Question Number: 34559

Law 8 - The Start and Restart of Play 4/15/2022

Crebs Crem of Zagreb, Croatia asks...

Hello,

I want to ask whether such a decision/scenario invalidates the match or not. Say, team A is attacking inside the penalty area and the referee incorrectly calls for an offside. However, he/she realises the offside was wrong and since team A has had the possession of the ball lastly, the ball is dropped for team A just outside the penalty area of team B. After the dropped ball, team A attacks and scores a goal.

Do this scenario and the decision given by the referee cause the match to be invalidated?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Crebs

In this instance the referee made an error to stop play erroneously so the restart is a DB from where the ball was when play was stopped.

If the ball was inside the penalty area the dropped ball goes to the goalkeeper in all situations.

Now if the the wrong location is chosen for the decision I am unsure that is going to be protested. I suspect that it was in error it would have to be shown as a clear error however it could also be argued that the location could have been outside depending on the referee's judgement of where play was stopped. I have spoken to referees after games and they cannot recall certain situations. At the highest level is is not likely to happen.


Anyway I think while this may be a good question on paper the reality is that in a game situation it is less likely. I think if a referee blows for offside the chances of it being entirely erroneous is rare. I also cannot see any league doing a replay based on a dropped ball restart location error.
The key learning is that referees need to know the LotG and to ensure that they don't make errors that may come back to cause them post match difficulties such as too many substitutions, penalty kick restart errors which are the main cause of protests.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Crebs
these are incidents that make you go hmmmmm? It is true when an incorrect or inadvertent stoppage is caused by an official the LOTG calls for a DB restart. The recent changes to HOW a DB occurs were established to make them fairer, less controversial, and less dangerous. Yet you devised a what if, that kind if pokes at the restart as truly being fair? The takeaway scenario where the keeper gets the benefit of receiving the ball inside their own PA even if the attackers were pressing, does crinkle the nose a bit but given it applies to every situation at both ends, so be it!

I can understand that if the attackers had a really good attack going and were thwarted by the inadvertent whistle, it is going to ruffle some feathers, particularly in a good scoring position directly in front of the goal. In keeping with the spirit of the LOTG, it does not seem all that awful to give the ball back to the team that HAD ball possession OUTSIDE the PA. The DB is NOT allowed to be scored directly, despite that 4-yard leeway to get off a shot if that restart was in fact outside the PA & in a decent position for an attempt on goal.

I see no validation to think such an occurrence as you suggested would lead to a replay? The referee could be of the opinion the ball was outside the PA prior to the reason he stopped play and while it might be a point of contention I can not see it as a MUST BE blade of grass restart that would create a protestable situation? Unlike awarding an indfk as a PK or an attacking DFK inside the PA that was NOT on the PK spot! I tend to think the ONLY DP restart that MIGHT not withstand a miss application of the law would be to have it occur INSIDE the PA in favour of the attackers who then would score!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Crebs,
The laws do not really deal with why or how a match is "invalidated." Such decisions are pretty much always left to the competition organisers. Depending on circumstances, the regulatory body for any given competition may, at their discretion (and usually only after submission of an official protest) order a match to be replayed in whole or in part, based on what they consider to be sufficient cause.

This could potentially be due to something involving one or other team, of perhaps a mis-application of the law by the referee. As far as a refereeing decision causing some kind of "do over," based on every example I can think of, it requires that a referee make a decision that is totally impossible in law. It would not, in my opinion or experience, be for a decision that is possible in law, but simply incorrect as to the location.

So while I guess nothing is impossible, I would be amazed if the kind of mistake and decision you describe would lead to a replay.