Question Number: 22479

Law 18 - Common Sense 11/9/2009

RE: Comp. Div. I Under 10

scott dilling of san ramon, ca. usa asks...

I refereed a game this weekend as a center. I have done over 1100 games,80% as a center and think I have seen everything until something like this comes up.

The opposing team is taking a corner kick and positions a field player 2-3 yds in front of the corner kicker, with their back to that player. That field player spreads their legs like a wicket and assumes the scarecrow position.

I don't like trickery or deceptive plays at this age level and have them re-kick the corner without that player in that position. I state obstruction and trickery ( poor sportmanship ) as my reasons.

What would be the call here? I feel it shortens the sidelines by 2-3 yds. by doing this. Seems like we dont have to teach U9's things like this.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

What exactly did the team do that was contrary to the Laws? If they want to, they can have their whole team stand 2 to 3 yards in front of the kicker. Not a smart move, but it's not illegal by any stretch of the imagination - and it is NOT trickery or obstruction. There should be no call here, IMHO. I don't understand what the position the player took has to do with shortening the sidelines? What the player has done is close down a lot of options for the corner kicker - her right, but again not too smart. Why interfere?

All defenders have to be at least 10 yards away (may be less for U10), so where the attackers position themselves is of no concern to the referee unless they are actively blocking the keeper (meaning next to the keeper and moving to prevent the keeper from getting to the ball). But that is simple enough to deal with - ask once, and if no good response, as soon as the ball is in play, free kick for the defense.

While we have a responsibility to the game to keep it fair, fun and safe, we need to be careful not to insert our authority where it doesn't belong and not to make up reasons for a call when we don't have a clear understanding for what we don't like.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Referee Dilling
Congratulation on achieving such a record of matches. It is truly an excellent tally and your commitment is no doubt appreciated by your football community.
Doesn't the game throw up all sorts of wonderful situations. Personally I don't see the sense of this 'positioning' by this team. In fact IMO it is a waste of a player and surely he is getting in the way of his teammate with no obvious advantage other than taking one or two defenders out of the goal area but than can be done without this 'positioning'. Nor do I see the opponents being disadvantaged by this. I could see the sense of this at a free kick in front of goal and that does happen and is legal but what's the point at a corner??
Okay I can see your desire for the game to be played without these ruses, which is coach led as the players just want to play, but the referee can't intervene unless the law has been broken. I would be of the view that if the coach thinks this is smart he will soon be disappointed and allow him learn the difficult way
Funnily enough your decision of a retake was actually incorrect in law. If you believe that an infringement of the law had been committed you should have cautioned the offender and restarted with an IDFK to the defence, from where the infringement took place. That is always a good test for referees of whether an offence took place in these type of situations. Another test is what is the reaction of the opponents. They could be chuckling to themselves about this nonsense.
A retake is a Law 18 decision and I have seen it done many times on other corner kick ruses that referees don't like, but there is no basis for it in law. But hey it was your game and you did not allow that so it probably puts an end to that.
Continue the excellent work you are doing and no doubt you will be continued to see 'new' scenarios that require your experience to deal with them.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Not to be harsh, but you seem to have fallen into the referee trap of, 'I've never seen that before, so it must be illegal.' There are many instances of this. Maybe most notably is when that flip throw started showing up.

I've seen this tactic and never understood what it got them. I can't see any advantage in it, and as my colleagues remark, it takes a potential receiver out of the picture.

But there's a lot of things that teams do that I don't understand, things they do to try to outfox or out-psych their opponents. One team had two plays for corner kicks. They'd call them out by number. But it wasn't number 1 and 2, it was number 1 and 20. I guess they thought everyone would be impressed if they had 20 setpieces.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Just to blunt what you like or do not like of a tactical play be it a goofy one or not is not your concern. Was it against the laws? You are neutral and cannot arbitrarily decide who gets to do what. You can only intervene if the laws are being violated. I see no reason for you to anything except wonder at the tactical folly practised by some coaches!

This was a TEAM mate thus the defending team is still obligated to withdraw 10 yards from the corner arc. It could be the idea is to not let the keeper get a good look at the incoming ball but who the frig knows!

If there was a screen set up where the ball was hidden in behind say four or five of these teammates and the corner kick taker kicked the ball into play secretly with another team mate comes in to dribble it away the referee must still be able to determine the ball was kicked into play.

Cheers