Question Number: 23819

Law 5 - The Referee 8/23/2010

RE: Select

Chris Burns of Middletown, Ohio United States of America asks...

Trickery on a corner kick? Attacking team is setting up to take a corner kick. Player places ball and steps back. She is clearly ready to kick. Coach yells 'Have Sue take the kick'. Within seconds of this comment the player kicks the ball about 15 yards to teammate who dribbles and shoots. The Defense seems caught of guard, (Due to coaches comment in my opinion). I allowed the goal because the mechanics on field were all legal. After re-start I started wondering if I should have done something different. Maybe card coach (Allowed in this tournament)for USB and IDFK for Defense?

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

No, the mechanics were not all legal - the players' may have been, but not the coach. Coaches are only allowed to give tactical instructions to their team. They are not allowed to try to confuse the opponents.

When the coach yelled, 'Have Sue take the kick,' there are two possible options:
1) This is a tactical instruction and now everyone knows we're waiting for Sue to get there to take the kick
2) The coach is behaving in an irresponsible behavior and should be dismissed from the field and its surrounds.

If you decide it was 2), you could elect to officially warn the coach rather than dismiss. This is reported the same way you report cautions for players. However, unless the competition has other rules (which are not approved by FIFA and USSF), cards are not shown to coaches, neither yellow or red. Since the misconduct happened before the corner kick was taken, the correct restart is to (re)take the corner kick.

If the players connive a trick corner amongst themselves without the illegal participation of the coach, the trick corner kick is a legal play. But maybe they'll be so sneaky that they'll confuse the referee as well, and they'll get called for a second-touch violation (indirect free kick restart).

I'm not sure why teams spend time learning trick plays like this. If they do work, they only work once.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

The trick corner kick is a lawful form of guise when done by the players. When, however, the coach actively engages in deception, it is improper.

Coaches have the right to give instructions to their team, but the coach in fact wasn't giving instructions; he was trying to mislead the opponents. The USSF has opined that the coach's conduct was irresponsible behavior which could be grounds for the referee to dismiss the coach. 'If the behavior of the coach clearly distracts and misleads the opponents, or is loud, sudden, or abusive to anyone (his/her team's players, the opponents, or the officials), that is the time to deal with the action.'

IMO, the best solution is to stop play (assuming it is too late to hold up the corner kick). Warn or dismiss the coach (using cards only if required by the league's rules) and then restart with a dropped ball. That sends the clear message that it is the coach's conduct that was improper.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Chris
I really dislike these ruse plays and the problems they cause in games. In this case if you believed that it was a ruse aided by the coach's shout then the play should not be allowed. As the offence happened before the ball was in play the correct restart is a retake of the corner. If you believed that the player taking the CK simply ignored the coach's genuine instruction and put the ball into play then no offence has been committed and play continues. Only the referee on the day can make that call based on the actual circumstances.
As regards what further action that should be taken I believe a word with the coach would be suffice in the ruse situation. For me it is not a dismissal offence for the coach and to do so is using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. He needs to be spoken to / warned that he cannot mislead opponents in an unsporting manner.

Answer provided by Referee Gene Nagy

Chris, here is my opinion from Canada. Coaches are yelling all the time. They are allowed to give instructions. If the defenders let their guard down and listen to the opponent's coach, that is their problem. Besides, how do you know that the kicker's name was not Sue? What happened here is the defenders were playing the coach and not paying attention to the game. The coach did his thing by giving instructions and the players did their thing which was disobeying the coaching instructions. Good goal.

Answer provided by Referee MrRef

This and similar questions have been addressed by USSF. Their guidance is that the ACTION, even though not committed by a player, substitute or substituted player, occurred BEFORE the corner kick so the restart has to be a corner kick. The referee should not allow the goal because the actions of the opposing coach unfairly disadvantaged the defending team.
It should also be noted that the question asked is what to do once the referee HAS decided the coach interfered with the opponents not IF the referee should have decided this.