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Soccer Referee Questions on Soccer Rules
Welcome to AskTheRef.com, a Soccer Law/Rules Question & Answer site!
Operating since October 11, 1999, that is 25 years as an independent, FREE, public service site. Dedicated to personally answering your questions regarding any Professional or Grassroots, FIFA, College, High school, or Youth soccer game situation. To ask a question simply click on Ask the Ref in the menu bar, post your question!

Please understand, we are comprised of strictly volunteers, thus lack the time required to review or alter the hundreds of thousands of previous questions & answers. The LOTG /RULES are constantly being tweaked, reevaluated and rewritten each year, often rendering previous answers as incorrect, partially true and/or portions no longer applicable! Our answers can only coincide within the changing LOTG/RULES time/frame of the date a question was asked! We feel it is essential you review & read the latest version of the always changing Laws/Rules of the Game.

The IFAB 2023 - 2024 LOTG Laws of the Game can be viewed here:

https://www.theifab.com/

The USA Highschool rules can be viewed here:
https://nfhs.org/nfhs-for-you/officials/

The NCAA rules can be viewed here:
Soccer Rules of the Game - NCAA.org

Those who have ideas or articles please feel free to contact the editor Richard Dawson at mrref@asktheref.com with suggestions. There are no costs involved to ask or have us respond to a question but we are not upset if you wished to donate or sponsor on the site as in todays world it is difficult to operate independently.

You Call It!

After two years and many request - You Call It is back! Now it's your turn to test your knowledge in a scenario created by our panel of referees. If your answer is spot on we will publish it on our site! Good luck click here!

High School 10/31/2024

RE: High School

DAVID LOVETT of Royal Palm Beach, FL United States asks...

I have a NFHS question. The throw in rules for high school say it has to be thrown in, in on continuous movement. So, I think this could be interpreted a couple of different ways. One is, what if the player starts the throw and decides his teammate is covered so he stops and turns in a different direction and makes the throw then? To me that would be illegal because the thrower stopped. But another interpretation could be that you can stop and change direction but the final delivered throw had to be one continuous motion. So at what point is the NFHS rules considering a "stop"? Is it actually during the delivery of the throw or from the moment you choose the direction you going. I hope this makes some kind of sense and thank you for your in...

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High School 10/31/2024

RE: High School

R. Banks of New York, New York USA asks...

The attacker has control of the ball and is tripped from behind by the last defender at the 18. The keeper is at the penalty spot at the time of the occurrence. Is criteria four met even if the keeper is 6 yards away from the attacking player?

103983...

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High School 10/30/2024

RE: High school Under 17

Stacey Curley of Voorheesville , NY USA asks...

Can a coach contest a goal?
I have 2 videos from a game. Ref waved off a goal that clearly was a clean goal.
Another goal was considered a goal but did not cross the line per video.

Any assistance is appreciated.

Kindly,
Stacey Curley ...

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Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 10/28/2024

RE: Adult

JM Stalin of Secunderabad, Telangana India asks...

Coaches kindly note during the game????? All verbal offences are Penalised with an Inderct free kick...

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Law 4 - The Players Equipment 10/28/2024

RE: AYSO 14 - 19 Other

Paul Lauer of Palmdale, CA USA asks...

Laws of the Game 2024/25 | Law 4 | The Players’ Equipment
2. Compulsory equipment
Shin Guards – these must be made of a suitable material and be of an appropriate size to provide reasonable protection and be covered by the socks. Players are responsible for the size and suitability of their shin guards

How much authority does the referee have in Enforcing this Law?...

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Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 10/28/2024

RE: Rec Adult

Buzz Bee of Bracknell, Not Specified United Kingdom asks...

Is kicking the ball away a bookable offense?

My view (Happy to be corrected) is that kicking the ball away isn't actually an offense, but an action sometimes taken that commits an offense.

For example, a very high profile situation in this season's English Premier League saw Declan Rice of Arsenal sent off, when he kicked the ball away as his oponent was about to take a quick free kick. In my view, the offense he was booked for was not kicking the ball away, but delaying the re-start. Kicking the ball away was just HOW he prevented it

Likewise, you can be booked for kicking the ball away in anger at a refereeing decision, but the offense is dissent, not kicking the ball away. Kicking the ball away is just th...

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Mechanics 10/28/2024

RE: Adult

Martin WAIN of Bradford, West Yorkshire United Kingdom asks...

Hi,

I suspect the controversy of VAR in football will never be solved.Looking at the latest incident in the West Ham v Man Utd game on Oct 27th.

The onfield referee clearly saw the coming together of the 2 players in the penalty area & waived both arms to confirm this & that he did not deem it to be a penalty. The VAR official (Oliver) should have accepted this & not intervened as it was not a clear & obvious error.

My question is: When the onfield referee is called to the pitch side monitor is he allowed to view the footage & make his own mind up of his own accord, or, as all officials are "miked up" is the VAR official giving him further guidance through his earpiece as to why he thinks it may be a penalt...

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Character, Attitude and Control 10/27/2024

RE: rec Adult

Andrew Simpson of hereford, HEREFORDSHIRE United Kingdom asks...

Hi I was wondering if you could answer a question I have from the Norwich vs Middlesbrough game on 27-10-24. The Norwich captain Mclean was sent off in the 87th minute. He walked off with the armband still on his shirt as seen on Sky Sports+ coverage. Can a team be punished for this, and if so how? Or is it down to the referee to notice this?...

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Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 10/23/2024

RE: Adult

Rob of Preston, United Kingdom asks...

RB Leipzig v Liverpool

Darwin Nunez bursts into the penalty area and reaches the ball before defender Orban, he knocks the ball past him and Orban clearly kicks his shin as a result

The ref waves away the pen and var looks but clears it. Commentary think it's a pen but suggest maybe the ref thought Darwin would not have reached the ball before it went out (it was clearly not out at the time of the contact, would he have caught it? Unsure)

My questions isn't so much "would you give it" as much as.. Where is it written, what rule number says the ref can deny giving a foul if the ball may or may not have later been kept in?

...

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Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 10/22/2024

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

Finally, one more thing about the SPA.

Situation 1:
A5 fouls (SPA, careless), the fouled player continues, A15 fouls him moments later (careless, a MORE advantegous place for the fouled). A15 thus defeats the advantage. Will the A5 be cautioned?

Situation 2:
A5 fouls (SPA, careless), the fouled player continues, A15 fouls him moments later (SPA, careless, a MORE advantegous place for the fouled). A15 thus defeats the advantage. Who will be cautioned?

Situation 3:
A5 fouls (SPA, careless), the fouled player continues, A15 fouls him moments later (SPA, careless, a LESS advantegous place for the fouled). A15 thus defeats the advantage. Who will be cautioned?

Or can we take it to mean t...

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