Question Number: 35712

Mechanics 9/20/2024

Petr of Prague, Czech Republic Czech Republic asks...

This question is a follow up to question 35709

One more thing please.

The whistle is needed to:

•?restart play for:

•?FREE KICKS WHEN THE APPROPRIATE DISTANCE IS REQUIRED

CAN THE ATTACKING TEAM REQUEST FOR IT?

(Or, the team waits a few seconds to play the QFK. Opponents are closer than 10 yards. Should the referee award a ceremonial free kick and force the distance?)

WHAT EXACTLY DOES THIS RULE THESIS MEAN?
('the appropriate distance is required')

I ask because, in general, this distance is always required. Just a quick kick changes it a bit.

Thanks!

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Petr,
as in most circumstances we deal with the biggies and do not sweat the smallies! lol

I thought it simply meant if the logistics demand the free kick is to be ceremonial as you are cautioning a player and setting the wall, is now a go to thing. You immediate point to that as a FACT by indicating nothing happens until I blow this! Hold the whistle up, point to it get, eye contact, responses etc.. Now it will most definitely be the appropriate distance, as you will ensure it! Same as if it was a PK you are forced to ensure the distance is secured!

Whereas you blow for the foul (because advantage was not a possibility or had no chance of success) and while appraising the situation, the attackers are exhibiting agitation but as of yet not requesting YOU interfere and you watch. Do they have the opportunity to do what they wish without the effect of a defender creating a significant problem even if that distance away is not the REQUIRED distance? Are they at least not directly affecting the attackers right to go ahead thus not delaying the restart?

We can allow advantage if the kick is decent and it springs a good chance despite a defender perhaps acting in less than a fair manner.

If we -KNOW- it was the defender's early movement that stops the attack in close before the kick occurs, we are cautioning and retaking ceremonially.

If the attacking team decided to go because they wanted to and a defender closer than ten yards in front, not having moved away effectively, they passed out wide is intercepted by another defender who was retreating out but was say at say 8 yards but moving away and only responded after the kick occurred the attack has failed and we play on.

The risk fact of trying to go quickly without giving sufficient time to clear out of the way within reason! The odd kicker will drive a ball into a retreating defending player trying to draw a card response but an attentive referee should be aware of such tactics just as he should be aware the defender could be baiting the kicker mirroring movements to stop the quick kick opportunity.

The restart has a specified distance 10 yards which is a plus or minus issue to some degree! The LOTG, used to say, ("a minimum of 10 yards"), which, in my opinion, meant I could set walls at 11 or 12 yds if I felt like marching off the requested paced or necessary intervention of those defenders who were often too reluctant to retire even a few yards!

They do recommend a referee NOT interfere in the restarts -IF- it can be avoided.
The use of the whistle or a verbal command is subjective. There are those that like myself are irritated at how casual defenders react to the mandatory aspect of not allowing play to continue or not respecting distance.

A referee can simply point to the touchline and say blue throw and red will know, blue is going to restart at that area the referee pointed at which was where the ball exited and that the respected distance from there is not SPECIFICALLY up or down but away so the thrower does not have to contend with a defender in his face. But we see the creeping up of the REAL restart location and often a yard or two or three is freely given without rebuke .

Similarity when a referee blows for a free kick in favour of blue, red is aware they must withdraw but the restart location is NOT necessarily a blade of grass and as the blue team spots the ball at a location that the referee considers as close enough, the distance required is still 10 yards, but reflects the dynamics of how this is achieved. Once the ball is actually spotted & subsequently kicked to begin play, versus how much effort into not interfering the defenders might be trying to get away with as they casually withdraw trying to cut off all passing angles. The REASON to get involved is based on THEIR involvement in how the play unfolds!

Getting a defender to even withdraw 6 yards, never mind 8 and they will bitterly contest what you claim is ten. I used to shout out, particularity at youth levels "Tens yards NOW! please!" as a reminder, but I did nothing to intervene per say, nor was I asked by the attacking team for ten. I simply felt I was being proactive and they just got on with it!
I made it a point to inform the teams in the pregame id and cleat checks that I get irritated easily when it comes to delaying restarts or not respecting distance. Principally because coaches used to get cute telling players to slow play down to give defenders time to recover.

You should notice referees are not as engaged in defining the LOTG to players en masse at the elite levels. Principally because respect for the game is enshrined in letting the players make the actions best suited to their tactical choices and skill levels. The referee only reacts if they are NOT within the acceptable standards that BOTH teams tend to be following, they are on the same page so to speak. If referee feels obligated by the LOTG to actually intervene because fair play is NOT being respected then stepping in as a decision to fix it is going to be a big deal because a referee can tolerate what players are willing to accept as reasonable when it comes to fair or foul but to caution or start arbitrarily interfering, something is not right! The bar is then set and must be equitably distributed to both teams!

One of the goofiest free kick scenarios when it comes to free kick is the corner kick where in theory the attacking team could just spot it and boom it into the middle as soon as they recover the ball. However with all the player interaction of pushing, pulling, holding, the referee winds up dealing with the scrums ahead of the kick! Hopefully the AR is managing the distance if the corner is in their areas but for the record as a referee it bugs me that BOTH teams waste so much time. I much prefer they just spot it, kick it, then I just let play go on or
I whistle for a foul be for or against!

Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Petr
Its all about mechanics.

Once referees whistle for an offence in an attacking position referees will generally move quickly to that location.
Now if an attacker who has perhaps fallen on the ball or the ball is at rest at the location of the offence gets up or a team mate takes a quick free kick a referee will normally allow that to happen and the outcome must be accepted.

Many times the kicking team will request the distance and that should always be acceded to.
Where there is a delay with uncertainty with say ball retrieval, possible injury etc my advice is to make it ceremonial. The reason is that once referees have involved themselves in a restart in an attacking position the best decision is to make the kick ceremonial. It saves a lot of grief either way.

Have a look at this video
https://youtu.be/kUpEzjPjuWE?si=PyKGO-mSqu0yCMS4

Technically nothing wrong as it seemed like the ball was at rest and at or around the location of the offence. Clearly the conceding team was upset at the outcome.
I personally think that the referee in front of the ball has impacted on the defending team. To the rear and behind the ball no issue for me.
The comments are clearly wrong by the commentator as in Law there is nothing wrong here. If it happened anywhere else on the field of play there would not be no comment and play would continue. It probably points to what is expected in the game.

It is also the reason why we have the running in front of the ball at restarts which makes the kick ceremonial.
Over a lifetime of games I have recollection of a few QFKs in front of the penalty area with only one goal that I recall. Most others went wide or hit a player. The goal one I had zero complaint as when I got to the location the kicker asked quickly could he take it to which I said yes. The conceding team was annoyed that they had allowed it to happen.

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 35739