Question:
At the end of the game whistle is blown, everyone knows game is over.
Both teams lined up to shake hands, two players from team A take their shirt off and are walking towards the line to shake hands without jerseys.
I want to know what the procedure for this is, This was a youth game U17.
In my mind this is a misconduct since those players are being disrespectful to the opponents.
What is your take on this?

USSF answer (March 11, 2008):
Removing the shirt after a game is over should not be treated as misconduct in most cases.  When the match is over, the referee’s best course of action is to leave and, while leaving, to be only concerned about player actions which are violent, which direct dissent at the officials, which include taking off more clothing than just the jersey, or which involve clearly abusive, insulting, or offensive language.…

Question:
In a GU11 club game, defending team is whistled for a handball in the penalty area. Keeper drops her arms and the other
defenders slow down, attacker strikes the ball a second or two after the whistle and it goes into the net. Referee disallows the goal at first, then walks over to the near A/R and talks to him as the parents from the attacking team start yelling.

Referee signals for the kickoff and tells our coach that he should have called “advantage” and that was why he decided to allow the goal. The ref went on to say, “never replace a scored goal with a PK.”

I maintained that he misunderstood the LOTG, and once the whistle was
In a GU11 club game, defending team is whistled for a handball in the penalty area. Keeper drops her arms and the other defenders slow down, attacker strikes the ball a second or two after the whistle and it goes into the net. Referee disallows the goal at first, then walks over to the near A/R and talks to him as the parents from the attacking team start yelling. blown, play was dead, and a PK should have been awarded.

USSF answer (March 10, 2008):
O, those inventive (and chicken-hearted) referees!

You are correct. The referee cannot change his decision to stop play after having blown the whistle, no matter what input the assistant referee provided in their brief conference. No goal. Restart with the penalty kick.…

Question:
Is FIFA looking at using 2 referees in future World Cup matches?

I recently played in an adult league match where there were 2 referees. Each refereed called the game on their half of the field. When I asked about the 2 referee format, I was told that it would be implemented by FIFA for the 2010 World Cup.

Can you verify that this is the case?

USSF answer (March 10, 2008):
There was an announcement recently that FIFA was considering an experiment with a two-referee system (with assistant referees) with an eye to using it in a future World Cup setting. This was only for purposes of high-level soccer, not for our everyday games.

We do not know where you play, but the dual system of control, the “two-man” system, is not allowed to be used in games under the aegis of the United States Soccer Federation or its affiliates. The only system of officiating to be used is the diagonal system of control, as described in the Laws of the Game.

And, as a follow-on, this item from Soccer America online:
http://publications.socceramerica.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.san&s=25820&Nid=40278&p=72831

More refs experiment OKed; goal-line tech scrapped
Tuesday, Mar 11, 2008 6:45 AM ET
[REF WATCH] At its Annual General Meeting, the International Football Association Board, which oversees FIFA’s Rules of the Game, has suspended the pursuit of goal-line technology and agreed to experimentation with two additional assistant referees.

FIFA’s statement on goal-line technology included, “Amongst others, the questions of the human aspect of the Game, the universality of the Rules of the Game, as well as the simplicity and efficiency of the technology were taken into consideration.”

FIFA President Sepp Blatter said, “There has been no change of heart. Referees make decisions, not machines. I have defended goal-line technology but it has become clear that such systems are too complicated and very costly. Nor would they necessarily add anything positive to the game and could harm the authority of the referee.

“We have to maintain the laws of the game in their simplicity. Do you want technical devices to take decisions? That’s why, after three years of tests with no conclusions, I am in favor of putting the whole thing on ice.”

The IFAB has approved a proposal from FIFA to conduct an experiment involving two additional assistant referees who will mainly focus on the fouls and misconduct in the penalty area. The competition in which this test will be conducted will be decided at a later stage.

The IFAB also approved specific field-size guidelines for “A” internationals. It set a fixed size of 105m long and 68m wide (instead of a minimum and maximum length – from 100m to 110m – and a minimum and a maximum width – from 64m to 75m).

Also, FIFA President Blatter addressed violent tackles, reiterating that “players committing such acts should be banned”.

The International F.A. Board is composed of The English Football Association, The Scottish Football Association, The Football Association of Wales, The Irish Football Association (Northern Ireland) and FIFA. Representing its 204 other members, FIFA has four votes on the body, while the four British associations have one vote apiece. A proposal requires a three-quarter majority (i.e., six of the eight votes) to be passed.

Question:
Please give me a read on the following scenario. As always, thanks in advance for your response.

Free kick for the attacking team just outside the 18 yard box (ceremonial restart, wall is placed appropriately, etc).

In this scenario, the defending team decides to place a defender on each post, a la a corner kick, so there is no immediate potential for offside.

Seeing this, an attacking player takes up a position one yard in front of the GK, with the intent (in the opinion of the referee, who I realize does not judge intent…) of obscuring his line of sight. So far, so good. If the kick is taken at this moment, and the attacking player maintains his position and does not attempt to impede the movement of the GK, then all is good. What if, prior to the kick being taken, the player who has taken up the position in front of the GK, starts jumping up and down: 1) with arms at his side; 2) with arms raised over his head and waving back and forth (potentially further obscuring GK’s vision)? Unsporting behavior in either instance?

I think I can answer my own question about # 2; warn the attacker, prior to the kick being taken, to cease and desist. Or if the kick is taken before a warning can be issued, whistle for impeding, or maybe misconduct? But I had some doubts about # 1. Any action required by the referee prior to the kick being taken in scenario # 1 (once the kick is taken, the attacker has the right to jump and attempt to head the ball)?

As I thought about this, I started to come up with variations on the theme. What about the attacker who takes up position adjacent to the defensive wall; what if he starts jumping up and down prior to the restart (hands at side). Any issue? Or for that matter, what if the defenders in the wall are jumping up and down (hands at side), prior to restart?

USSF answer (March 4, 2008):
We agree that the attacker in question is likely engaged in misconduct.  There might be some room for argument if the attacker merely stands his ground, but misconduct is absolutely clear cut if he jumps around and/or waves his arms.  This would be the functional equivalent of shouting to distract and we have no problem declaring this misconduct. As to the “merely standing” — this would be acceptable behavior unless (a) the attacker moves as the goalkeeper moves (which makes it similar to such behavior at a corner kick) or (b) is so close physically to the goalkeeper that it could be interpreted as an aggressive occupying of “personal space.”

If it can be done in time, yes, warn the player. If not, call the misconduct — not impeding.

Players in the wall are allowed to jump up and down, whether members of the defending team or the attacking team. But the attacker in this scenario was not in the wall and was clearly committing unsporting behavior.…