Question Number: 34526

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 3/10/2022

RE: Competitive High School

Iain Doleman of Las Vegas, NV USA asks...

Q1. Attacking player is fouled and referee plays advantage ball Is played to another attacker who is fouled. Referee calls foul and stops play. What is the restart?

Q2. Ball hits the referee, what is the decision

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Thanks for asking - Q1 is a commonly misunderstood area of law.

Advantage law tells us that play is allowed to continue when that is more beneficial than stopping play.

So, allowing play to continue from the first foul then penalising the second is generally more advantageous.

Some people get confused about how to approach it if we're still in the first 2-3 seconds after the initial foul - still in that period where we're waiting to see if advantage materialises (and whether you're in a country that signals advantage immediately, or signals it after waiting to see, is immaterial) - it really doesn't matter awarding the FK from the second point IS the realisation of the first 'advantage' - and we don't have to worry about signalling for that if we haven't already.

You get the occasional situation where the team plays the ball back after the first foul - in that case, if we're still in the 'deciding' period, we may choose to take the FK from the first foul, not the second - same if the ball is played wider.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Iain
Q1 The answer is that the 2nd foul is most likely to be more advantageous so it is a direct free kick from that location or a penalty kick if the foul happened inside the penalty area.

Q2. NFHS has followed FIFA in regard to the ball hitting the referee with an update to its rules. In a FIFA game, play is stopped if the ball touches a match official, remains on the field of play and:
# a team starts a promising attack or
# the ball goes directly into the goal or
# the team in possession of the ball changes
The restart is a where play was stopped or if it is inside the penalty area the ball is dropped to the goalkeeper.

In NFHS the relevant section of the amended rule is

9-1-1b SECTION 1 BALL IN AND OUT OF PLAY:

ART. 1…The ball is out of play when:

a. it has completely crossed the goal line or touch line, whether on the ground or in the air
b. the ball touches an official and remains on the field and
1. a team starts a promising attack
2. goes directly into the goal
3. possession changes

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Iain,
Q1 - in any event, the restart is a direct free kick (or a penalty if the foul was in the penalty area). As my colleague ref McHugh says, the likelihood is that the referee will give the free kick at the location of the second foul, assuming it was in a more advantageous position - and certainly if the second foul would lead to a penalty.

Q2 - if the ball hits the referee, it depends on what happens subsequently. If a team starts a promising attack, or the ball goes directly into the goal, or possession changes, the restart is a dropped ball.

According to NFHS Rule 9-2-3 Section 2, Art 3:

"The referee drops the ball to one player of the team that last possessed the ball at the position where it was last touched by a player(s), an outside agent or match official.

If when play was stopped, the ball was in the penalty area or the last touch, by either team, was in the penalty area, the ball is dropped to the defending team’s goalkeeper with all opposing players outside the penalty area."

If none of the three conditions listed above applies, play would continue.