Question Number: 21970

Law 13 - Free Kicks 9/14/2009

RE: Select Under 15

Jane of Lexington, KY USA asks...

I'm not a referee myself (they don't pay enough for me to take that kind of abuse!) but I try to understand the rules as best I can. Saw this yesterday though & have to question how the referee handled it and even whether the final correct call was made.

Red team is fouled deep in their defensive zone. Referee indicated a free kick with his arm pointed upwards. Red player set the ball, ran towards it, and brushed it with his foot - not really a kick, more like he just brushed the left side of the ball - and then he froze, thinking he had muffed the kick, the ball was in play and he could not touch it again.

No problem so far but.... No one else moved! Everyone just stood there - his teammates & even the opposing team. The referee did not move either & was still in place with arm extended upwards (which the red player and many of his teammates took to understand that he did not consider the ball in play). Since no one was moving & the referee's arm was still pointed upward (had not been lowered at all and was not in the process of being lowered - he was simply standing there with his arm fully extended upward), the Red player proceeded to kick the ball.

Immediately, the referee brought his arm down and blew the whistle, calling it a double-touch and gave the opposing team a DIRECT free kick (which many of the players and parents thought should have been INDIRECT instead).

a) Yes, in my opinion too, it really was a double-touch (since the ball really had been moved in a kicking motion - albeit an unsuccessful one) BUT... did the referee's mechanics deceive the Red player into making that mistake, into thinking he could get away with kicking the ball again because the referee was indicating that the ball was not yet in play?

b) Is the correct penalty for a double-touch, a FREE kick (or should it have been an INDIRECT kick as argued by a number of teh bystanders)?

No goal resulted from this play but I would simply like clarification of whehter the correct calls were made & whether or not the referee's mechanics could have been considered deceitful (whether by design or honest mistake).

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

Jane:

On an indirect free kick, the referee keeps the arm up until the ball is touched by another player (after the kicker). It does not indicate whether the ball is in play.

The punishment for the kicker touching the ball again after it is put in play and before it is touched by another player is an INDIRECT free kick for the opposing team. A direct free kick was a mistake.

If the free kick for the defense begins inside the defender's penalty area, the ball is not in play until it leaves the penalty area. If the ball is touched (by anyone) before it leaves the area, the kick should be retaken.

We need thoughtful referees. Think about joining us. You seem like someone willing to help end the abuse on the touchlines.

Dennis

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

This referee made some kind of mistake somewhere along the line here, but I'm not sure just what.

You said the ref's arm was extended upwards, but I'm not sure if by that you mean vertical or at an upward angle. Signalling direction for the kick is made by pointing the direction the kick will go, with the arm held 45* above horizontal (half-way up). Unfortunately many refs are sloppy with signals, and they point more or less horizontally.

An arm raised vertically is indication of an indirect free kick. Since you don't indicate the type of offense that caused the free kick, I don't know whether it should be direct or indirect. The arm is held vertically until the ball is touched by a second player after the kicker.

You mention this is a U15 select game. By that level, the players should recognize the ref signals, and should have known that a vertical arm (if that's what it was) meant there hadn't yet been a second touch. The referee also shouldn't be directing the players or explaining what they should do to play the ball - that's the coach's job.

Now the mistake. If this was an indirect free kick, as the ref's mechanics seem to indicate, and if the ref did call it a violation for second touch, then the restart should be an indirect free kick to the opponents, not direct.

There really should be little abuse of the referees at this level of play. We expect some mild abuse at lower age levels, where it can be attributed to ignorance. We expect some at upper levels of games in stadium settings, where the fans are separated from the field by a fence and thus pose no real threat. If refs are accepting abuse in a game of this middle-range level, it is because the referees are weak as an association. Coaches should be told to control their fans, or be dismissed from the field for not behaving responsibly (equivalent to a red card). In severe cases the game should be abandoned. If the league does not support these actions by the referees, they should as a group withhold their services.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

The referee signal of the arm being raised in the air is NOT a signal that the ball is not in play. It's the signal that the referee has awarded an indirect free kick. After the ball is kicked and moved, the arm stays in the air until the ball touches another player or goes out of play. When the referee lowers his arm after the ball has touched another player, this indicates that now it is possible to score a goal. This referee obviously considered what the player did was kick and move the ball so when he kicked it again, the referee was correct to blow his whistle but the proper restart is an indirect free kick not the DFK he awarded.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

On any restart DFK or indfk the kicker can STILL only touch it once.
However there is law precedent that the free kick must be signaled appropriately or it could be ordered retaken.

FIFA QUOTE Interpretation of the laws of the game and guidelines for referees
An indirect free kick must be retaken if the referee fails to raise his arm to indicate that the kick is indirect and the ball is kicked directly into the goal. The initial indirect free kick is not nullified by the referee's mistake.

Any other of the 21 players on the pitch need to get a touch before the kicker can participate and kick the ball again.

FIFA QUOTE Procedure
For both direct and indirect free kicks, the ball must be stationary when the kick is taken and the kicker must not touch the ball again until it has touched another player.

It is feasible as in a slip on a throw in the referee may simply sat lets do it right and go again! More likely at youth and non elite matches to be sure.

When a free kick is awarded, point the direction of play to show which team gets the kick!
Point the spot of the infraction if indeed it is no where near where it is supposed to go!
If it is an INDFK I support verbally saying so, and then raise the arm pointing straight up. .

FIFA QUOTE The Indirect Free Kick Signal
The referee indicates an indirect free kick by raising his arm above his head. He maintains his arm in that position until the kick has been taken and the ball has touched another player or goes out of play

I am uncertain what type of foul was originally called but IF, as you describe the referee's arm remained raised it is the indfk signal! It signifies that for a legal goal the ball must be touched by another player from either team AFTER kicked into play. The arm signal is immediately dropped WHEN the next touch occurs. Nothing to do with the ball in play.
As you correctly noted if the ball is kicked and moves it IS in play!
FIFA QUOTE Procedure
The ball is in play when it is kicked and moves.

The restart for a second touch infringement is ONLY an INDFK never can be a DFK UNLESS it was a deliberate use of the hands that did it. As the greater foul of impact it takes precedent over a measly indfk!!

FIFA QUOTE Free kick taken by a player other than the goalkeeper
If, after the ball is in play, the kicker touches the ball again (except with his hands) before it has touched another player:
? an indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team, the kick to be taken from the place where the infringement occurred (see Law 13 ? Position of Free Kick)
If, after the ball is in play, the kicker deliberately handles the ball before it has touched another player:
? a direct free kick is awarded to the opposing team, the kick to be taken from the place where the infringement occurred (see Law 13 ? Position of Free Kick)
? a penalty kick is awarded if the infringement occurred inside the kicker's penalty area

In summary a bit of a theatrical staging if the refere was content to consider the restart valid as a fact of match play so it is! However, the DFK restart for an indfk offence of a second touch restart violation at the end has created a 100% miss application of law.
This is where monitering, mentoring and ongoing training are needed to correct such deficencies. Only by participation can one truly make a difference!

Cheers