Question Number: 31754

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 9/2/2017

RE: COMPETATIVE Adult

MAKIA EPIE of CEDAR HILL, TEXAS USA / CAMEROON asks...

WATCH THE FOLLOWING VIDEO AT THE END.

https://youtu.be/OVOb8UxoZp8

I awarded a Direct free kick for an infringement of the law. The player kicks the ball into the goal and scored. However, after he kicks the ball, his shoe came off and followed the ball into the goal away from the goalkeeper.
Goal or no goal?

This was a competitive neighborhood game and I was pressed into refereeing. Ignore the soggy shoes and jeans. Sorry no sound was recorded.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Oh my good friend Makia Epie
thank you for making me laugh . It looks like they had fun and that my friend is what the beautiful game is all about! Not sure the free kick was deserved but your match your decision your reputation! Given the flying boot did not affect the keeper from attempting to make the save. Count the goal have a good laugh and restart kick off AFTER you make him retie his boot! Oh and mention to the groundskeeper to cut the grass so we can see the touchlines? ;o)

!
Cheers lol

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Makia
Reminds me of when I was a young boy playing with my mates out on the fields with long grass in parts, no lines, etc. Happy days. It does not happen here now or if it does it is rare.
Anyway back to the video. First off it does not look to me that there was a foul on the attackerthat. He is loooking for a penalty for the contact in the last challenge and in my opinion the attacker fouls the defender at that time so the free kick could have been outbound.
As regards the loss of the shoe it is obvious from the video that the flying shoe had NO impact on play so the goal was good. Had a defender ducked to miss the shoe or the goalkeeper flinched away because of the flying shoe coming towards him then no goal. That though did not happen. Had it happened it could be deemed as playing in a dangerous manner which is an offence and an IDFK restart. Some will say such an incident is accidental and yes it is yet players are responsible for ensuring no action that is made has a negative playing impact on an opponent such as an accidental trip, high boot etc.

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Makia,
Well done for stepping in and helping out so that a bunch of people could have fun playing the game. In this situation though, you do not need to award a free kick.

Under the laws of the game you do not need to take any action immediately if a player loses a boot and there is no imminent danger nor any effect on play. The law says that play can continue and it is only if the player does not (or cannot) correct the situation before the next stoppage in play that he needs to leave the field to correct an equipment problem.

The actual wording from Law 4 (The Players' Equipment) says (and this is applicable to problems with defective or missing equipment):

''For any offence play need not be stopped and the player:
- is instructed by the referee to leave the field of play to correct the equipment
- leaves when play stops, unless the equipment has already been corrected''