Question Number: 25341

Law 18 - Common Sense 8/21/2011

RE: grade 7 Under 15

scott dilling of san ramon, ca USA asks...

I was part of a referee crew today that was on championship game for a U14 boys game. At a fairly pivotal part of the match, after the trailing team scored a goal, the scoring player ran into the goal to get the ball and run it back to the center. I was AR but the center referee grabbed the ball from the player as he ran by and the parents on the sideline went crazy. I remember something years ago where I thought this was a cautionable offense but I can not find anything in the laws to state that. Can you help?

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

There was a time when FIFA tried to make any touch of the ball by the opposition at a restart into a mandatory caution, but this was too impractical.

Now, the instruction is that any such touch designed to instigate conflict is to be dealt with by a caution. This allows the referee to retain his discretion over such incidents.

Often a player grabbing the ball out of the goalmouth after scoring causes no problems whatsoever, and in such a case there's no real need to caution - though a warning to the player would probably be advisable.

However, when the player causes a conflict by running in and grabbing the ball from right under a defender's nose (such as the keeper), then this is when the referee needs to deal with it harshly.

However, an astute referee will use his voice and whistle to stop that player in his tracks as soon as he looks like getting involved in something that's none of his business.

This applies to players getting involved at any restart, but a kick off seems to a particularly antagonistic situation.

However, I cannot figure out why the referee grabbed the ball from the player. Do you mean to say the referee pulled it out of the players arms? The referee should never, ever do that.

I cannot emphasise that enough.

Not only is it a gross violation of that player's personal space but it's an unnecessary and potentially aggressive physical contact with a player. This is a particular concern when dealing with youth as child protection issues come into play.

Additionally, by becoming physically involved with the player, the referee is really making himself open for being assaulted by the player. Failing that, he may face accusations of himself assaulting the player. Again, a particular concern when dealing with youth.

Use the whistle and voice to instruct him to return the ball to the opposition or drop the ball. If he doesn't, a caution is easy.

So in all cases, look at the situation to determine if it's particularly antagonistic or inciting conflict before reaching for the card - but if you're on the ball, you can hopefully intervene before the player gets a finger on the ball (or if he's already holding the ball, quickly telling him to release it if the opposition is trying to grab it is one way of getting involved quickly - and makes it easier to sell a quick card if he refuses).

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Scott
In 2006 IFAB introduced a mandatory caution for provoking a confrontation by deliberately touching the ball after the referee has stopped play. One of the interpretation of that was that a player grabbing the ball after a goal was scored when the team was not entitled to the ball was one of those occasions. Since that the attitude has become more relaxed and it is up to the referee to manage the situation as required.
In this case as there was no confrontation should not have intervened and simply allowed the player to bring the ball back to the centre. His action was not required and as a result he created a problem for both himself and the game.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

If the ref wanted to be proactive in fending off a confrontation, he could have barked at the player, 'Give me the ball!' That's much better than wrestling the ball away from him.

Also the ref should make it clear that he will be adding on time to compensate for any delay in taking the kickoff. This would diffuse the feelings that the team that is behind might have.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

The team that has been scored upon "owns" the ball. When the team that has just scored goes to retrieve the ball, the referee must be aware that this can lead to confrontations. The team that rightfully owns the ball may allow the opponents to carry the ball to the center circle.

How the teams act will determine what a referee does, of anything. USSF at it's official Q&A site run by Jim Allen has weighed in on this question.

QUOTE
TUSSLE OVER BALL IN GOAL
After the referee has stopped play for a goal, the ball, although ?dead? until play is restarted with a kick-off, does belong to the team against which the goal was scored. Traditionally the ball is carried back to the center spot by the team against which the goal was scored (Red). A player who provokes confrontation by deliberately touching the ball after the referee has stopped play may be cautioned for delaying the restart of play. (See Law 12, ?Delaying the restart of play,? in the Interpretations of the Laws of the Game and Guidelines for Referees in the back of the Laws of the Game 2009/2010.) This would be the case of the player from the scoring team (B) who was interfering with the Team A player carrying the ball to the center of the field.

The team which has possession (Red) may ?allow? the opposing team to hold/transfer/carry/etc. the ball by acceding to the action (i. e., not disputing it). However, the opposing team does this at its peril. In your game, Blue, perhaps believing that Red was moving too slowly to carry the ball back to the center circle for the kick-off, tried to take the ball that ?belonged? to Team Red. Blue has no right at any time to request that the ball be given over to it (including such childish behavior as attempting to grab the ball or punch the ball out of the Red player?s control.

Rather than immediately cautioning either player, the true owner (against whose team the goal was scored) and the ?wannabe? owner (whose team will be defending at the kick-off), it would be better if you simply spoke quickly to both players, admonishing the wannabe owner to leave the ball alone. You could also tell the player that you will judge whether there is any ?delay? in getting the ball back to the center spot and will, if necessary, add time to make up for any time lost.

There is little reason to immediately caution either player if you do what we suggest above. In any event, the possibility of a caution would depend on HOW the Blue player attempts to gain possession (i. e., how aggressively, how prolonged, etc.). We cannot see how the mere fact of attempting to gain possession is itself cautionable.

The critical fact that makes the player?s action cautionable is that his attempt to retrieve the ball caused a tussle with the true ?owner? of the ball, the GK. If this hadn?t been inserted into the scenario, then the referee could well have ignored the whole thing . . . because there would in fact have been no delay.
END OF QUOTE

You do not indicate the team scored upon was in any way upset by what the other team did. In any event, the referee should never grab the ball from a player in this manner. He'she is inviting nothing but trouble by doing this. If the scored on team is protesting the action by the opponent the referee should take action, but not by grabbing the ball.