Question Number: 35662

Law 18 - Common Sense 8/18/2024

RE: Under 15

Dave of Derby, England asks...

I’m after some thoughts on a decision from an U14 game I reffed this morning.

I awarded a free kick which was approx 35 yards from goal at an angle. The defending team retreated into the box with the closest player approx 15 yards from the ball. This player asked for a wall. I said that it’s fine but I can’t form the wall. He repeated but can we have a wall, to which I repeated that they could but it wasn’t my job to form it. I waited a few seconds to see if any players would begin forming a wall before blowing my whistle for a restart. The free kick taker shot and scored (course he did!)

Uproar! The defending team claim I should have marked out ten yards when they asked for a wall. I explained that it is my job to move players (or in this instance a wall) back but it is not my job to form it.

Someone has said to me that they believe if they asked for it I should have marked it out. But my argument to that would be in theory a defending team could ask for a wall for any free kick (even 50 yards from goal) to slow a game down.

Thoughts?

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Dave,
good for you, it is always wise to rethink situations that cause you some angst or a situation that makes you go hmmm?lol

Why is the defending team requesting a wall?

As a referee you should not interfere with a restart unless the WHISTLE is required and you INDICATED verbally and by body language, that nothing happens until that occurs.

The fact the defenders ARBITRARILY withdrew to 15 yards is kind of unusual? Generally the best you get is 6 to 8 yds. lol

The defenders have NO rights at an opposing free kick to demand anything. In fact it is a cautionable action on THEIR part to delay the restart, although to their credit at 15 yards, they certainly respected the distance!

My questions are

So you stopped play for a foul, 35 yds away from the goal.
The attacking team has the right to take the kick quickly?
Why did they not? Did they indicate they wanted a ceremonial restart?
DID you do anything different on this free kick to indicate you were making this a ceremonial restart?
Was there a caution issued?
Why did you whistle at all to restart if the attackers had not asked?
BY interacting with the defenders they may have been lulled into a less attentive position thinking you are now involved in managing it as a ceremonial free kick?
BY always using the whistle to restart it might create that impression?

Without actually seeing how it developed it is just a opinion or a perception but try not to interact unless you are going to set the wall or issue a caution. You are 100% correct though, the defenders request has zero merit!

Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe Manjone

Dave,

You are correct. It is the team's responsibility to set up the wall not yours. I applaud you for your decision and statements to the players requesting a wall.

However, I expect from the request for the wall and the reaction afterward other officials have set up the wall for this team.
If you have an officials association, I recommend you discuss this situation and how it should be handled.

You may also pass on the statements by Referee Dawson to your fellow officials and the coaches in this league. The coaches need to show the players how to develop a wall quickly and not rely on the referee to do it.

Thank you!

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Dave,
You are completely right here. The referee has no responsibility (and no duty) to set up a wall for a defending team. Your only job is to ensure that the defenders retreat the minimum 10 yards from the ball before the kick is taken. Since the closest defender was already 15 yards away, then there's nothing more that you need to do and no reason to delay the taking of the kick any further.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Dave
Thanks for the question
In Law and mechanics you were totally correct. The defending team has no expectation of a referee forming a wall at a free kick. Generally though the defender/s are closer than the 10 yards so the referee has to intervene which makes it ceremonial. I suspect that there could be a side story here of maybe cautions in previous games for not respecting the distance?
I have seen in games referees pacing 10 yards on free kicks when it is not needed and perhaps moving defenders forward and that was with no request!! All too often we see players run to the ball to get in front of it which necessitates referee intervention.

The question I would ask you now is that with the benefit of hindsight would you do anything differently?
I recall a situation being the other way around and the kicker complained the defenders were not 10 yards. I knew it was 10 yards from a distance due to years of experience of judging distance.. I could have signaled for the kick to be taken yet I went over and paced 10 yards which then brought the wall a bit closer! I had a chuckle to myself and blew for the restart. Probably if it hit the wall with no intervention I would have been the villain.
So my approach was always to prevent griping when I had the opportunity to do so. Sometimes that meant adopting an approach that best fitted the circumstances.