Question Number: 23252

Law 13 - Free Kicks 5/4/2010

RE: Under 15

Alan Lands of Linwood, NJ Atlantic asks...

These questions concern the required 10 yard distance before a direct or indirect kick on the offensive side of the field in youth soccer games U-9 to U-17.
1. Upon a request from a player or coach is the referee required to move the defensive wall to the correct location? Or, can we tell the offensive team to take the kick and if the defensive team was not 10 yards away, allow a rekick and/or show a yellow card to a defensive player on the wall? As a player, coach and now referee I know it's customary for the referee to move the wall - but is it required?;

2. If the offensive player takes the kick while the defensive wall is clearly less than 10 yards without having asked for 10 yards, (or the defensive wall encroaches after starting at the required distance) and no goal is scored, is the referee required to call a foul and give the offensive team a rekick? If he is required to allow a rekick is the referee also obligated to issue a yellow card?

3. If the referee is required, upon request, to move the wall to the required distance, can such a request be initiated by the coach (screaming from the sideline) or is an offensive player required to make the request?

Thank-you
Al

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Referee Lands
If a team is moving it's defensive wall back and the offensive team decides to take a quick free kick then they accept the outcome such as the ball going wide or hitting the wall. If however a defender charges the ball down then that is a cautionable offence and the free kick is retaken. If the team has asked for 10 yards then it becomes a ceremonial free kick and the team must wait until the referee signals for the free kick to be taken.
As regards who requests that it is a matter for the players over the ball with whom the referee has spoken to. So normally they will say 'Can we have 10 yards ref?' or the referee will ask the player do they want 10 yards and if they do then they are told to wait for the whistle. If a player says that he does not want 10 yards then the referee will move aside and allow the free kick to be taken and view the outcome.
At very young age groups they should not be 'organising' defensive walls but getting on with playing the game. If a coach is instructing them from the sideline then obviously these very young players will defer to his advice which the referee has to deal with, as the kick will probably not be taken without the coach's say so.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Before I go any further, please know that coaches have NO say - that is zero, zip, zilch - about whether a wall or ten yards is to be enforced or not. That responsibility lies with the players, and them alone. Now, if they listen to the (screaming?) coach, and ask, of course the referee can respond appropriately. But the referee has no responsibility to respond to the coach's demands for 10 yards.

Referees should be proactive in getting 10 yards so that teams don't find it necessary to 'ask'. Do this at the very first few free kicks and there are often no further issues. But before inserting ourselves into the mix, first check to make sure the attacking team doesn't intend to take a quick free kick. If they do, get out of the way and let 'er rip! Should there still be defenders who haven't retired the 10 yards, that's okay, because it was the attacking team's choice to kick quickly. Only if a defender actually interferes by moving forward toward the kick as it is taken should the referee intercede, and then only if the kick was unsuccessful. One doesn't want to be whistling the ball dead to have retake and a caution as the ball goes sailing into the goal!!

As to whether to retake a kick where there has been interference or where the kick doesn't score, it will depend on whether the referee feels the defensive movement actually interfered with the kick. If he does think so, the kick is retaken and a card is issued - try to pick someone without a card, if possible.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

1. First, the coach cannot request anything. The player taking the kick or his teammates may request the 10 yards. But, the referee should never prevent the team taking the kick from taking it quickly. The defending team has no rights and if it's advantageous to the kicking team to take the kick quickly, the referee should simply do nothing and stay out of the way. If the kicking team requests the wall to be moved, the referee must now make sure everyone knows the kick CANNOT be taken until he blows his whistle. He signals this by holding his whistle up, pointing to it and loudly stating for everyone to wait for his whistle.

2. Nothing here is mandatory. If the kicking team takes a kick before the defending team has retreated the 10 yards, they forfeit that distance. That is to say, they can't ask for the 10 yards now. If the defending team made a movement towards the ball and interfered with the kick, the referee certainly may caution 1 or more of the players but the referee is also empowered to view the incident as trifling and simply allow play to continue.

3. The coach may scream if he wants, but the referee should not make the kick ceremonial unless a player on the kicking team requests it

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

See Question: 24772