Question Number: 23028

Law 5 - The Referee 3/28/2010

RE: Under 19

Steven of Sydney , Nsw Australia asks...

Where should the referee stand on kick offs and goal kicks?

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Out of the way. And somewhere beneficial for the next expected phase of play.

On a goal kick, that usually means more toward the center of the field.

On a kickoff, there are good positions to choose from. Since most teams taking the kickoff tend to pass the ball back after it initially goes forward, the ref should probably be standing in the kicking team's side of the field. But some teams blast it forward, and if the ref knows this from prior kicks he should probably be downfield a bit so she doesn't have to run as fast to catch up with play.

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Hi Steven,

As a fellow Australian referee, I've been told to, at the kick off, stand in the same side of the field as the team taking the kickoff, to the side and a few yards away from the halfway line. My memory is a little hazy, but I think I was also told we should be standing on the opposite side to the AR on that end (as you typically would), so that AR is in front and to the left of you, and the other AR is to the right and easy to see, and you can cross the field behind play when play moves up the field.

As for goal kicks, that's going to partially depend if the kick is on the left side of the field or the right. It will also depend on where play normally goes from goal kicks.

Goal kicks are fairly predictable - normally you can expect, when refereeing men or older youth games, that the ball will land somewhere around halfway and then move up the field. Considering the principles of Angle, Closeness, Ball and Where? Where? Go!, I would normally position myself on the left side of the field - near the touch line if the GK is taken on the left, or towards the middle if taken on the right), so that as play moves up the field I'm looking through play towards the AR on that side (remember, you generally don't want to be on the same side of the field as your AR in that half).

However, some teams are terrible at retaining possession from a goal kick - if they normally lose position, then you can anticipate play will move back towards the same goal, thus position yourself on the other side of the field so when play moves back, the ball is between yourself and the AR.

The 'drop zone' - where the ball lands - will normally be in around the same location, so remain nearby but out of the way, and try to view this zone directly from the side. You should also see players moving as the kick is being taken to give yourself a hint as to where the ball's going.

Experiment with different positions and remember to adapt your positioning to each particular match, but do this in regards to the same positioning principles you'll use at any point in the match (you should find these in the 'Additional Advice' section of the Australian copy of the Laws Of The Game).

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Referee Steven
Page 70 of the current laws of the Game makes suggestions as to the positioning of a referee for a kick off and a goal kick.
These vary depending on what the referee has experienced in a game and they are not cast in stone.
The important part is that the referee is positioned so as to view subsequent play from the best angle and be in a positon to see what he needs to see