Question Number: 21715

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 7/29/2009

RE: select Under 10

michael of lic, ny us asks...

The ball is around the mid field and in the game. Just a normal game, everyone is playing soccer. Team A's defender, kicks in the groin team B's player and smacks him on the face to give him a bloody nose within the 18 yard area - in the Penalty area. The Ref stops the game, gives a red card to the defender A. Is the restart a drop ball where the game stopped? The biggest challenge the Refs have, from my experience, is to start and restart after stopping the game during an incidence or something away from the ball. When the incidence happens with the ball and betw players with the ball, it is easy = direct, indirect, play on, etc. So was the call correct? What happens if the same bloody nose incidence happens outside the penalty area but still away from the ball betw two players?

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

A dropped ball? Not hardly.

Why was the defender sent off? It was for violent conduct. And what was that conduct? Kicking and striking an opponent when the ball was in play. Those are both direct free kick fouls; done inside the penalty area they become penalty kicks.

While I am concerned that the referee got this wrong, I am more concerned that this happened in a U10 game. Someone needs to sit down the coaches in that league and explain that this is totally unacceptable behavior. These kids don't even have an excuse of the raging hormones that the U15 barbarians do. Coaches should be told that the league will suspend players for at least the rest of the season if any behavior like this happens again.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Why would a dropped ball even be a consideration? A foul has been committed, actually 2 of them kicking an opponent and striking an opponent. They were done with excessive force so it's also violent conduct and the player is sent off. The foul is punished where it occurred not where the ball is. In this case the defender committed a direct free kick foul against an opponent inside his penalty area. The restart is a penalty kick.

All that said, what's going on at a U10 game? Kids fistfighting and kicking each other in the crotch? Unacceptable behavior and the coaches need to address this

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

If play is stopped because of a foul (by a player against an opposing player on the field of play when the ball is in play), the restart is based on the foul (direct or indirect free kick), and the location of the restart is the spot of the foul, not the ball.

You are correct that sometimes when there is a fight, the referee forgets why play originally was stopped. (Who hit whom first? Did the bad stuff happen after was stopped for some othe reason?) It is usually a good idea for the nearest assistant referee to grab the ball and, when everything has been sorted, to remind the referee of the correct restart when handing her the ball.

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

There is no challenge in determining the restart for an off-the-ball offence. The laws of the game make no reference to whether or not a foul is on-the-ball or off-the-ball.

A kick is a kick, no matter whether or not a challenge for the ball is involved.

The restart occurs where the offence occurs.

This is clearly a direct free kick offence, and a penalty kick being in his own team's area.

Heck, even if the ref forgets that, if you stop play to issue a card then the restart is an indirect free kick from where the offence occurred.

Considering it's U/10, I suspect it may have been a young and new referee on the match.

As Ref Wickham said, sometimes if the ref turns around and sees a fight or confrontation he can stop play and restart with a drop ball (the laws of the game allow for that if there are simultaneous offences from opposing players, or if he 'stops play for any other reason' - though for that to be met he can't have seen anything worthy of a card at this point). I have a suspicion that the referee in question may have been informed by a senior colleague, perhaps when he did his training, of the option to restart with a drop ball if he turns around and sees two players about to get it on, and simply got a bit confused as to what exactly is meant by that and over-applied it to th wrong incident.

The refereeing body needs to be informed so they can educate the official so he does not make the same mistake.

I find it extremely disturbing that a 9/10 year old has behaved in such a vicious and sickeningly brutal manner. One would hope the opposing coach lays down the law, although there should also have been 2 other people on his sideline who have a far greater responsibility for that player's behaviour. Makes me wonder why it happened, if something was said by the victim (not that this would justify it in the slightest) or if it was completely random. Terrible stuff.

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

See Question: 21733

See Question: 21757