Question Number: 30166

Law 3 - Number of Players 3/2/2016

RE: Competiyive Under 11

Stewart Seymour of Leighton Buzzsrd , Bedfordshire Uk asks...

What should happen if a team scores a goal while extra player is on the pitch, referee gives goal and restarts game and then opposition that conceded goal realise and bring it to the referees attention?

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Stewart,
You remember that song,
Its too late baby, its too late, though we really did try to make it?
Well like the song, that scoring mistake is now unfixable.
When you get that referee's attention AFTER the kick off, the goal will still count. The referee will stop play award you an INDFK from the ball location after cautioning and removing the extra player.

If only the information was made available sooner by an attentive AR or self realization by the CR when you began shouting and pointing out the fact there were 12 guys on their team at the time of the goal. The referee COULD have rescinded the goal and restarted with an INDFK inside the goal area after cautioning the extra player and having him exit the field if it was done prior to the restart of play. .

If there was a video to submit to the league showing clearly such a situation perhaps it might convince the review committee to order a replay but as one of the goals scored it stands as a referee decision as a fact of play .
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Stewart
Had the offence been detected before the next restart which was the kick off then the referee could have fixed the matter. He could have disallowed the goal, cautioned the extra player, removed him from the field of play and restarted with an indirect free kick in the goal area. As play had restarted it is then not possible to go back prior to that restart . All the referee can do is then caution the extra player, remove him from the field of play and report the matter to the League who will decide what action should be taken.
If the scoring team felt that it was unfair and that it was an innocent mistake the team may in the interests of Fair Play allow an uncontested goal to be scored to resolve the matter.
As always prevention is better than cure and substitutions etc should be handled carefully. If a game starts with 22 players then this only happens when the substitution procedure has not being followed or a team decides to cheat. The latter is extremely rare and if the opponents are alert they wont allow that to go unnoticed.