Question Number: 20314

Character, Attitude and Control 10/20/2008

RE: Comp Under 19

Brian Condie of Rifle, CO USA asks...

Is it against soccer LAW to play the delay game for 90minuets to try and tie a game against a superior team? The delay game consists of kicking the ball out of bounds ( no hard or long shots out of bounds), lots of substituting, taking our time on throw-ins, corner kicks, goalie kicks ect. Let me know, thanks

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

In youth soccer this is only a problem at tournaments where you are not allowed to add time wasted. Usually it's done by requesting substitutions at every possible opportunity and with multiple subs each time. If this is not a tournament, as soon as I realise what the coach is doing I inform him I'll be adding time for every sub and if he keeps this up we'll all be here awhile which has always stopped the behavior. At tournaments I have to admit I don't hear as well as I might and will miss some of the subs. Also, I insist that Law 3 is followed to the letter or no subs are allowed

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Moving slowly for throwins, corner kicks, etc. would be considered delaying the restart, and would be cautionable.

Kicking the ball out every opportunity or requesting a lot of substitutions would bring the game to a screeching halt and break up any continuity, but should not be considered unsporting behavior. The referee should be adding time for every occurance though, so you don't gain anything. You also don't generate much goodwill among the other side's players, coaches and fans, nor with the referee crew. But if you want to see the longest elapsed time soccer game in the history of the world, this would be a way to go.

Deliberately trying to lose, not trying to win or trying to settle for a tie are also not unsporting behavior. However the referee should report such actions to the governing league authority. They may have something to say about the issue.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

There are things that we consider using time which are tactically sound and things where wasting time we can see as USB and cautionable.
If we are the sole discretionary control of time as a referee is supposed to be, we can add up the wasted time and ensure it does not affect the playing time..

At the pro levels when team or teams are engaged in such delay or tie tactics this is often seen in group play during championship or advancement type tournaments. Teams can be held accountable for failing to provide a reasonable effort to their paying fans. A referee can not always alter these in a way he might wish but one can record and report to authorities the behaviors witnessed.

The tactical things one can do legally as in whacking a ball out when no other replacement balls are being use we can still add the time spent retrieving that ball to some degree. In professional matches with ball boys and balls all around the pitch that type of conduct simply does not factor into it at all anymore. It is at the grassroots such things are disturbing. As in retrieving balls from the dense bush or floating in the pond. I have outright told players they are responsible for retrieving the ball or they are paying for a new one if they deliberately engage in such conduct. I had a keeper once punt the ball deliberately in behind his goal towards the bush/creek to waste time. I added all of it, made him retrieve it and told him a reoccurrence would be a caution for usb. I can not fault pounding a ball out of play along a touchline or goal line to give recovery time to team mates or hope to settle or throw off the opposition but to deliberately use clear possession to stop play in such a manner is very tacky ethics

A player can dribble the ball into the corner and shield it there or a keeper can wait to pick up a ball until challenged in normal play because the opposition has a say in what goes on. When play is stopped and must be restarted a referee can expect reasonable behavior from the teams in restarting within a reasonable time.

The discretionary aspect of punishing dragging the feet is USB and cautionable and time is still made up to compensate. What really bugs me is tournaments and matches where the referee is unfairly restricted in the use of time by the scheduling and by-laws implemented for multiple matches on multiple fields. Goofy scoring rules creating situations with teams scoring on themselves. Quick preventative actions must be part of the referee's assurance to the other team such ungentlemanly behavior is not tolerated or permitted to adversely affect the match. Yet if one accepts a match that has unlawful exemptions we are bound by the rules of competition to follow them no matter how haywire they might be.
Cheers