Question Number: 33298

Law 6 - The Other Match Oficials 5/1/2019

RE: Under 18

don of houston, tx usa asks...

if a foul is in AR quadrant, is it ok for CR to ask AR to mark the 10 yards instead of CR having to come all the way over?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Don
The Laws of the Game allow for this and I quote ** The assistant referee may enter the field of play to help control the 10 yards distance.**
Does it happen very often and the answer is no as most time the referee does it himself. It does happen at corner kicks where the AR on his side manages the 10 yard distance.
It needs though to be discussed in the pre match discussion so that the AR knows that it can be asked and how that ask is to be managed.
Personally I think the benefits of it are limited and I see ARs simply asking / encouraging opponents to move back verbally from the line rather than coming on to the FOP.
I like most match officials have a reasonable grasp of the 10 yard distance assessment so I just ask defenders to move back until that is reached. If the free kick gets ceremonial it is then on the whistle which is dependent on the referee.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Don,
as long as the officials are in sync it is fine. Like a corner kick, the restart location, if self evident is but a few feet away, the referee has no need to be there unless it was to calm why the foul was given. The degree of co operation by the players might factor in as well. The wall in these locations is usually 2 or 3 players that are there simply to cut out any inbound pass
I have managed the free kicks in my quadrant as AR when mentoring youth referees as well as encouraged them when I was CR , it helps the team aspect , shows trust and gives the AR a sense of accountability & pride . The key is focus, eye contact & communication with the CR to be sure nothing occurs without the CR wanting it so.
Cheers