Question Number: 23992

Law 5 - The Referee 9/22/2010

RE: Select Under 14

Wendy of Springfield, Ohio United States asks...

In the first half, Ref calls dangerous play and signals for a direct kick. We score a goal on the kick. At half time the other team's coach complains to the ref that the call should have been indirect - and the ref takes away the goal??

I understand that it is the refs decision on whether a dangerous paly is Direct or Indirect based on the situation, but my question is in reference to the goal. Since the ref signaled for a direct kick, and then the game contiued until half time...how can the goal just be taken away? I have seen ref's make bad calls or miss calls that result in a goal - but they don't take the goal away.

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Playing in a dangerous manner is always an indirect free kick, not a direct free kick. The restart here is not up to the referee; however, the referee needs to determine if playing in a dangerous manner is what has occurred, or if the player is guilty of a penal (direct free kick) foul such as kicking or attempting to kick an opponent. As with all things, sometimes there's a fine line in these decisions.

If a goal is scored without touching a 2nd player, the correct restart is a goal kick.

If the referee allows the goal to stand, then he can change his decision at any point until the next restart in play. In this case, until the kickoff. If the following kickoff has taken place, this cements the decision in place and there is no longer anything the referee can do about it, despite the fact that he has erred in law. In this case, the team who has suffered from this decision should consider lodging an appeal if it has had a negative effect on the match result.

If the goal is scored immediately before halftime and the kickoff is not taken before halftime is called, then the referee is able to change his mind until the kickoff for the 2nd half takes place.

It sounds like the referee has allowed the goal, taken the kickoff, allowed play to continue then gone to halftime. If he's done this, then disallowed the goal, then he has erred in law twice.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Wendy
Playing in a dangerous manner is an indirect free kick. However if there is contact with an opponent it becomes a penal foul and a direct free kick.
In this case if I assume the kickoff restart after the goal has taken place and the game continued then the referee cannot change his decision. The goal must stand and the referee reports his error in the match report. If the kickoff has not been taken the referee can change his mind and he can disallow the goal and restart with a retake of the properly signalled IDFK or if he signalled for an IDFK the restart is a goal kick.
Also it would be very poor mechanics to allow the goal, call half time and then disallow the goal during the half time break. It is allowed for in the Laws as the next restart is the 2nd half kick off but in practise it never happens.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

The referee may not take away a goal after the next kickoff even if the referee later discovers he made a grave error in the law. Instead, the referee must report what happened in the match report.

If the referee indeed called a foul for play in a dangerous manner, the restart is an indirect free kick. There are ten fouls for which the punishment is a direct free kick (or penalty kick when committed by the defense inside the penalty area). The referee is the one who decides what foul occurred, but the laws dictate the restart.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Wendy you're wrong about just one thing (which is better than the referee did at your game!). It is NOT up to the referee whether to award an indirect or direct free kick if he whistles for Playing In A Dangerous Manner. PIADM is ALWAYS indirect. The referee HAS to call a direct free kick foul i order to award a direct free kick or a penalty kick.

So, this referee was wrong when he awarded the direct free kick in the first place. He only made matters worse when he took away the goal after play had restarted.

That's TWO glaring errors for the referee and only ONE misconception for you.

Generally, the referee is free to change any decision as long as play has not restarted. This includes taking a goal away. Had he realized his mistake before allowing the kick off he could have rightly taken the goal away. but you seem clear in your description that he did allow the kick off and play continued at least a little while before the halftime break.