Question Number: 32715

Mechanics 9/16/2018

RE: Under 17

steve of Oakland, CA usa asks...

As a final question for preventing confrontations, when will IFAB/FIFA finally do away with allowing the players of a scoring team who is trailing to run into the goal to get the ball to bring it back to midfield to prevent the defending team from delaying the restart? It is completely unnecessary, seeing as how a referee can add time for this or even issue YC to defenders who delay it.

I am tired of seeing this happen at all levels, where its main result is causing confrontations in the goal between attackers and the goalkeeper. Whenever I see this about to happen in a match of mine, I immediately start blowing my whistle before they can get into the goal and tell the attacking player(s) to stop and return to their half or I will be giving them a yellow card for UB.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Steve,
certainly one way is you being in the vicinity to calm things asking for the ball.
Defusing through your presence and by actions like pointing to the watch and letting them know time is not wasting, using the card peep to indicate lets stop the foolishness, the use of a series of whistle blasts if you need to make the point. As I said if you say you will caution, then do so, but try to not block out options. Sometimes it is not a big deal and sometimes a hot headed keeper or exuberant goal scorer will get in a tussle. It is the team who were scored upon kick off thus it is their ball remember that when the chest thumping begins! In the pregame indicate to your ARs they are to also assist in this process.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Hi Steve,

IFAB actually put this directive into the laws a few years ago - that any player touching the ball for a restart that's not their own would be cautioned.

Problem is, it was a mandatory caution - so referees weren't able to use common sense. So it didn't work.

But, the great thing about USB is that you can use common sense.

If a red player scores, and a red player runs to get the ball out of the net and that causes a problem, then don't be afraid to card them - I'm with you; why are they getting the ball?

But it depends on the situation. If they have the ball and the keeper runs up and tries to grab it out of their hand...well, the keeper's escalated it, but the red player shouldn't have been there to start. Probably a harsh word to both unless it really escalates.

But if that red player has pushed somebody out of the way to get the ball, or tried to pull it away from a member of the opposition.....I'm going to card them for that. Just unnecessary.

But if you can see somebody is about to do something silly, use your voice/whistle to be preemptive. This is also why you want to keep watching this area after a goal is scored (and your AR who isn't writing at this moment also needs to do that - although if a confrontation is imminent, then the AR needs to hold off on writing for a few moments!).

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Steve
As Referee Wright states this was trialled a number of years ago with a mandatory caution which did not work. As a result IFAB did not continue with this and it is left up to referees to deal with it.
There can be many times when teams are not bothered about recovery of the ball so making it mandatory was unhelpful. I personally after a goal pay special attention to the ball recovery and on the first hint of confrontation I am in there with the players with a strong presence and a shout of leave the ball. A blast on the whistle may help as well. I follow up with words of I am dealing with this and perhaps asking for the ball.
So it just needs to be managed and referees being alert to it.

Answer provided by Referee Joe Manjone

Steve,
This is one advantage of high school and college play. The clock is stopped after a goal is scored. so there is no reason for the kicking team to enter the goal and take the ball back to midfield. As a result, I have never experienced this problem in any of the high school or college games that I have officiated. In fact, the team scoring the goal sometimes takes more time to get ready then the opponents because they are celebrating the scoring of the goal.

Hopefully, FIFA will one day go to a stopped clock rather than letting everyone except the referee guess how much time is remaining.

Thank you for this questions.

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

See Question: 32773