Question Number: 19999

Law 18 - Common Sense 9/19/2008

RE: Rec, Select Under 13

Joe Griego of Bishop, California USA asks...

As always, thanks for your consideration of our often repetitive and sometimes dense reading of FIFA law !

I was a spectator at a U10 boys match last Saturday, and here's what happened.

Blue team is defending. Blue player gains possession of ball. Grey team pressures Blue player, and Blue player passes back to his keeper. Keeper picks up ball with his hands!

Ref whistles, signals for an indirect kick at point of foul, which happens to be in the goal area. So ball is placed just on line of goal box six yards out. Because this is U10, referee stops play and instructs Blue team players where they are allowed to stand to defend (on goal line, between the posts, in this case).

Ref whistles the restart, while holding hand for indirect. Grey player kicks ball, hits the crossbar! Ball rebounds directly to kicker's feet. Everyone stops and stares at the ball for about a second, before the Grey player kicks ball, and it rolls over the line into the net. No one else has touched the ball.

Crowd goes wild, Grey team celebrates, Blue coach is going crazy, yelling that Grey player was 'offside.'

Ref looks confused (she's a new referee). Picks up ball, begins walking toward center of field to restart with kickoff.

Blue coach still insisting on 'offside' although that was impossible since Blue players were standing on goal line the whole time.

Just before the kickoff, Blue coach comes onto the field itself to 'correct' ref. She insists it's too late to change her call, and she's telling him the goal will stand.

But, there is still time to correct this error before the kickoff, correct? As long as the restart hasn't taken place, the center ref *could* simply bring the ball back to the point of the second touch, set it down, and signal for an indirect free kick for Blue team, correct?

Granted, this was a first time youth ref, so nobody went completely insane over it, but for future reference, I'd like to advise the youth referee that it's not too late to correct an error if the restart hasn't taken place. What would you recommend? If you were just a spectator (and not acting as a referee at a youth recreational game), what would you do?

Thanks again,

Joe G.
Bishop, CA

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Equally you are welcome for reading some of our obtuse, sarcastic or thick answers. LOL! ;o)

You are correct the referee CAN indeed change their mind upon realizing the call was incorrect. If she had neutral ARS they could advise her but coaches, players and fans just do not get that opportunity. No matter how correct they might be.

QUOTE FIFA LAW 5
Decisions of the Referee
The decisions of the referee regarding facts connected with play,
including whether or not a goal is scored and the result of the match,
are final.
The referee may only change a decision on realising that it is incorrect or, at his discretion, on the advice of an assistant referee or the fourth official, provided that he has not restarted play or terminated the match. end quote'

You correctly identifed a two touch violation and the indfk out is the proper restart.
As right as YOU are this time and you know whats what, there is no pratical way to interfere with the match. The referee if she is inexperianced and makes mistakes that is a match condition. She can not take advise reguardless of how good it is from the touchlines to decide what she should do. Simply because that advise is not always as good as yours might be. Dissent and abuse escalate from frustration and if she does take your advise but not someone elses it creates the perception of unfairness and biasis. Youth referees are far too often the subject of brow beating by larger adults even if they do not mean to. Even to approach a referee who has had a tough time or a dreadful outing is not a good idea at a match no matter that YOUR efforts are sincere. Time and place, reasonable attitudes and a calm enviroment.

As a coach I encourage my captain to approach the referee before the start of a match and ask can we please approach and recieve clarification on occassion for things we are confused on if time and conditions are appropriate?

Then in a case where a MISAPPLICATION of law is occuring we stand a chance to get our version stated and the referee can consider at least what we said and be reminded of the laws. But if the referee does not know the law well enough to apply it they simply cannot favour or rely on the word of one coach or fan over what another coach or fan is saying.

I have watched similar incidents where the referee is recieving a verbal bashing from nearly everyone just how to decifeir what is correct from such intimidation is near impossible, confidence is shot no cautions for dissent just why the frig am I here and this ist he last time I will do this begins to enter the thought process.

I have yelled at those bitching to shut up and let the referee get on with the match as well as expressed my occassional dismay at the decisions taken. But rarely at youth referees as I understand their difficulty and experiance factors, will I do anything except make notes, record and report!

I do not encourage anyone nor do I engage or seek to undermine a referee when coaching but admittedly not immune upon seeing something I do not like or threatens my players well being to a quick outburst or two. FULLY UNDERSTANDING I could have to pay a price for doing so!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Certainly the referee could and should change her decision - immediately after she deals with the coach who entered the field to pursue her! There is no excuse for coach behavior like that, no matter what mistake the ref is about to make. The coach should be sent packing to the parking lot.

And by the way, the coach had it wrong. It wasn't a goal, but it wasn't because it was offside!

Hopefully when you noted that no one went insane over the call, you include the newbie youth referee in your calculations. Incidents like this can turn a new ref off from perfecting her craft. I've said many times, 'If you don't like the new inexperienced ref you've got today, yell at her a lot. She'll quit, and you'll have a new inexperienced ref to scold next season.'