Author: Yvonne Lara

Question (from Paul Steele):

Law 8.2 says in part:  “In all other cases, the referee drops the ball for one player of the team that last touched the ball at the position where it last touched a player, an outside agent or, as outlined in Law 9.1, a match official”

In the spirit of the law, if a passed ball deflects off a defender (who didn’t play the ball, but only had it deflect off some part of their body) and strikes the referee, shouldn’t the dropped ball be awarded to the offensive side that last had possession and attempted the pass?  Again, in the spirit of the law.

And is there any official commentary on this portion of Law 8.2?

Answer:

Paul, thank you for your question.

Unfortunately, IFAB made it very clear on this one. IFAB uses the specific word touched.  As referees we have a lot of flexibility in our judgement, many aspects of what we call (or don’t call) are ‘in the opinion of the referee (ITOOTR)’, but not when its this clearly specified in the Laws of the Game (LOTG).

To further add confusion, if the ball hits the referee and goes out of play, the restart (throw in, corner or goal kick) goes to the opponent.  I.e., Blue kicks the ball, it hits the referee and goes over the touchline, the restart is a throw in for Red.

I think many of us were looking for an update from IFAB on this one, but it looks like we’ll need to wait until next year to see if they update it.

Question
Background:  U14 Boys game with CR and 2 ARs. Blue = home & Red = away

Game:
1st Quarter:
Blue team has an excellent goalkeeper (very tall girl). During the game, the Blue goalkeeper taunts the red attackers by leaving the ball in play and motioning for red attackers to kick the ball; then picks up the ball at the last minute. The blue keeper also makes gestures to the red attackers (nothing vulgar). Since the blue keeper did not do this every time, I thought maybe it best to let the kids play.  During water break, I recommend/ask the Blue keeper stop messing with the attackers…it can be seen as unsporting behavior.

2nd Quarter:
Blue keeper behavior continues and the red attackers appear to be getting frustrated. I warn the blue keeper. At halftime, I warn the blue keeper again, but I don’t think I every said a card would be coming out.

3rd Quarter:
Nothing memorable happens.

4th Quarter:
I Yellow Card the blue keeper the next time the behavior happens. The Red attackers hi-five each other and laugh out load.

Questions:
Was I correct in issuing a Yellow Card to Blue keeper? If so, should I have done it sooner? Should I have issued a warning or Yellow Card to Red Attackers?

Answer

In any match, the goalkeeper can wait for pressure from an opponent before picking up the ball with the hands.  This alone is a normal part of the game.  In this match, the goalkeeper on the Blue team is not displaying good sportsmanship. “Motioning for the red attackers to kick the ball” is inviting conflict and “gestures” can have a negative impact on a match even if they are not vulgar.  This is taunting, which is a form of unsporting behavior, one of the caution-able offenses. We as AYSO referees have other tools that can be used first. A quick word to the goalkeeper to remind her of good sportsmanship is usually enough to stop the behavior. An early intervention by the referee will keep the match friendly and prevent the other players from responding in their own way. Letting it go is not an option.

In your instance, a direct warning to the goalkeeper to stop the behavior is appropriate. Remember to be professional, keep it short, and do not threaten to caution the next time.  If the goalkeeper continues to make poor choices, and the tone of the match is negatively affected, then it is time to caution the player and show them the yellow card. Remember that it is not personal, and the caution is for the good of the game. The other players deserve to have good experience.

Managing the players early on with our voice is an effective tool to keep the match safe, fair, and fun most of the time. Formal misconduct, showing cards, is an option when a player does not respond. Remember, if you have already asked the goalkeeper to stop the action and the behavior continues, that is the time to issue the caution. Don’t repeatedly “ask” the player to stop.

Question

My daughter and I both recently had unusual experiences with assistant referees at our games. Each of us has had ARs come out on the field and disrupt play or instructions to players. In one case, I was forced to blow a whistle during an attack in the box when the AR came out onto the field. In my daughter’s case, the AR came all the way from the other end of the field to incorrectly “correct” my daughter on a PK. It may be worth an article to remind about the AR role and how the AR is supposed to signal the Referee and stay off the field during play unless invited on by the Referee.

Answer

That is an unusual situation to say the least, but of luckily the Laws of the Game (LOTG) are very clear on the role of the AR.  Law 5 outlines the authority of the referee and states “Each match is controlled by a referee who has full authority to enforce the Laws of the Game…”. Law 6 reinforces this with its statement that “The match officials [including the assistant referee] operate under the direction of the referee”. A common phrase to remember is the assistant referee is there to assist not insist.

In terms of signaling, the Laws are less prescriptive. The section in the LOTG called Practical guidelines for match officials states that when direct consultation is required, the AR may advance 2-3 meters (yards) onto the field of play, but does not specify how this is indicated.

How the AR should signal the referee should be reviewed by the referee team in their pre-game. Generally the recommendation is that If the AR needs to speak with the referee during a match they should hold their flag up straight above their head and wait to be recognized. Upon play being stopped and the referee recognizing the AR, the AR should use an agreed upon signal to indicate they wish to talk to the referee.

Unless the AR has a prescribed reason to be on the field of play (e.g. moving into position for a PK, supporting the referee during a mass confrontation etc.) under no circumstances should they enter the field of play without the referee’s permission.

Question 

I am an AYSO National Referee as well as a USSF referee for PA West here in Western Pennsylvania. During my USSF recertification course in 2020, there was some special emphasis on the 10U build out line and when the ball is in play since 10U uses the build out line (BOL) player development initiatives. We were advised that the ball is not in play until another player on the kicking team receives the ball. Only then could the opposing players cross the BOL.

When I review the AYSO 10U BOL guidance, it appears that it has not been updated to reflect the changes I was provided during my recertification class with USSF. Not all Regions are using this consistently and it causes some issues when there is interplay between Regions. Can you please review these and update them as needed?

Answer 

Thank you for your e-mail. Yes, in 2019 there was a change to Law 16 stating that goal/free kicks are now in play as soon as the ball is kicked and clearly moves. For 10U and the build out line, there was very little impact. We clarified with US Soccer and they shared the US Soccer BOL clarification memo of August 2019 that indicates:

Build-Out Line under New Goal Kick Law

• Before the ball is kicked, players on the kicking team may stand anywhere on the field, including inside the penalty area.
• Players on the defending team must move beyond the BOL and may not cross the BOL until the ball is in play.
• The ball is in play when it is kicked and clearly moves. In other words, as soon as a member of the kicking team kicks, or tries to kick, the ball, and the ball visibly moves or begins to roll, the ball is in play.
  • As soon as the ball is in play, other members of the kicking team may play it (inside the penalty area) and defenders may cross the BOL.

The indicates that the ball is “in play” when it is kicked and clearly moves. This is when opposing players may cross the BOL to engage in play which aligns with the currently published AYSO guidance. It appears that your local USSF association (PA West) has created and adopted a modified version that requires another member of the kicking team to receive the ball before the opposing players may cross the BOL however, this is not in alignment with the current US Soccer directives. While US Soccer acknowledges that a few of their associations have adopted same model as PA West, it is not the current US Soccer policy.

When local entities deviate from the US Soccer policy, it can make is very challenging to provide consistency. To avoid and reduce confusion in your local area, teams should be advised to follow the requirements of the gaming circuit in which they are participating. Thank you again for your question!