Question Number: 27781

Law 13 - Free Kicks 9/18/2013

RE: Competitive player, recreational referee High School

Sam of Springfield, Massachusetts United States asks...

A couple days ago in one of my high school soccer games there was multiple(6-7) ceremonial free kicks for the other team, each one the referee came in walked us back 10 paces, backed away, then out of the blue the player on the attacking team would kick the ball. On four of those free kicks the team even scored, I'm not sure if you noticed but the referee NEVER BLEW THE WHISTLE to start play, so my question, at the high school level on a ceremonial free kick does the referee need to blow the whistle to start play?

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

High school (NFHS) Rule 9-1-3 requires a whistle to restart play 'after setting a wall prior to a free kick.'

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi
Yes. Once the referee intervenes to set a wall the whistle is required to restart play.
When the kick is taken before the whistle the procedure is that the free kick is retaken on the whistle with perhaps a caution for the kicker if he ignored the referee's clear instructions.
A referee might consider that with everyone ready including the goalkeeper that allowing the kick to proceed is the 'best' decision.
It has also become reasonably common at some levels of play for defenders to ask the referee if the kick is on the whistle.