Question:
I have two questions re: U10 Girls soccer:
1) We have played a team multiple times that if they are ahead, will substitute their goalie with less than 5 minutes left in the game.
When they substitute, the girl coming into the game is not ready…not pinny, no gloves. Instead, we have to wait for them to switch pinny and goalie gloves. This eats up the clock and obviously slows the momentum of the game in their favor. What are the rules in relation to subing a goalie?
2) One of our girls was going to a 50/50 ball with the opposing team.
Our girl was tripped and while trying to get up, got kicked in the head (and was not playing the ball). The ref called a dangerous play on our girl and gave the opposing team the free kick. If she is not playing the ball and merely trying to get up (while the other team is kicking the ball into her and kicking her), shouldn’t it be a dangerous play with a drop ball?
Thank you!
USSF answer (October 19, 2022):
1) As with the substitution of any player, the referee must ensure that the new goalkeeper is already fully prepared to enter the field before the referee permits the restart to be delayed for the substitution.
Players, including goalkeepers, must be ready to play with all uniform/equipment parts in place when they appear at the midfield line to indicate a request to substitute. The only “delay” allowable in a goalkeeper substitution is to hold the restart until the new goalkeeper has reached the goal.
2) If the situation was precisely as you describe it, then the referee would seem to have made an error in calling playing dangerously on your player and not calling a foul on the girl from the opposing team, who kicked your player. In no case can the kicking by the opposing player be considered to be playing dangerously by either player: it is clearly at least careless play by the opponent and must be punished with a direct free kick.
