Question Number: 31927

Law 3 - The Players 10/23/2017

RE: Select Under 12

Coach Chris of Lebanon, Ohio USA asks...

During the match, after a kickoff following a goal, the AR raised the flag. The Referee approached and conferred. It was then determined, by count, one team had an extra player on the field.

There were no substitutions following the goal at the kickoff.

When questioned, the Referee insisted the goal stands as 'play had occurred between the goal and the offense'.

The Referee was about to restart play with an indirect free kick for the team not in violation. The opposing coach then insisted the restart is a drop ball. Play was restarted with a drop ball.

Of the following 3 points, in summary, I am unclear on #3:

1. The Referee should have awarded the indirect free kick as the proper restart per Law 3. A substituted player continued to take part in the match.
2. The Referee should have not allowed the decision for restart to be influenced by the coach if unclear of the rules.
3. Should the goal been allowed?

Thank you.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Chris
The first decision is to figure out why one team had an extra player and when did it happen
If the scoring team had an extra player then the goal should not have been allowed and the restart is a direct free kick from the location of the extra player. Identyfing that location after a goal might not be easy or exact yet that is the Law and an approximation has to be based on the referees / assistants recollection of the players location on the field of play. If he was involved in the play it probably is easier.
Now in your situation as the extra player was not identified until after the game restarted then the goal must be allowed to stand and the referee has to report what is a major error to the competition organisers. The correct statement that the referee should have made was that *I sorry yet as play has restarted with a kick off I cannot now go back* not that the offence happened after the goal.
The extra player is then identified, cautioned for entering the field of play without permission and the restart is a direct free kick or penalty kick from the location of the extra player at the moment the game was stopped.
As to being influenced by coaches such tactics are attempted all the time. In matters of opinion there is only one opinion that counts and that is the referee crew. On matters of Law a coach can have the correct knowledge or he may not. The referee has to discern whether the *influence* is correct or not. I hear the complaint that I am *listening to the shout* to which I say that I hear it yet it does not make my decision. There are plenty of appeals that go unheeded.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Chris,
if this extra player was noticed only AFTER the kick off? The goal would stand! HOWEVER , IF the AR had been aware of the the extra player of the team that did score BEFORE the kick off and in raising his flag before the whistle or signal to restart play had begun as new information the CR could choose NOT to award the goal accepting the goal WAS scored illegally .

The correct restart here though is a DFK in favour of the team who does NOT have the extra player on the field from the position of the extra player in question as it is a rostered team participant or technical team official of some sort NOT an outside agent to which the drop ball would apply!

The DFK restart is a NEW wrinkle as it appears FIFA is fed up with silly inconsistencies teams can get away with for acting inappropriately as a DFK CAN translate into a PK. No more INDFK or drop balls but perhaps direct scoring opportunities is going to prevent silliness.


The LOTG state
Goal scored with an extra person on the field of play
If, after a goal is scored, the referee realises, before play restarts, an extra
person was on the field of play when the goal was scored:
• the referee must disallow the goal if the extra person was:
•• a player, substitute, substituted player, sent off player or team official of
the team that scored the goal; play is restarted with a direct free kick from
the position of the extra person
•• an outside agent who interfered with play unless a goal results as outlined
above in 'extra persons on the field of play'; play is restarted with a
dropped ball
• the referee must allow the goal if the extra person was:
•• a player, substitute, substituted player, sent off player or team official of
the team that conceded the goal
••an outside agent who did not interfere with play

In all cases, the referee must have the extra person removed from the field
of play.
If, after a goal is scored and play has restarted, the referee realises an extra
person was on the field of play when the goal was scored, the goal can not be
disallowed. If the extra person is still on the field the referee must:
• stop play
• have the extra person removed
• restart with a dropped ball or free kick as appropriate
The referee must report the incident to the appropriate authority.

Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Chris,
Since play had already restarted after the goal, the referee was right in saying that the goal has to stand. Ref Dawson has quoted the exact wording from the Laws of the Game above where it states that the goal cannot be disallowed. Admittedly the referee in this game did not describe the reason very well but basically, the decision is correct.

The laws are a little unclear as to what the restart should be, simply saying that the restart is a dropped ball or free kick as appropriate but based on various other sections of the law which deal with slightly different but very similar scenarios, I would agree with my colleagues that the restart should be a direct free kick.

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 35279