Question Number: 30632

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 7/25/2016

RE: Rec Under 6

George of Parangarecutirimicuaro, CA Sacratomato asks...

There was a restart with a dropped ball in penalty area. I instruct the goalie to pick up the ball and continue play (fair play). As soon as the goalie picks up the ball, there were several confusing instructions yelled at him by parents and coaches. The goalie hunches down to set the ball for a goal kick. While hunched, he continues rolling the ball with his hands to a position of his liking and he then picks ball up for a punt. All this happened simultaneously in one movement and in my opinion, goalie never lost control of the ball. Fans from the other team yelled I had to give them an indirect kick. After the game I talked it over with some colleagues and they sided with the fans but at the same time they agreed that given the age group I had made the right call. If I ever see this play again, what is the correct call?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi George
It was the age group here that caused the problem plus the yelling from the sideline was unhelpful adding to the confusion. In these Fair Play restarts my instructions are clear to the goalkeeper in that he is to pick the ball up as soon as I drop the ball to him. Opponents may want the GK to pick the ball up so that it is put back into play promptly so there is a risk of challenge should he not do so.
Perhaps in hindsight you could have managed it differently. That can include clearer instructions to the player, clearer instructions to the GK or perhaps wait for the second or so for a natural stoppage such as the teams stopping it or stopping well away from the penalty area. That may have quelled the shouting from the sideline.
Anyway I do not know why parents and spectators are shouting in to young players . What child wants adult shouting at them during a game?
For the record if the goalkeeper drops the ball to the ground and does not have his hands on the ball at all times he had released possession of the ball and he may not pick it up again. Older player know that so it is unlikely to happen. If it does happen then it is a GK error probably caused by opponent pressure punished by an IDFK.
Last season I had a situation where a goalkeeper was fouled and he had the ball in his grasp. I asked him if he was okay and he said that he was so I went with advantage. While getting up he then released the ball to the ground, not thinking and he picked it up again. Before anything could be said I blew for the original foul and informed the GK that he had released possession. The penny then dropped with him and he was glad to get the DFK restart. Sometimes it is doing what is best for the game rather than what is technically correct.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

If the goalkeeper is bouncing the ball, possession is considered to be retained. I could be liberal with the U-littles regarding what is a bounce, but if he rolls it around on the ground for a while I don't think I could stretch my definition that far!

I'm surprised you managed to get a fair play restart without people screaming about it. Perhaps you did it quickly so they didn't get a chance. But your situation illustrates that in the younger recreational leagues refs should be teachers as well as enforcers of the Laws. A dropped ball is a rare happening, so young players don't know how to deal with it. I learned this in a U10 game, when I told the keeper he could pick the ball up. But I didn't tell him what he could do with it after that, and he panicked. He dropped the ball for a kick, which went right to an opponent, who slotted it home. Sigh. I knew the coach well, and talked to him afterward, saying that I thought the player would know what he could do once the ball was in his hands.