Question Number: 26419

League Specific 6/3/2012

RE: State Cup Under 13

AK of New Albany, Indiana United States asks...

At a Kentucky U12 state cup game, Team A beats Team B 3-1. However, with 21 minutes to go in the game -- and it standing at 2-1 to Team A -- a penalty is awarded to Team B. They score the penalty, but a player encroaches into the box. The penalty, according to the laws, should have been retaken. Instead, the referee awards an indirect free kick to Team A. Following the game, a protest by Team B results in the last 21 minutes being replayed later in the evening, starting at 2-1. As it turns out, Team B equalizes and wins the game on penalty kicks.

Was replaying the final 21 minutes the right move? Shouldn't the referee's decision have been final, and the game allowed to stand as is, even if the referee got the pk decision wrong?

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

The correct move, absent any specific tournament rules, would be to have the entire game replayed. It was a referee misapplication of the Laws, not a judgment call. The same thing happened years ago in a World Cup qualifying game between Uzbekistan and Bahrain, shortly after the PK Law had been changed. The referee got the change wrong, and gave an IFK instead of a retake. Unfortunately when Uzbekistan protested that game, IFAB agreed with them that the ref had erred, and then said the game had to be replayed, even thought they had won the game. In the replay, Bahrain won and advanced.

I suspect that the tournament has rules to reserve for itself the right to decide on any replays. The tournament committee, in the interests of saving time, decided that only the last 21 minutes had to be replayed.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi
The referee here has made a technical error in the application of the Laws of the Game. As it is a protestable decision the competition organisers will, if proven, have to provide a suitable remedy. In this case they decided to recommence the game from when the technical error took place.
It is a reasonably rare occurrence and I suspect that the remedy may not be part of the competition rules but may be used in other situations such as a suspension, termination etc.
By the way this should not be confused with a judgement call by the referee which is not protestable. Indeed Kentucky Youth Soccer states that it does not consider protests on referee judgement calls in its Rule book.
I might also refer you to Qs 26406 & 26415