Question Number: 27530

Law 13 - Free Kicks 6/17/2013

RE: Rec Under 14

Munib of Indianapolis, Indiana United States asks...

I was ARing a u14 semifinal tournament game in which there was a direct free kick awarded to one of the teams directly outside of the penalty box. As the defending team was setting up the center ref had them back up to where he saw was the correct distance and then while the defending team was still setting up the attacking team shot the ball and scored. The ref hadn't blown the whistle yet so the defending team was unaware that the attacking team was about to kick the ball. The referee counted the goal and this frustrated all of the players, parents, and coach of the team scored against. Should the ref have counted the goal or should he have had the team retake the kick?

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

If the referee has told the attacking team to wait for the whistle (which he definitely should do if he's with the defending team moving them back), then he cannot allow the goal. It must be a retake.

Sometimes the referee will, while standing back, verbally attempt to control the players at a restart. I believe that's part of proactive refereeing and doesn't necessitate a whistled restart.

But if the referee is amongst the defence moving them back then it would seem that he's acting in the manner of a ceremonial restart.

It could be possible that it wasn't his intention to prevent a quick restart but he was simply moving in the direction of the wall to take up his field position (I don't know exactly what you saw), but if that's the case the referee needs to make sure all players are clear on what his expectations are.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Munib
Once the referee makes a free kick 'ceremonial' by his intervention of moving the defensive player back 10 yards then the kick must be on the whistle.
The Laws state and I quote
'' The whistle is needed to:......
# restart play for:
? free kicks when the appropriate distance is required
? penalty kicks ''
Now I'm not sure what you mean 'by still setting up'. Once however the referee has moved the players back 10 yards the whistle can be sounded no matter where other players including the GK are located.
I could envisage a situation where the defending team is all ready with the defensive wall in place, GK properly positioned and the free kick is taken. Is that patently unfair? Or I can see a situation where a referee is telling a player standing in front of the ball to 'move'. That is not a 'ceremonial' FK.
However had the whistle been used just before the kick that you describe the outcome would probably have been the same and the question does not arise.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Once the referee intervened and moved the defenders back, he made the kick ceremonial whether he told the attacking team or not. In this instance it is blatantly unfair to the defending team and the goal cannot stand.

If he was just shouting move back or something similar, the attacking team is free to take the kick.