Question Number: 25749

Law 7 - Match Duration 11/17/2011

RE: Rec indoor soccer Adult

Brian of Westminster, MD Carroll asks...

Here is the scenario. Playing in an adult men's indoor soccer game. A foul is called outside the penalty area in favor of our team. There is 10 seconds on the running clock before halftime. The opposing players stand about two feet from the placement of the ball. A player from our team asks the referee for the correct distance from the ball. There is now four seconds on the clock. Our player (the shooter) kicked the ball into the net before time expired. The referee said NO Goal because a player asked for the correct distance and the shot had to wait for his whistle before being taken. He then said it is halftime. NO goal, no re-shot. So our argument is, 1) a player on our team asked for distance and not the shooter does this matter? 2) If the referee said on his whistle we can shoot, but then we couldn't shoot until he blow his whistle, then time expired, should we not be allowed to take the shot? Who is right in this situation? I also thought only the shooter can ask for distance on a free kick, not any player on the team.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

I suspect your indoor league does not allow referees to add time to the clock. If that is the case, when time was up time was up. Your opponent should have received a caution for his efforts at delaying the restart, but that hardly compensates for a shot on goal. The villain here is the restrictive league rules, not the ref.

The ref was also correct that if the restart is made ceremonial to enforce the distance, the restart cannot be taken until he whistles for it, and if taken early it must be retaken (provided there is time in the match to do so).

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

1. The referee will enforce the distance if any player on the kicking team asks, not just the shooter.

2. The clock doesn't stop because a team asks for the distance.

3. Some indoor leagues provide each team with one time out per half. That will usually resolve this issue.

As Ref Voshol notes, your issue is really with the league rules.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Brian
Indoor soccer can have its own set of unique competition rules. However the following principles should apply
1. Once the referee intervened to move back the defending players the kick became ceremonial which makes the restart on the whistle. It make no difference who requested it just that the referee intervened.
2. The delaying of the restart is a cautionable offence and the opponent should have been cautioned for his action
3. Timing is a matter for the referee and indeed the competition rules may have specific requirements. Unless there is provision to stop the clock in the local rules then the clock continues and play ends when the time reaches zero.
Perhaps there was a provision to stop the clock for a caution or a time out in which case that could have resolved the matter.