Question Number: 16763

League Specific 9/18/2007

RE: HIGH SCHOOL High School

FRANCO of soccerville, USA asks...

Its a high school game and time is running out, just a 3 or 4 minutes left. Team A is up by a goal. Team B just kicked the ball out for a TEAM A goal kick. Team A keeper follows the ball to the goal line and the ball has enough momentum to cross the goal line by 10 or 15 feet. He stops going after the ball and waits on the ball boy to retrieve a ball for him. This takes an extra 10 or 20 seconds and team B fans are yelling and screaming at him and the ref for wasting time. The game did have ball boys and this one was a little slower than most, but they were ball boys provided by team b. The keeper could have easily retrieved the ball himself and saved those seconds but is he obligated to do so? Is this a wasting of time?
THANKS
FRANCO

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Ah, wonderful high school rules, no? Instead of just allowing the referee to add the 10-20 wasted seconds onto the end of the half, we have to go by the almighty clock.

I guess this keeper wasn't there when both teams came out to the center circle, joined hand and sang Kum By Yah, and listened intently to the referee's sportsmanship speech.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Rule 6 addresses ball holders. It doesn't specify how fast they should react. They may be provided by the home side or the away side. The referee may order the clock to be stopped or add time at his discretion. Some actually do...

Regards,