Question Number: 12953

Law 1- The Field 6/4/2006

RE: Cup Under 15

Maxwell of Pittsburgh, Pa USA asks...

This weekend our team had to play an extremely important game on a crappy field. Half of the sideline on one side of the field was just a big line of mud about 2 feet wide. The interesting part is when a ball would have been clearly out of bounds and our player picked it up for a throw-in, she got called for a handball! Is a field with a 2 foot wide sideline fit to play on and what should the ref's have done?

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Maxwell,
while it is frustrating to play on crap fields. The referee could choose to play or not play if the field markings were so poor as to be unplayable. Given you were playing, my advice, as a coach, on balls that are close to the touchlines never reach down to pick up a ball unless you hear a whistle to stop play! Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

One must always consider a ball crossing a field boundary of an unmarked or poorly marked ground is a nebulous thing. When one sees a ball no longer in play others see it in play. If one of the others is the referee the ones thinking it out of play are out voted and better not pick it up.

I have refereed matches with no lines, NONE. I marked the field with corner flags and 4 cups full of sand to indicate each penalty area and garbage cans at the halfway line. I had no problems nor did the players, they listened for a signal that indicated the ball was no longer in play. Sounds like that might have been a good idea for your coach to offer the players that day.

Regards,