Question Number: 25661

Law 17 - Corner Kick 10/25/2011

RE: High School

Greg Wheeler of Bath, NY USA asks...

As a player is taking a corner kick ( before he kicks it) we have pushing & fighting for position in the area. How should this be dealt with

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

If it is rinky-dink stuff, the ref should shout out for the players to knock it off.

If it goes beyond minor bumps and shoves, the ref should either caution the player(s) for unsporting behavior or send them off for violent conduct.

Either way, the restart remains a corner kick.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Greg
The best way to deal with this is to stop the corner kick being taken and speak to the main protagonists. Tell them that it is not acceptable and that you are watching closely their behaviour. If before the ball is put into play and it is overly aggressive then both players can be cautioned. If excessive force is used then the offenders are sent off. That does not change the corner kick restart
In clear cases of holding / pushing after the ball is in play referees are expected to award a penalty kick (for an offence by a defender) or a free kick (for an offence by an attacker) in addition to possible further disciplinary sanctions.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

The referee should intervene. At the least he should talk to the players. If the actions warrant, he should show cards of the appropriate color.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Remember that the ball is not yet in play, so the restart will not change. This does not mean the referee cannot issue cards, if warranted. First choice is generally use one's voice, presence and being there to stop the misbehavior.

Should the corner kick be taken while all of this pushing and shoving is going on, the referee should decide who committed the first foul and punish accordingly. Not only is that correct under the Law, but it does have the advantage of getting the players' (both teams) attention, hopefully reducing the amount of this behavior for the rest of the game.

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 26384