Question Number: 17341

Mechanics 10/16/2007

RE: Rec Under 15

Dave K. of Des Moines, Iowa US asks...

Suppose I make an obstruction call and in a call for a direct free kick.
Then a coach yells out "That's an indirect kick isn't it?"
Gasp! Oh my gosh he's right!
What do you do in such situations when somebody shouts out that you are in error and you realize it?
How do you make the correct restart and still save face?

Answer provided by Referee Steve Montanino

Haha, I've been there before a few years back.

So, I just said "whoops, you're right! My mistake." Then I changed the restart to the correct one and off we went.

I think you'll find that most reasonable people (even coaches) will be happier if you admit your errors and take responibility for them when you make them by ensuring the correct thing happens in the game. People will see you as a human being and that's a good thing.

Now you want to avoid saying "my bad" more than a handful of times in a game, then you start to appear incompotent. But don't be afraid to admit you made an error.

If you do make a mistake, it's never acceptable to just "live with it" to hide from it, that will only serve to haunt you in the end. You're doing the game, the teams, everyone else at the game, and mostly yourself a disservice by allowing a known mistake to occur when it could have been corrected. Ethically, you should never do that.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Actually you shouldn't be stopping play for obstruction unless you're on a high school match so the correct restart is neither direct nor indirect it is dropped ball. Now if you intervened for impeding the progress of an opponent and you established a direct free kick restart for that, yeah the coach is right. Accept the mistake as a stuff happens thing and tell the players you screwed up then put your arm up. Mumble something like better this mistake than giving a goal with the ball at half line or sending off the wrong guy so the few players around you can hear. They'll laugh and all will be well again.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

It is an acceptable risk speaking as a coach for me to yell out a correction on a misaplication of the law. If the referee is congineal and openminded to this minor dissent he could choose to take my advice and correct his mistake. He can also warn for dissenting or expell if unreasonable (in his opinion) He can still remind me as coach I stick to coaching. Just try not to embarass but be respectful and an occassional ooops is admitted and no one gets their snot in a knot! Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

You simply pat your chest, say "my bad" or "Brain Fart" or something similar, raise your hand for an IFK and get on with the game. You might even want to say "thanks Coach". Everyone would rather you get it right and there should be no saving of face . The worst thing you could do was to insist you were right when you were wrong. Also, the offense you cite has been changed to impeding the progress of an opponent.

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

Just change the call. You can change a call provided that you have not restarted play.