Question Number: 31264

Law 17 - The Corner Kick 2/15/2017

RE: High School

Larry of Danville, CA USA asks...

At a corner kick Player A sets the ball inside the arc and gives it a slight kick. The coach then yells 'Player B you take the kick'. Player B jogs over as the player who just took the actual corner kick jogs away. Player B then dribbles the ball away from the arc. I know everything is fine with the player's actions and we should allow this type of play, but I have a problem with the coach interjecting his verbal deception into the play.

Should we allow this play? And if not, what action should we take against the coach, and what would be the restart

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Larry
This ruse which can be illegal in certain circumstances has been around for a long time and IMO it continues because referees fail to deal with it properly when it is done illegally. Many times for the ruse to work there usually has to be deliberate verbal tactics or verbally distracting an opponent at the restart. In most instances the verbals have happened before the kick is taken so it is a retake. Where the ball is kicked into play with no verbals then that is the no offence situation yet that is rare and not my experience.
Have a look at this video
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mNj2Tsu8i-o
I assume the coach is doing the shouting? This is just plain wrong and I would not allow it for a variety if reasons which include whether the ball was kicked into play properly, along with verbal distraction part
Here is another
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DJ0GO6Zziic%22%5DYouTube
Was the ball kicked? AR raises his flag and play is stopped. It is unclear if it was retaken or not. I recall a similar situation involving Wayne Rooney of Man Utd and the referee did not allow it also with a retake awarded.
Now the recent FIFA law update has stated that the ball now has to clearly move at a restart so the kick has to be obvious.
Now in NFHS the referee can opine that the coach had engaged in deliberate verbal tactics which is a caution. As it happened before the ball was put into play it is a retake.
In FIFA the sanction is less prescriptive so it it is left to referee to manage it. I simply stop play and say to the team that I want the corner kick to be taken again. If questioned I just say that I did not see the ball move or I was not ready. No cards just that the ruse has not happened.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

I will take a little harder stance than my colleague.

The coach's comments can be taken only 2 ways:
-- A tactical instruction to his team, meaning B is really the one taking the kick
-- Irresponsible behavior

Coaches can only instruct their team. They are not allowed to distract or deceive the opponents. If that's what was happening, the coach should be dismissed (equivalent to a red card) or at least officially warned (equivalent to a caution). Remember, except when the Rules of the Competition specify otherwise, cards are not shown to coaches.

So if we consider that the coach would never be acting in an irresponsible manner (snort) then it must have been a tactical instruction. Player A was merely positioning the ball for Player B to take the kick. IFK to the other team for the second touch. If they complain, simply tell them that their trick was too tricky for you to see, sorry about that.

Players can execute a trick corner kick play themselves, and it is legal. It's the coach's involvement that makes it not right.

Answer provided by Referee Joe Manjone

Larry,
Depending on the corner, the coach is at least 35 yards from the play when he yells for a player to take the kick. I doubt that what the coach says has little influence on the thought process of the opponents as they are not normally focused on what the opposing coach is saying. I would, therefore, not considered this a deliberate verbal tactic, unless the coach acts in a manner to obviously and intentionally distract the opponents, which, of course, could possibly happen. This is a referees decision, and the penalty for deliberate verbal tactics by the coach, as indicated in 12-8-1-f4 is a caution to the coach and the restart as indicated in 13-2-3c is an indirect kick taken from where the ball was when play was stopped. I hope that you are have a great season.

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