Question Number: 18900

Law 9 - The Ball in and out of Play 4/27/2008

RE: select Under 11

kyle berry of BROOKVILLE, ohio U.S.A. asks...

why do ref's not use their whistle when the ball goes out of bounds on the sideline or the end line? we teach our players to play until they hear a whistle. are we teaching our player's wrong?

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

The referee only uses the whistle when it is necessary to do so. The whistle is meant to be a signal, "Hey, pay attention, something important is going on here." If the whistle is blown too often, it becomes like the Boy Who Cried 'Wolf' - the players stop paying attention when their attention is really needed.

There are only a few circumstances listed in the Laws when the whistle must be used. For example, kickoffs, the end of the half, and when play must be stopped for a foul. If the ball is off the field and everyone can see it is off, the only signal needed is to indicate the restart. If the ball goes slightly over a line and then back onto the field, the whistle is probably needed to stop play.

"Play to the whistle" isn't wrong. Players shouldn't stop play in expectation of fouls, for example. But it isn't true in every circumstance, such as when the ball is obviously out of play.

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

If it is obvious to all...then why blow the whistle. Now if the ball barely goes over the line and then comes back into play, then the referee needs to whistle as it is not obvious. The whistle is the referees voice and should be used only when necessary. Unnessary blowing of the whistle makes it less valuable when it does blow.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Do your players need the whistle to tell them the ball has left the field? Not if everyone can see it has left, right? Do they need the whistle when an offense has been committed or an incident has occurred for which play must be stopped? Yes! That is when the "play to the whistle" is important, and as you know, sometimes the players may THINK an offense has been committed but the referee doesn't - so the players mustn't stop playing. A common example is the ball touches a hand. Players reflexively assume it is an offense if the ball touches the hand, when in the Law, it requires the hand/arm DELIBERATELY touch the ball. Big difference. If players stop playing when they think a handling offense has occurred without a whistle, they will be left flat-footed while opponents take off with the ball. If the referee recognized in that instance the ball was not deliberately handled, there should have been no whistle. Referees are a match condition, just like the weather and your players' attitudes - and even highly trained, experienced referees will call games slightly differently, meaning some will see what your players can do with their skills and will allow them to play through some challenges other referees would not. On the other hand, some referees will not recognize the challenges as foul, lamentably, and the lesson here is your players must continue to play either way. One is more fun and exciting and safer than the other, of course.

Answer provided by Referee Debbie Hoelscher

Um. Common sense is in short supply for the teaching of our youth. I'm continually amazed by the amount of coddling and thinking for our kids that goes on in our society. DUH. The ball went over the line. DUH. It's out of play. Do we really need to dumb it down to the extent of such a trifling whistle? If a kid can't figure out that he's supposed to stop his play if the ball goes over the line into touch, and is unable to differentiate between that and assumed "foul play," (and thus playing until a whistle) then heaven help us! And shame on the coaches and parents for having set such low expectations for otherwise very bright and capable kids.

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

See Question: 18945