Question Number: 19899

Law 13 - Free Kicks 9/7/2008

RE: Intermediate (7 v 7) Adult

Al Sinopoli of Covington, LA USA asks...

The keeper had been trying to put the ball into play quickly on goal kicks to catch the other team too far forward, and booting it to the forwards at midfield. He's been bring the ball in-bounds, lightly tossing the ball with some back spin, taking a step back and as it settles still kicking it. The ball pretty much stands still just prior to his run at it and without nearly any motion he really isn't gaining any advantage. I haven't said anything about it.

Well, he does it for about the 5th time and this time the ball either wasn't quite perfectly still or he misjudged the kick and he shanks it a bit, the ball goes out of the penalty area directly to an attacker who one-touches it and scores. One of the teamates of the keeper who I have already warned about 'trash talking' with another player comes up to me and tells me that the ball wasn't stationary and I need to dis-allow the goal and let them re-take the goal kick. I indicate that it was pretty much stationairy and that the ball was kicked and moved out of the penalty area, so any slight movement on the ball was trivial as the keeper has been doing this fine up until this point. So I wasn't going to disallow the goal.

So the question is, was this a proper interpretation in the spirit of the game, or should I have warned the keeper previously to set-it differently to avoid this, and/or should I have disallowed the goal?

I might add that after my explanation the player 'informed' me that as a referee 'I cannot choose which rules to ignore' and that 'he was a referee too'. I then asked him if he was aware of the rule on dissent, at which he said he wasn't dissenting he was just 'letting me know the rules'. I indicated it sounded like dissent to me and I cautioned him (he also commented on my florescent yellow card I use at night, but I didn't want to go there). I later found out he indeed had just taken our leagues referee class, but had a reputation for being 'mouthy' as a player.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

The basic premise of trifling and doubtful stoppages is to avoid unneccessary stoppages. If the first five were unworthy of a stoppage I think the 6th is not worthy either. If you IGNORE something sooner or later someone will find a way to twist something to their advantage if need be. If you think it requires attention as SOON as it occurs **remind/ask **the keeper the ball must be stationary on the free kick. Next time whistle the moment the foot makes contact and **tell** him the ball **MUST** be stationary on the free kick. and retake . On the third time whistle the moment the foot makes contact and **warn** him suggesting that failure to heed your previous instructions could result in a card for wasting time and retake.
The key is whistle on foot to ball contact so this situation never goes beyond the penalty area.
As to the player/referee he needs to understand that dissent is dissent and shut his pie hole!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

You say the ball 'pretty much stands still' before he kicks it. This means that the ball was moving when it was kicked. This is not correct procedure. You MUST have the keeper retake the kick and tell him the ball MUST be stationary. This would have prevented what later occurred. I disagree with your handling of the player that dissented. You should have told him 'the kick was legal'. Period. Once you opened your mouth and admitted the ball was not stationary you opened up a can of worms. That said, when the player told you how to do your job and started lecturing you, you should have shown him you knew how to do your job by cautioning him for dissent and showing the yellow card.

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

See Question: 19910