Question Number: 33423

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 6/7/2019

RE: High School

Greg Kall of Hillsborough , CA Usa asks...

Interpreted to the letter of the law, then play could continue until that extra player actually interferes with play. However, what if the team with the numerical advantage scores, with that extra player not having interfered with play?

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Greg,
You chose the category for High School but your question uses wording that suggests it refers to the IFAB Laws so I'm a little confused. In any event, whether applying NFHS rules or IFAB Laws, a goal scored by team with an extra player on the field is disallowed.

Also, if your question refers to the IFAB code, the law only says that the referee is not obliged to stop play immediately, as long as the extra player is not interfering. However the intent of the law is that the referee should still stop play before too long - just not immediately if there is no immediate interference. It is not intended as giving licence to a team to continue playing with an extra player indefinitely. It is mostly a question of not penalising the non-offending team if they are in possession and have a promising situation.

For instance, if the law said that any time an extra player enters the field, play must be stopped immediately, then if a team was about to score a goal, an unscrupulous opponent could attempt to prevent this by sending an extra player onto the field. The clause about not stopping play immediately is intended to prevent this.

In my opinion the previous wording for this was actually a little clearer and I'm not sure why they changed it. It used to say that if an extra 'player' (i.e. substitute or substituted player) came onto the field:

''the referee must stop play (although not immediately if the player in question does not interfere with play or if the advantage can be applied)''

When they changed the wording to its current format, I don't think the overall intent of the law was supposed to change, they just thought the new wording was a better way of putting it, for some reason that escapes me.

Answer provided by Referee Joe Manjone

Greg,
Please check out high school Rule 3.1.1 Situation B in the 2018-19 NFHS Rules Book for the answer to your question..

The goal would be disallowed. The game would be restarted with a goal kick by the opponents of the team scoring the goal. The 12th player is to be cautioned and must leave the field.

I hope your summer soccer season is successful.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Greg
In whatever code the game is being played a goal has to be disallowed where a team that scores has an extra player.
In NFHS games the restart is a goal kick whereas in a FIFA game it is an DFK from the location of the extra player at the moment of the goal. In both instances the extra player is cautioned and removed.
The IFAB / FIFA restart though could throw up a very unusual restart location if the extra player was in his own penalty area as it s then a penalty kick restart! Unlikely but could happen.

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