Question Number: 20052

Law 13 - Free Kicks 9/23/2008

RE: Under 16

Gregory Kowalski of Harrison, New Jersey USA asks...

In the referees'advice book 'For the Good of the Game' written by Edward Bellion and Robert Evans, two former NASL referees who are FIFA National Referee Instructors and USSF Referee Assessors, the authors state that 'The team that broke the law has no rights at free kicks except the right not to be distracted by something the referee does. Conversely, and most important, the team that takes the free kick has all the rights necessary to ensure that they are compensated for being wronged.' They then give examples. One of these is 'A defender commits a foul and after the whistle, walks back slowly away from the ball. The fouled player stands up and quickly plays the ball to a nearby teammate, but the ball strikes the retreating defender, who by this time is only five yards from the ball. Analysis: The ten-yard rule has been violated, and the law requires that the kick be retaken. By allowing the ball to be played even though there is a defender fewer than ten yards from the ball, the referee is applying the advantage clause, and since the advantage doesn't materialize, he can and should penalize the original infraction, that of being less than ten yards from the ball. The kick must be retaken. The encroaching defender need not be cautioned if the referee judges that he was not willfully impeding the free kick.'
The USSF 'Advice to Referees' book says the opposite. In Section 13.3 - Quick Free Kicks it states 'An attacking team which chooses to take a free kick with an opponent closer than the minimum distance may not thereafter claim infringement of the distance requirement, even if the ball is kicked to the infringing opponent...'
Who is correct? It seems to me that if you follow the USSF's advice the team that broke the law can hang around the ball, impede a quick free kick, and not get punished for it. Justice is not done in this case.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Advice to Referees is ALWAYS correct when it comes to US officials. If the retreating player turns around and plays the ball, then the 10 yards has been infringed. No disrespect to the other 2 authors who have done much to improve our knowledge of the game, but their opinions are just that, opinions and they carry no legal weight. What is written in ATR is the Law in the US but ADvice changes from time to time

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

I will add this, not being bound by the ATR .
Law 13
Infringements and Sanctions
If, when a free kick is taken, an opponent is closer to the ball than
the required distance:
? the kick is retaken
That is pretty straightforward to me and fits nicely with Bellion and Evans views.

Ff the referee is unsure if the defender or the attacker was at fault this seems to apply a workable solution where no cautions are considered only a retake .

What the ATR and FIFA might be trying to solve is the kicker who makes a mistake can not yell, we want ten yards, afte he kicks the ball into the retreating opponent through NO fault of the opponent . AS ten yards withdrawl still takes a few moments to comply and if it is in fact in the process of being complied with, so there is no failure to RESPECT the yardage and NO delay was intended a error on the part of the kicker is his fault not the poposition trying to create a problem more like the kicker tries to use this to draw a infringment by deliberately kicking at an opponent.

FIFA Additional guidence
If a player, while correctly taking a free kick, intentionally kicks the
ball at an opponent in order to play the ball again but neither in a
careless nor a reckless manner nor using excessive force, the referee
must allow play to continue.

I think this USSF ATR concept follows the FIFA guidelines .

Distance
If a player decides to take a free kick quickly and an opponent who
is less than 9.15 m from the ball intercepts it, the referee must allow
play to continue.

If a player decides to take a free kick quickly and an opponent who
is near the ball deliberately prevents him taking the kick, the referee
must caution the player for delaying the restart of play.
Cheers

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

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