Question Number: 23695

League Specific 7/23/2010

RE: Rec Under 15

Sue of Wallacetown, Canada asks...

Recently we played a game in which our coach was not allowed to call for substitution on the other team's goal kicks. He was told it was the rule. After investigation, the rule for substituting is stated like this in our league rule book:

May substitute on: 'kick off, goal kick, injuries, after a goal is scored and corner kicks, and on a throw in. The team awarded the ball may call for subsitution or may choose to play on. If they chose to substitute both are allowed.'

To me, it seems to be a misinterpretation of the wording. I would assume the 'team awarded the ball' would refer to throw ins. I have never seen a league not allow substitution on either team's goal kick. Are there other leagues that do this??

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

I read this to mean the team taking the goal kick, or corner kick, or kick of etc. has the right to substitute and if they do the opponents may also but if they do not, than neither may the opponents.

No, I've never seen anything like this in the US

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Sue
Referees simply implement the Laws of the Game and any competition rule that is set down by the competition organisers.
Thankfully the games that I officiate on simply uses the Laws of the Game substitution law which means that a substitution can be made at any stoppage in play.
Unfortunately the reason competition rules have been introduced is that in the past, teams' behaviours were not in keeping with the spirit of the game and the regular Laws of the Game were 'used' for unfair advantage such as running down the clock, stopping play on a favourable attacking position with a substitution.
While many don't like these competition rules they have been introduced for a purpose. Also as its a competition rule it can be revisited at an AGM of the League and amended/abolished depending on the view of the meeting. The Laws of the Game can only be amended by IFAB at its annual AGM and the Laws may be modified in their application which includes substitutions, size of the ball, size of the field of play and goals and duration for players of under 16 years of age, for women footballers, for veteran footballers (over 35 years of age) and for players with disabilities

Answer provided by Referee Gene Nagy

Sue, it seems to me that Wallacetown's league rule book needs to be revisited because of abiguity. There are some competitions here in BC where substitution rules are defined but not quite so specifically as the one you mentioned. But even these are more the exception than the rule. Most competitions recognize IFAB's Laws of the Game (LOTG), published by FIFA where substitutions can be made at any stoppage in the game. Be aware of the wording. The LOTG says it is OK to sub at any stoppage but it also says that it is at the referee's discretion. What it does NOT say is that the referee MUST allow subs at any stoppage.
To circumvent shady gamesmanship by some coaches, some leagues make it a rule to limit substitutions. Let's say that with just a few minutes left a coach whose team is leading by one goal decides to sub at every stoppage. This would ruin the game and the referee should not allow it. But the referees at say U-12 level are usually new refs and are easily intimidated by a coach with a stentorian voice. So, to help the flow of the game, leagues will institute rules even if it is not in the LOTG.