Question Number: 18705

Law 1- The Field 4/6/2008

RE: Travel Under 15

Fred of Fairfax, VA USA asks...

There are NO corner flags. According to league rules this is reason for forfeit. If the game is played before the coach notices this but does notice it before he leaves the field. Should a forfiet be granted to the visitors? Picture were taken to prove this fact.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Corner flags are required by Law 1. The referee ensures they are there before starting the match, not the coach. This requirement may be forgone in lower level matches but the referee must make note of this in his match report. After reading the match report the league is free to deal with whomever is tasked with ensuring flags are there before the match starts. This could be anything from reminder letters, fines, loss of points in the league standings or being banned from the league.

The league DOES NOT have the authority to effect changes to the Laws of the Game in this area, they may only change the field's size and that with the agreement of US Soccer. Fred, that note is found on page three of the Laws of the Game.

Regards,

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Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Corner flags are required by Law 1. That said, do you as a U15 travel soccer parent really want the referee to refuse to allow the game to be played? Personally, I find it an anal retentive, cold and humorless referee that would refuse to allow a game to proceed at your level just because there were no corner flags and I suspect most of the parents would be ready to lynch such a referee if he refused to allow the game to start. Simply play the game and the referee can write it up in his report that there were no corner flags. That said, it is within the referees rights to refuse to start a game without flags and I suppose one team could also refuse to play.

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Answer provided by Referee Steve Montanino

I suspect that the referee should be reporting this fact to the authorities not the visiting team's coach. It's also very easy to say - "oh when I was leaving the field I saw the other team didn't have any corner flags..." - well, what if they had already been taken down?

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