Question Number: 27908

Law 13 - Free Kicks 10/19/2013

RE: comp College

mike of madison, wi united states asks...

When a team asks for ten yards, and the ref holds play to enforce the ten yards, the attacking team plays the ball. Regardless of the outcome does the attacking team get to retake the free kick?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Mike
When the kick is 'on the whistle' the kick may not be taken until the referee signals for that to happen. The outcome to the kick makes no difference as the kick is retaken in all circumstances.
The referee may also decide based on the circumstances that the kicker perhaps blatantly ignored his instruction to wait for the whistle for whatever reason and the referee can caution the player for unsporting behaviour.
Perhaps in a passed kick, away from goal, the referee might decide based on the circumstances with every single player ready and no complaints to allow play to continue. This happened recently in the Premier League where the referee allowed play to start without the whistle when it was required in Law after a caution. Both teams were happy to get on with play and the referee allowed that to happen. That certainly should not happen on a shot at goal free kick.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

Yes.

When the referee indicates the team must 'wait for the whistle', the ball cannot be put into play without a whistle. The kick is always retaken because it was not properly put into play.

In the past, referees used words or a gesture to indicate permission to take the kick and this allowed them to fudge the restart when the kicking team that failed to follow the referee's instruction kicked the ball over the goal. FIFA now expressly requires a whistle.