Question Number: 26285

Law 13 - Free Kicks 5/3/2012

RE: Intermediate Under 12

Phil of Tarzana, CA United States asks...

This question is a follow up to question 26244

Suppose it wasn't a referee mistake. i.e. you indicate a free kick for the red team & signal correctly. However, a blue player immediately comes up & kicks the ball after you place it & both sides take off down the field.

You blow the whistle to stop play & indicate the correct restart & again place the ball down. Even though I held the whistle up to indicate they should wait, the coach on the red team yells to his player to take the kick quickly, which she does, scoring. [I had informed both teams before play started that they could take free kicks quickly unless I held up the whistle.]

In my case, it was 11 year olds & I felt the original kick wasn't done to gain an advantage, just a mistake, so I had the red team retake the kick after both teams were in position.

a) Do you agree with my decision for 11 year olds?

b) Would it be different if they were older (say 16)?

Thanks in advance

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Phil
It is not unusual for a team to take a free kick in error at underage. If the kick is quickly taken and you stop play immediately there has been little rearranging of players between the QFK and the whistle plus the referee has not intervened other than to make the decision clear. So it does not need to be on the whistle again. However its one of those you have to be there scenarios and perhaps making the free kick on whistle is the 'best' way to manage this.
As player get older I would have less tolerance for players not looking at the referee for direction or understanding what has been awarded. If the referee signals correctly, he prevents the Blue team from continuing with play and the red team get the ball back to the correct location for the free kick I'm allowing play to continue. Older players will also frustrate the QFK by not giving the ball back or frustrating the QFK if they feel they will be disadvantaged by it.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

a. Yes. Blue took the Red teams kick. You have to stop play and have to make it ceremonial. Your only mistake was not being emphatic and loud enough to prevent red from taking a quick kick. No cards needed

b. At 16 I would be tempted to cation the original Blue player that illegally took the initial kick