF answer (March 21, 2009):
The defender’s action had no part to play in the penalty kick, so there has been no violation of the procedure for taking a penalty kick — and, even if did, the violation would fall under the “violation by defender but the ball went into the net so it counts” rule. The defender’s action occurred during a stoppage of play (remember, the whistle had been blown but it appears the ball had not yet been put into play) — thus, it is not a foul and therefore advantage cannot be applied to it. The referee has until the next stoppage to take care of it, but in this case the next stoppage is for the goal scored from the penalty kick and the subsequent play.

Accordingly:
(1) goal counts
(2) “deliberately kicks the ankle” sounds like violent conduct, so send off the defender
(3) although poorly constructed,the following “By now a blue attacker is retaliating against the red defender punching him” seems to mean that that the blue attacker was punching the red defender in retaliation (because the red defender didn’t punch him, he kicked him in the ankle) so the blue attacker should be sent off for violent conduct because this occurred during a stoppage of play. If we have read the sentence incorrectly, then the blue attacker might not get a red card for VC but he surely gets some card for retaliating.
(4) Restart with a kick-off…

Law 12 - Fouls & Misconduct

DOUBLE CAUTION FOR EXCESS CELEBRATION?

March 21, 2009 by Jim Allen

Question:
This question is based (at least loosely) on events in a recent professional match in Italy (Serie A). Late in a scoreless game, a player scores a goal. In his celebration, he removes his shirt — normally cause for a caution. He then runs to the nearest corner flag, lifts the flag, and waves it in the air — normally a cause for a caution. Should a referee consider these acts to be part of one extended, excessive celebration and therefore caution the exuberant player once? Or should a referee consider this two separate acts, each worthy of a caution? Or something else?

[In the actual game, I’m not sure whether the player who pulled out the corner flag was the goal scorer who had removed his shirt. He was certainly part of a celebratory mob at the corner.)

USSF answer (March 21, 2009):
Unless there is some truly overwhelming reason to send off this person in the hypothetical situation of demonstrating his jubilation at the scoring of a goal, a caution for unsporting behavior should be sufficient.…

Advantage

GOALKEEPER HANDLING VS. ADVANTAGE

March 21, 2009 by Jim Allen

Question:
If a goalkeeper is in possession of the ball with his hands and is fouled by means of “pushing” and the push sends him out of the penalty area (still holding the ball), but the keeper very quickly throws the ball up to midfield to a wide open attacker who can move towards goal, can advantage be applied and play be allowed to continue under these circumstances?

Law 5 states: the referee is to allow play to continue when the team against which an offense has been committed will benefit from such an advantage.

Since there is no way you would ever call the deliberate handling infraction, wouldn’t requiring the goal keeper to put the ball to the ground for a free kick take away the advantage? And since Handling must be deliberate it could be argued that the keeper never INTENTIONALLY handled the ball as he was forced from the penalty area against his will.

USSF answer (March 21, 2009):
No, no matter how much the situation may invite it, the referee cannot invoke the advantage clause in this case. The original foul must be called and the opponent at least admonished for the infringement. Of course, if the force of the push was excessive — and if it actually resulted in the goalkeeper being moved a yard or so outside the penalty area, that would seem to be the only conclusion possible — the opponent would also be sent off for using excessive force. The reason for not invoking the advantage clause is that the referee would have to use it twice, first for the foul by the opponent and then again for the infringement by the goalkeeper, no matter that it was caused by the original foul. Call the original foul (and likely serious misconduct) and send off the opponent. Restart with a direct free kick for the goalkeeper’s team from within the penalty area.…

Coach

PROVIDING INFORMATION TO COACHES

March 18, 2009 by Jim Allen

Question:
Are coaches allowed to ask for clarification of a referees call that they did not understand.

Is it appropriate for a coach or player (besides a team captain) to approach a referee at say half-time or after conclusion of the game to ask a question for clarification of a call made by the referee during the game.

This goes to “are referees approachable” if so, when ?

USSF answer (March 18 2009):
Under the Laws of the Game, no coach or player may “question” the referee’s decision, nor must the referee provide any information other than what he or she puts in the match report.

That said, the referee could certainly respond to a reasonable approach by a coach after the game is over. The response should be succinct and polite. If the coach or any other person is not acting responsibly the referee should leave immediately and include pertinent details in the match report.…