Question Number: 15152

Mechanics 4/10/2007

RE: Rec, Select Adult

John McCain of Semmes, AL USA asks...

How would you handle this situation? The offense kicks a ball toward the end line, that is (apparently) caught past the end line (wide of goal) by the defensive keeper.

The Head Ref signals for a goal kick. Another player on the defensive team (not the keeper), moves the ball with her hands to a good spot on the penalty line for a goal kick, and makes the kick.

While the ball is in play, the AR is waving the flag to get the referee's attention. When he does there is a discussion, in which the AR states that the ball never went past the end line, and was in play while being touched by the non keeper player. Ruling: hand ball in the penalty are, PK.

My only problem with this is that if a player is told by the referee that it is a goal kick, how can you then penalize her for touching the ball?

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

The match would be abandoned after the police took away the referee and the coroner took away the assistant's body.

Play stopped when the referee indicated goal kick. STOPPED!!! If the assistant thought it necessary to bury the referee he should have given the correct restart as well, dropped ball. Play was incorrectly stopped, correct? Looks like the referee sold his decision to everyone but the linesman; at that point keeping quiet is ever-so-much the better idea...

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Agreed. No way this EVER results in a PK. If the referee erred and accepts the ARs decision, the restart is a dropped ball at or around the 6. If I'm the center, I'll thank the AR for his input and restart with the goal kick I originally decided on.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Well in what capacity?
After the laughter subsided or the frustration finally finished as a coach if not yet ejected I would remind my players we still must respect the position of referee even if these officials officially are brain dead. If the match was important enough to be protested and the misapplication of law and proceedure was responsible we might go that route. If my captain could be allowed to ask the referee politely why and what is going on and did you not stop play when you awarded a goal kick? oh well we can dream

Frankly as referee I would not undo my goal kick decision because as I allowed the restart to occur it is too late to do so. WE can act of things unseen when an AR points it out but we obviously saw it different.
I would immediately look to my AR as we ARE supposed to do after ANY stoppage and if he did have something to say it would be at that time I would know something was amiss.

A referee should not signal a goal kick unless he has in fact decided the ball was out of play last touched by the attacking team before the ball fully crossed the defending touchline and play now needs to be restarted. It is a bit unclear you say signalled, was it just a hand gesture pointed with arm or a whistle? On any close decision where a ball could be just out or go in and out quickly always a whistle if a decision it WAS out! Always a FLAG snapped raised!

A player who used their hands to pick up a ball AFTER a referee stopped play even if he stopped play accidently has done NOTHING wrong. Time for review and some basic training for these officials by the head referee!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Nathan Lacy

Mechanics. Mechanics. Mechanics. I believe that AR stands for ASSISTANT referee but perhaps some decide to use only the first three letters of each part of the title. Assisting/supporting a referee is very different from BURYING your referee - DUH. Unity between the officials is paramount and this AR made an unwise choice in drawing undue attention to themselves in this situation. Unfortunately, the ref apparently was not of sufficient maturity to know what to do with this "unfortunate" piece of information. As the ref, I think a "thank you" to the AR followed by "but we'll still go with the GK as it was my call that the ball was out of play" would be appropriate. This is a matter of the ref's judgement which is not protestable whereas misapplying the law as was done in this case MAKES the game protestable. I would rather move on with a "bad decision" than a misapplication of law. Heck, I'm told that I do that all the time anyway by coaches, spectators, players, etc., so why make a change in this case. Hang in there. All the best,