Question Number: 14149

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 10/16/2006

RE: IM Under 12

Patrick Trombly of Winthrop / Newton, MA USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 14107

OK the notion that two defenders taking the ball from one forward is "unsportsmanlike" is complete crap. What it is is an effective coverage scheme. We did it all day on Saturday and won 3-0 against one of the better teams in our league. Without any free kicks being called either way.

The point is we're NOT "stacked" - or at least we weren't at the beginning of the season. The point is that using tactics derived from other sports - thinking out of the box - including physical D, is effective and that if you're going to call the rules "Laws" then they should be strictly interpreted - I've read the Laws, there's nothing in them that says anything close to the notion that mixing up coverage schemes or playing tough defense is illegal, and basically I'm hearing that despite your obvious effort putting together a document, it basically comes down to if the ref doesn't like it, it becomes illegal. Why bother with Laws in that case? There's going to be judgment when the play is close to the line, as in a high kick, but this isn't close - - it's a coverage scheme.

The question was about one instance of a ref giving free kicks every time we took the ball, in a fairly transparent effort to give the other team the ball back to prevent a lopsided game from becoming even more lopsided. In five games this is the only time it happened. In all the response I haven't seen once where anyone has even acknowledged that it's highly inappropriate for a ref to use his authority to affect the outcome. All I'm getting is that somehow my coverage scheme itself must be illegal - even if there is NO contact!

Even the ref who called the eight free kicks didn't see anything wrong with the double coverage. There's not a whole lot of contact there - it's on the kick-off so the players aren't moving fast at all. Really the only thing that the kicking team can do to get around that coverage is what we do when we kick off - we have someone in the backfield, tap it back to her, and she chips it up over the defenders to the area right in front of the goalie box - - I have my two forwards line up as if they were halfbacks and they run a "crossing pattern" to that spot, where if they get to the ball first they now have a 2-on-2. I do this once and then I run the double coverage the rest of the afternoon.

I do have one question - - what's the rule on moving before the other team kicks the ball? I thought the rules was there's a certain amount of space you have to leave until the initial touch is made, but are you also required to stand still? I'm thinking of running a blitz - have two players start out further back and start jogging toward each potential recipient of the pass and then go into a sprint when the center brings her foot back to kick, and try to intercept the pass. The question is, as long as my girls don't encroach the neutral space before the opposing center taps the ball, is it OK that they're moving. Please don't respond with "oh, but if the other team sees kids running at them, they could be frightened and that's not sportsmanlike."

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

Again, I do not believe in adjusting refereeing to the score of the match. If the team in the lead wants to adjust play, then thats fine. Either way I will do my job and referee the match up the best of my ability. Thats all I am going to say. Law mentions nothing about that being unsporting like.

Answer provided by Referee Debbie Hoelscher

Sir.
This is not a discussion board. Your question has been asked and it has been answered to the best of our abilities, based on extensive experience, knowledge and enforcment of the LOTG . If you don't like the answer or don't agree with it, that is your choice. However, this site is not the place to argue an answer. There are plenty of sites on the web at your disposal to argue and bash referees and their opinions. You are out of line with your comments. Our answers are not "crap." I can tell you that you would be watching your game and the next game from the parking lot had you taken this tone with me during a match.

Answer provided by Referee MrRef

See 14151

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Patrick, I'm beginning to wonder if you are [deleted]. We have answered your same question over and over ad nauseum. Every respondant has explicity stated no referee should ever call fouls simply to affect the score. No one and let me repeat since you seem to have difficulty understanding simple concepts, NO ONE ever has said 2 defenders taking the ball from a single opponent is unsporting behavior. Where do you get this from? You say you've read the Laws. READ THEM AGAIN!!!!!! Throughout the LOTG you will see this phrase repeated over and over "IN THE OPINION OF THE REFEREE". Soccer is NOT one of the other sports you love so well. Most calls are opinion of the referee calls so guess what? They are going to differ from referee to referee. Play like you want. Win a bunch of games. Have a great time. Use any schemes your heart desires. No one on this panel cares what you do. You don't want to listen to reason and that's fine but if you ever display attitude on the field like you do in your questions, you better hope you don't have a referee like any of us on this panel as you will quickly find yourself gone from the field of play. You asked one specific question this time after rambling on. AT a kick off, your girls may move wherever they want as long as they don't cross the halfway line or enter the center circle until the ball has been kicked. By the way, are you playing small-sided soccer? How would you end up with just a 2 on 2 on a kick off with 11 players per side?

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 14487