Question Number: 20330

Law 11 - Offside 10/21/2008

RE: Other

Todd of Rockford, IL USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 20317

As a follow up to the original question - say, before the restart, the AR gets the attention of the CR and explains just what your answer to the original question is and the CR realizes the AR is correct and he made a mistake. What is the correct restart now if the CR admits to his mistake and awards the ball back to the attacking team?

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

The referee has blown his whistle for offside. Before he restarts play he realises he made a mistake. The restart is a dropped ball.

Answer provided by Referee Steve Montanino

The restart would be a dropped ball as play was stopped for some reason other than one specified in the laws of the game, in this case, an inadvertent whistle.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

You can not award the team the ball if there is no infraction. What you have is an inadvertent whistle thus drop ball where the ball was when the whistle went.

Law 5 permits a referee to change a decision if he recieves additional information from his ARS or 4th or realizes he is incorrect BEFORE he has allowed play to be restarted

Now the players themselves could sort out a fair play concept as in the defenders saying you guys had the ball before the referee erred so we will return it to you. The referee drops the ball to the one player who then kicks the ball back towards the opposition usually though in a far less advantageous position! Still the spirit of the game is relatively intact when acts of good sportsmanship dominate the thinking. It is important to note that a referee cannot force players to not participate in a drop ball just because his idea of what is fair is not followed. Tit for tat will follow those who decide to do what they want at the expense of others.
Cheers

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See Question: 20335