Question Number: 31584

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 6/7/2017

RE: Adult

adam wallace of nakayama, yamagata japan asks...

This question is a follow up to question 31583

many thanks-this was from the current futsal rule book

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Adam
The Futsal laws that I use state and I quote
**If, after a goal is scored, the referees realise, before play restarts, that another person was on the pitch at the time that the goal was scored: # they must disallow the goal if: – the other person was an outside agent or official from one of the teams and interfered with play – the other person was a player, substitute, sent-off player or official of the team that scored the goal
# they must allow the goal if: – the other person was an outside agent and did not interfere with play – the other person was a player, substitute, sent-off player or official of the team that conceded the goal**
As in all these situations prevention is always better than cure. Referees should do their upmost to ensure where possible that the possibility of interference is inimised to extent that it can be difficult for persons to interfere in goal scoring opportunities. That means keeping players, subs etc as close as possible to half way. Practise also suggests sitting on benches in the technical area in their one half which changes at half time and designating a warm up area away from the goals and in a location where interference is less likely to affect any goal scoring opportunity.

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Adam,
I am not familiar with the Futsal Laws, but given the wording quoted by ref McHugh above and going back to your original question, the deciding factor seems (at least as I read it) to be whether the team official of the team conceding the goal interfered with play or not. If they interfered with play the goal is disallowed, if they were merely on the pitch but did not interfere at all then the goal is allowed.

So once again, I do not see a contradiction.