Question Number: 12143

The Technical Area 2/5/2006

RE: Division I Under 18

Les Villanueva of Turlock, CA USA asks...

We played a Tounament in San Diego. Got to the quarter finals. The game ended in a tie. We then went to penalty kicks.The Head Coach was talking to our players. I started walking toward the team to help prepare our boys as well. The A.R. stops me.I told him I'm the Asst.
Coach.Then he says there is only one coach allowed on the field. In respect to the Refs.comment. I stepped off the field. However, I've never recalled such a rule.
Is there such a rule? Only one Coach is allowed to talk to his players prior to P.K.s. Looking forward to your response.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Hi Les. There's some ambiguity in your question so I contacted USSF for clarification. The Kicks From The Penalty Mark phase is to commence immediately following all allowed extra time. That being the case, NO COACH should be on the field of play. That said, rarely if ever does the kicks phase start so quickly. Until the referee announces that the kicks are to begin ANYONE is allowed on the field as the game is over.Once he announces that the kicks have started ALL coaches are to return to their technical area. Any coach that was in the technical area BEFORE the game was over, may certainly return there. The only persons allowed on the field are the players that were on the field when the game ended,the referee crew, and any players that were being attended to for injury or equipment as long as they COULD have legally been on the field at the end of regular or extended time. Now, I can't tell from your question whether or not the referee crew allowed your head coach ONTO the field during KFTPM. If your coach was allowed on the field the referee crew was in erroro. If the assistant referee refused to allow you to be in the TECHNICAL AREA, than that AR was in error. Any assistant coach is allowed to be where he was during the game. If the AR allowed the coach ONTO the FOP BEFORE the kicks phase was announced, but refused you than, again, he is in error as the game has ended and the kicks phase has not started. Your question caused some discussion amongst us. We would all appreciate your getting back to us with more details. Regardless, you should be commended for not causing a scene. Your players are fortunate to have someone more interested in the game and sportsmanship than his own ego. Many kudos!!

Answer provided by Referee Debbie Hoelscher

Kudos to you Les for keeping your head! Making mistakes is a part of the learning process. The AR should have deferred to the referee before giving you an answer. No one can enter or re-enter the field without the permission of the referee. Only the 11 players present on the field (as in, not substitutes) can participate in the kicks from the mark procedure. It is possible that the AR got a little caught up in keeping everybody off the field and keeping players on the field. From their perspective, it could be a kind of "game managment" tool. But, that having been said, it is the Center Referee only who can answer your request. Again, speaking as a referee sick of abuse being spewed out and justified by spectators/team management, I applaud and thank you for your respectful behavior. I truly wish more would be as mature. (By the way -- we often refer to it as PKs, but it is correctly stated to be "kicks from the mark." A PK (Penalty Kick) is a form of restart when a player has committed a foul in their own penalty area which would be awarded a direct free kick had it not occurred in their own Penalty Area. A PK is not how a decision for a winner is made....Kicks from the mark is.) Good Luck!

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Les,
I add to my colleagues admiration for your ability to agree to disagree for the good of the game. If we follow absolute letter of law it specifically states in law 3 coaches are to remain inside the technical area. ONLY ONE person at a time is permitted to relay tactical instructions and must return to his position within the technical area. In KFTPM all laws relevant unless OTHERWISE stated are in effect. It also states specifically only the eligible players and match officials are permitted to remain on the field of play when kicks from the penalty mark are being taken.
KFTPM are to determine a winner, the players are bound to go to the centre circle. Unless competition rules state otherwise I find no fault in law with the referees or ARs decision The referee COULD consider this a special circumstance and allow more than one technical staff onto the FOP but they cannot remain there and the AR does not have the authority to grant it.

? The number of persons permitted to occupy the technical area is
defined by the competition rules
? The occupants of the technical area are identified before the beginning of the match in accordance with the competition rules
? Only one person at a time is authorised to convey tactical instructions and he must return to his position after giving these instructions
? The coach and other offi cials must remain within the confi nes of
the technical area except in special circumstances, for example,
a physiotherapist or doctor entering the fi eld of play, with the
referee?s permission, to assess an injured player

Decision 2
A team official may convey tactical instructions to the players during the match and he must return to his position after giving these instructions. All officials must remain within the confines of the technical area, where such an area is provided, and they must behave in a responsible manner.

? Only the eligible players and match offi cials are permitted to remain on the field of play when kicks from the penalty mark are being taken

? All players, except the player taking the kick and the two goalkeepers, must remain within the centre circle

? Unless otherwise stated, the relevant Laws of the Game and International F.A. Board Decisions apply when kicks from the penalty mark are being taken

Cheers