Category: Law 8 – Start/Restart

Law 8 – Start/Restart

Law 8 - Start/Restart

DROPPED BALL

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Question:
Last few minutes of the Brazil/Norway women’s game on 15 Aug… A Brazil player is asked to leave the field for a likely injury/blood situation. The referee then indicates that a drop-ball will be the restart (I believe we’re all good to this point.) A Norway player steps-up and plays the ball long to 2 attacking teammates. The referee then calls BACK the ball and does a drop-ball AGAIN…

How could this have been a valid 2nd restart with a drop-ball?

Obviously, the referee indicated drop-ball the first time, the ball touched the groud and the ball was played. There may have been some confusion on what the referee had really wanted to happen, but the ball did seem to be legally and correctly put back into play…

How could the referee justify the 2nd drop-ball restart?

USSF answer (August 18, 2008):
On the surface your response to the situation would appear to be correct. Once the referee has dropped the ball and it is in play — as soon as it hits the ground — that would seem to end the matter. However, we cannot second-guess a referee at an international tournament. There may have been other circumstances that neither you nor we are aware of.…

"Inventive" Refs

COIN TOSS PROCEDURE

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Question:
Is there a procedure that is to be followed?
I have heard in the past Spring season:
* Do not bend over to pick up the coin. You shouldn’t bow down to “the captains”
* Do not let the coin hit the ground. You will bear your hind quarters to half the stadium.
* Do not catch the coin and flip to the back of your hand. You “reverse the outcome”.

Yet, in the recently concluded Euro 2008 Tournament, I witnessed all three of the above examples in various matches.
This is only trivial. You just hear so many different “you should do this and not that” from various referees.
Thank you for your time and attention regarding this question.

USSF answer (August 6, 2008):
No, there is no set procedure for the coin toss.…

"Inventive" Refs

UNAUTHORIZED MODIFICATIONS TO THE LAWS

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Question:
A neighboring state has instituted a modification for youth games and I am uncomfortable having to enforce should I elect to officiate there. (I live nearby and could work games there.)

Here is their modification:
If play is stopped for a reason without a prescribed restart (e.g., injury stoppage) they award an indirect free-kick to the team that was in possession of the ball at the time instead of a drop ball. (NFHS influence at work here, I suspect.)

It caused some issues here at a tournament where I was assigning referees when those neighboring referees attempted to use that restart in our games.

I don’t see this as fitting into any of the five listed items on page 3 of the Laws of the game, “Notes on The Laws of the Game.”

USSF answer (July 24, 2008):
The restart described is not authorized under the Modifications described in the Introduction to the Laws of the Game 2008/2009. The correct restart for a non-foul/misconduct stoppage not described elsewhere in the Laws is a dropped ball — see Law 8. As we do not know — i. e., have not been able to determine — whether or not the state association involved has applied this ruling across the board, we cannot give a more complete answer.

The indirect free kick restart described is taken from high school rules, which are not applicable to games played under the aegis of U. S. Soccer or U. S. Youth Soccer. It is true that an indirect free kick restart is authorized if a player commits any other offense, not previously mentioned in Law 12, for which play is stopped to caution or send off a player, but that would not be the case in the situation you put forth.

The only further advice we can give is that the Federation has no direct control over such modifications, but a referee who accepts a game operating under rules of competition that mandate unauthorized modifications must officiate the game under those rules. In other words, know the rules before accepting the assignment.

On the other hand, referees who come from a state where such modifications are used must not seek to apply them in another jurisdiction playing under different rules of competition.…

Law 12 - Fouls & Misconduct

INFRINGEMENTS COMMITTED OFF THE FIELD OF PLAY

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Question:
The attacking team makes a long pass downfield. The ball is heading toward the goaline, just inside the penalty box. An attacker is sprinting downfield trying to get to the ball before it rolls out of bounds. A defender is giving chase as well.

The attacker is able to stop the ball right before it crosses the goalline, and the ball rolls backwards about a yard, sitting inside the penalty box, about halfway between the side of the goal box and penalty box.

However, the momentum of the sprint to the ball causes both players to leave the field of play by a few yards. The attacker is a bit more agile than the defender, and is able to change direction first.

However, prior to the re-entering the field, the defender turns, and grabs the attacker’s jersey, preventing him from getting to the ball and making a cross to an open player.

My very small, meager, and limited understanding of the Laws (I have no business earning a badge and suiting up in the yellow shirt on Saturdays) are that the action by the defender is classified as misconduct, as it occurred off the field of play. In all likelihood, the defender shall be cautioned for unsporting behavior for the blatent shirt pull. However, the only possible restart in this case is a dropped ball at the point where the ball (if outside the goalbox, moving it parallel if not) was when the misconduct occurred.

If my interpretation is correct, to put it mildly, this really sucks for the attacking team. Sure, the defender gets a caution, but for robbing the attacking team from having the ball in a prime location, the result is a dropped ball. That just seems to go against the spirit of fair play.

I would also hope the referee in this situation would double check with his AR who studiously sprinted down the sideline as well to make sure that tug on the shirt didn’t happen to conclude with any part of it occurring over a blade of grass on the outside edge of the goalline, inside the penalty box, where a penalty kick could be awarded.

USSF answer (June 23, 2008):
Any infringement of the Laws committed while off the field by players who have left the field during the course of play must be punished by a caution for unsporting behavior or a send-off for violent conduct, as applicable to the action. The only restart permitted by the Laws of the Game is a dropped ball at the place where the ball was when the infringement occurred (keeping in mind the special circumstances regarding restarts in the goal area).…

Ball in Play

PLAYER SENT OFF BEFORE KICK-OFF

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Question:
You blow your whistle for the start of the game (kickoff) and before the attacking team takes the kick, a defender encroaches into the center circle. You blow your whistle again and instruct the attacking team to re-take the kickoff. However, before you do so, the defender uses obscene language and you send him off. Should the defending team play short or not. My reasoning would be that the game officially starts when the ball legally moves forward and the defending team would be allowed to substitute for the player that was sent off.

USSF answer (June 10, 2008):
You are absolutely correct. Because the ball was not put into play properly before the misconduct occurred, the game has not started. As to what happens next, Law 3 tells us: “A player who has been sent off before the kick-off may be replaced only by one of the named substitutes.”…

"Inventive" Refs

THE PLAYERS HAVE THE RIGHT TO A HALFTIME INTERVAL!

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Question:
Two senior sides are at 1 goal each in the first half.

Twelve minutes before the first half is to finish. The floodlights fail on one side of the field.The grounds people from the home side frantically start to fix the lights & acheive the process in twelve minutes the lights are fully operational in twenty minutes. The referee & assistant officials rule that due to the break taken by players for the delay while light maintenace was performed. There would be a resumption for twelve minutes to finish the first half.Then no break would be taken,& the teams would turn & play the second half of 45 minutes.Both teams were aware of the decision. During the twelve minutes to finish the second half, the home team scored making the score 2v1. The half finished the referee blew the whistle to turn around for the second half. However the visiting team decided that they were not going to participate in the second half & walked in protest due to no break being allowed between halves. The referee gave them seven minutes to retake their position on the field to no avail.

They simply got dressed & left the ground. Please can you advise if the team should falfit the game & the points be awrded to the home side who were winning at the time of abandoment, or should the game have to be replayed. Please can you give reference to the fifa rule if any, that answers this dilemma.

USSF answer (May 27, 2008):
The referee’s decision to forego the halftime break was not in keeping with Law 8:

Half-Time Interval
Players are entitled to an interval at half-time.
The halftime interval must not exceed 15 minutes.
Competition rules must state the duration of the half-time interval.
The duration of the halftime interval may be altered only with the consent of the referee.

While the Law does allow the referee to consent to alteration of the DURATION of the halftime break, it does not permit the referee to do away with the interval if even only one player wants the break.…

Handling

UNSPORTING BEHAVIOR?

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Question:
I had an incident in a recent match which, despite much reflection, review of The Laws (and position papers, etc…), and deliberation with other referees, is still unsettled in my mind.

Basically, the situation involves a shot by ORANGE that is without any doubt on a path to enter YELLOW’s goal. Yellow defender (not the goalkeeper) while on the goal-line, between the uprights, leaps and handles the ball in mid-air directly back onto the field of play. I stop play, look to my AR to see if he has information, and he beckons me over. His words were simple “Ball went in the goal. Still a caution to [Yellow defender who handled the ball] for misconduct.”
Now, it’s my understanding that a player can be cautioned for unsuccessfully attempting to deny an obvious goal (say, by handling it, or some other foul).  But the controversy here is whether or not you can still caution this Yellow player if the ball had already entered the goal when he handled it. [FYI – In this case, if the ball crossed the plane of the goal as the AR stated, then the ball MUST have entered before he batted the ball away from the goal with his hand.]
Support for cautioning Yellow was the 7+7 memo a few years ago, saying that an attempting to deny a goal/opportunity can be a caution. Support for not cautioning Yellow is that handling the ball after a goal is scored is not an offense because the ball is now out of play.

I lean towards the latter being the correct course of action (award the goal and no caution), but I need some insight outside of my immediate peers and leadership (too many strong, yet opposing opinions here). The only I seem to be able to conclude is that this is a gray area of The Laws. If you confirm that idea or offer a different conclusion, great.  Thank you in advance for any guidance on this. If you need clarification on any of my descriptions, or lack thereof, please ask.

USSF answer (May 27, 2008):
The case for a caution for the apparent misconduct after the goal was already scored is iffy — not nonexistent, but iffy. Depending on the circumstances and on what had been occurring in this game up to that moment, the referee could defend a caution based on the argument that the player’s action was taken with the intent of preventing a goal and the fact that it was not only unsuccessful but too late as well does not eliminate the intent. A better solution might be to simply warn the player and remark on his good fortune that he might only have been attempting to prevent the ball from hitting the netting at the back of the goal because it appeared weak and likely to tear.

In any event, you will not find this and many other examples of unsporting behavior documented anywhere. They belong to that category of actions known as bringing the game into disrepute, for which a caution (under the category of unsporting behavior) should be given.…

Law 4 - Equipment

LOST BOOTS

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Question:
If a player loses a boot during open play and continues to play on ( not just kicks the ball away or has a shot at goal) what should the referee do as the player could be putting himself at risk of injury.

If the referee stops play and asks the player to leave the field of play so that he can put his boot back on and then return with the referees permission, how does the referee restart the match.

Does he give a drop ball where the ball was when he stopped play or does he award an indrect free kick to the other side ?

USSF answer (May 26, 2008):
This answer of March 8, 2005 is still valid:
There is no need for the referee to stop the match if the boot was lost accidentally and did not disturb any other players. The player is expected to replace the boot as quickly as possible and get on with play. The referee neither needs to nor should ask the player to leave the field to put the boot back on. Aside from immediate danger, the loss of a boot should be handled the same way as is any issue of illegal equipment: advise the player to correct the problem during play and then, at the next stoppage, require a departure from the field only if the player could not or chose not to comply with the request.

However, if the referee does stop play for this incident, the only possible restart is a dropped ball, taken from the place where the ball was when play was stopped (subject to the special circumstances of Law 8).…

Law 8 - Start/Restart

GOALKEEPER THROWS BALL INTO OPPONENTS’ GOAL

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Question:
With the right wind conditions could a goal keeper with a strong arm from his own penalty area throw a ball into the opponents net and score?

USSF answer (March 18, 2008):
Unless the rules of the competition specify otherwise — see, for example, the USYSA rules for small-sided soccer — a goalkeeper may either kick or throw the ball directly into the other team’s goal.

US Youth Soccer Official Under 10 Under 12 Playing Recommendations notes under Law 12 – Fouls and Misconduct: Conform to FIFA with the exception that an indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team at the center spot on the halfway line if a goalkeeper punts or drop-kicks the the ball in the air from his/her penalty area into the opponents penalty area. This still allows the goalkeeper’s distribution for the ball to be punted the entire length of the field; it just cannot go directly into the opponents’ penalty area.

There is currently no rule against the goalkeeper throwing the ball the length of the field and scoring, but this will be discussed during preparations for the next edition of the USYS rules.…

Law 12 - Fouls & Misconduct

RESTARTS AFTER CAUTIONS

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Question:
I know if a player is given a caution, you restart with the nature of the infraction; however, what if the ball is out of play when the caution is given?

USSF answer (March 13, 2008):
1. When play is stopped for an offense which is both a foul and misconduct, the restart is based on the foul, not the misconduct.

2. When play is stopped for an offense which is only misconduct (no foul involved), the restart is not based on the nature of the misconduct.  It is based on who committed the misconduct and where was it committed.
– If the misconduct was committed by a player on the field, the restart is an indirect free kick where the misconduct was committed (subject to the special rules in Law 8).
– If the misconduct was committed by anyone off the field, the restart is a dropped ball where the ball was when play was stopped (subject to the special rules in Law 8).

3. If the misconduct consists of a player illegally re-entering the field or a substitute illegally entering the field, the restart is an indirect free kick where the ball was when play was stopped (subject ot the special rules in Law 8).

4. If the misconduct occurs during a stoppage of play, the restart is based on whatever stopped play in the first place.  If advantage is applied to the misconduct, play is allowed to continue, play then stops, and a card for the misconduct is given, the restart is based on whatever stopped play in the first place.…