Question Number: 23909

League Specific 9/11/2010

RE: Select Under 13

Ken Abel of Owings Mills, Maryland USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 22738

We had a similar circumstance to the PK question which happened today (9/11). The opposing team took a PK, a teammate of the team taking the PK stepped into the box during the PK, and the boy missed the PK. The ref then awarded another PK, saying that someone had 'stepped into the box.' On the second attempt, the boy made the PK. (The coaches were far away from the play and we assumed (incorrectly) that our team had stepped into the box). The rules are of course clear that the ref should have awarded our team an indirect kick after the boy missed the first PK. All of this occurred w/ about 15 minutes to go in the game and we were leading 3-2. The game ended in a 3-3 tie. My question is - if we protest, what will our remedy be. Would it be (1) that the entire game should be replayed; (2) that the last 15 minutes should be replayed with us ahead 3-2; or (3) we win the game. Other than cost of filing a protest and timing of protests, our league doesn't have specific protest rules. The league rules just say 'Protests will be in accordance with the FIFA rules.' I'm thinking that based on Uzbec v. Bahrain the remedy may be to replay the entire game - which is probably not worth it - we could have easily lost the game. Is there precedent for another remedy. Thanks.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

Although the referee erred in ordering the retake of the penalty kick, the result of the protest is entirely up to the league's committee. The laws do not provide an answer for what the protest committee should do.

Options for the committee include the ones you note, and also doing nothing and waiting to see if the result affects the standings at the end of the season.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Ken
The answer is entirely a matter for the League Committee to decide. It is usual on appeal for some error in Law for the match to be replayed unlike fielding an illegal player which is a disqualification.
I might also suggest that the appeal will depend on the referee's report on the incident
' Someone had 'stepped into the box.' needs to be clarified by the referee and if he is unsure or believes it could have been an attacker then the appeal will not succeed. In the FIFA game that you mentioned it was clear that the referee had made an error in law and he reported that.