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You-Call-It 8

Question...

You Call It #8
LAW 13
QUESTION:
A free kick is awarded to the attackers 22 yards out on the right side. It is taken quickly with opponents much closer than 10 yards. One opponent moves toward the ball and sticks out his foot intercepting the free kick, which deflects out for a corner kick. Your Match! Your Decision! Your Reputation!

Our Hint

Law 13 USSF ATR 13.1.to 13.6

Our Answer...

PLEASE NOTE THE REFEREES ANSWERS MAY NOT REFLECT CHANGES IN THE LAW SINCE THE DATE THIS WAS POSTED

Comment:

The optimum word in free kick is "FREE". Opponents are required, in fact it is mandatory, that they withdraw quickly to a distance of at least 10 yards from the point of the infringement (Subject to the special circumstances of law 8*).

Follow the bouncing ball of logic, see if you agree<>O<>O<>O<>O<>O

An opponent is closer than ten yards when the kicker quickly kicks the ball into play. Although this opponent was closer than ten he is not yet guilty of FAILING to respect the ten yards as insufficient time was allotted for him to withdraw. Nor has he delayed the restart in anyway

Now prior to the ball being KICKED into play if the retreating opponent sees and adjusts his back peddling ultimately affecting the outcome of the kick. He has UNFAIRLY affected play. This action occurs PRIOR to the restart! Before the ball is yet in play! If this does NOT delay the restart as the kicker goes ahead and puts the ball in play When the ball is actually kicked this opponent who is CLEARLY still within the ten yards sticks out his foot to intercept the ball That action occurs AFTER the ball was put into play. The opponent has clearly failed to respect the ten yards by his attempt to delay the restart The ball deflects out for a corner.

Answer: The referee signals to stop play, the opponent is cautioned for "FAILURE TO RESPECT THE REQUIRED DISTANCE (FRD)" and shown the yellow card, and we retake the DFK. A corner kick is not a likely advantage in this case to see the misconduct as trivial or acceptable.

OBSERVATION:

Apparent from many of the answers to You Call It #8 is the fact that far too many referees/coaches/players and fans think the offended team must request the 10 yards. This is a MYTH. It is a myth of such epidemic proportions that we implore all who read this question and answer series to do their utmost to correct the wrong thinking.

Many point to 2006 FIFA Q&A LAW 13 #8 for support not to retake 8. A free kick is awarded and the player decides to take the kick quickly. An opponent who is less than 9.15 m. from the ball intercepts it. What action does the referee take? He allows play to continue.

This incorrect reasoning not to retake thinking the word "intercept" is broad enough to imply the attackers GIVE up any right to have a ball freely kicked. This attitude has encouraged the MYTH that attackers must in fact ask or face this possibility of having to wait until the opposition decides to get out of the way.

Too many say, "Well it depends on when he moves?" If an opponent is within ten yards he BETTER be moving and in the away direction from the spot of the infringement. No one here disputes that a ball kicked into a reasonably retreating opponent or an unaware opponent in the process of say getting off the ground is hit with a ball on a quickly taken free kick and the attacker says, Wait we want ten yards! NO chance play continues. That was the only right he had given up! OPPONENTS are still obligated to respect the distance by not doing anything contrary until that ball is kicked and moving especially if they are within the ten yards.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OPINIONS In essence the spirit of the laws forgive the proximity of an opponent being too close, as it is "REASONABLE" that insufficient time has transpired to allow the opponent to finish WITHDRAWING to the minimum ten yards if a quick kick is taken. The interception of a ball directed into a RETREATING opponent, or which deflects off his knee or head or even his back, that falls favorably to the opponent it is viewed as a poor kick, a mistake caused by the inept action of the kicker! It is not an unfair action by the opponent; it is simply the run of play.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This was NOT the case in our scenario!----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gamesmanship and the art of doing just enough to frustrate but not be sanctioned are alive and well throughout the world's game. The ideology is that both teams accept it as part of the match, so who is the referee to quibble with things like what the Law says? We can not answer to the character or reasoning of all who allow the Law to be pushed aside, not bent to accommodate, but literally pushed aside, as unimportant when, in fact, the right to restart after a team had cheated to get that stoppage can further cheat to regain a defending advantage.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- There is no law that says we allow the opposition to set a wall or walk in front of the kicker to make him ask for ten yards. The ONLY allowable recourse for the opposition within 10 yards of the free kick is to keep retreating out of the way and allow the kick to be FREE. They can not stop or slow down when they notice the kicker is ready to go. They can not change the angle of their run to take away the passing lanes. They can not move towards the ball! Or stick out the body parts to stop the ball's passing.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We as referees are not doing our job when we let EVERY free kick become a whistled ceremonial free kick. When we fail to caution those who continually interfere and prevent the taking of a free kick, we do their work for them by disadvantaging the kicking team. Let?s get into a habit of demanding ten yards NOW! Not later. Always look to prevent the need to caution, but do not flinch from the reasons to caution.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Consider the opponent is required to retreat 10 yards from the location of the restart. This means in ALL directions. Those opponents who are in behind the ball and unable to defend effectively will run to and over the spot of the foul. Example: if he was 6 yards away and runs to a spot to get 10 yards away, he has in fact gone 16 yards. He really needed to go only 4 more. Do you think his run was chosen to allow the restart? It is our job, our duty and responsibility under the Laws of the Game to enforce the Law. By doing so, we ensure fair play, and help stamp out the cheating which continues to encroach on the beautiful game? Be part of the solution, please.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Is there a second answer?:-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What if the referee chose not to retake but allowed the corner? Could we in law still caution the opponent for Failure to respect the required distance? Or only verbally warn and rip a strip from his backside? We want to be perfectly clear it is a lack of courage or lack of knowledge that a referee could consider these options as befitting justice!--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Another question to consider: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------If we apply advantage on a quick free kick, say the ball deflects to an onside attacker who has a great scoring opportunity but fails to score Must we retake the original kick in order to sanction the act of Failing to respect the ten yards? Or can we wait until the next stoppage to do so?--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------AUTHORITIES: -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------To quote from the Laws of the Game 2007/2008 LAW 13 - Free Kicks Infringements/Sanctions If, when a free kick is taken, an opponent is closer to the ball than the required distance: the kick is retaken End quote-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------To quote from Additional Instructions for Referees, Assistant Referees and Fourth Officials, Laws of the Game 2007/2008 p. 62: The taking of free kicks Referees are reminded that a player must be cautioned if: he delays the restart of play he fails to respect the required distance when play is being restarted End quote---------------------------------------------------------- QUOTE USSF POSITION PAPER June 22, 2007 To: National Referees National Assessors National Instructors State Referee Administrators State Directors of Instruction State Directors of Assessment State Directors of Coaching Cc: Referee Committee State Presidents From: Julie Ilacqua Managing Director of Referee Programs (Alfred Kleinaitis is on vacation.) Re: Quick Kick In the accompanying video clip of the June 16, 2007 MLS game between Columbus and New England, Columbus player #6, Marcos Gonzalez, is fouled in the 13th minute of the game and chooses to take a "quick kick." New England player, #27, Wells Thompson, is only 2 yards off the ball when the quick kick is tajen. Thompson raises his leg to the ball and blocks the kick. The ball goes off his foot directly to teammate, #7, Adam Cristman, who breaks to goal and scores. Referees are advised in the most current edition of Advice to Referees on the Laws of the Game, under Law 13 in Section 13.3, of the following: "An attacking team which chooses to take a free kick with an opponent closer than the minimum distance may not thereafter claim infringement of the distance requirement, even when the ball is kicked to the infringing opponent, who thereby is able to control the ball without moving toward it. In such a case, the referee cannot caution the opponent who has not remained at the required distance from the ball." The key phrase to remember when viewing the attached clip is, "able to control the ball without moving toward it." It is the consensus of the U.S. Soccer technical staff, that in this particular clip, New England?s Wells Thompson did move toward the ball by thrusting his leg forward to block the kick. The free kick should have been retaken and set up as a ceremonial free kick with the required distance from the ball attained END QUOTE.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Quote from USSF ATR 2007 Law 13 ? Free Kicks 13.2 REQUIRED DISTANCE FOR OPPONENTS All opponents must be at least ten yards away in all directions. Exceptions to the required distance are noted below (free kick for defenders inside their own penalty area, indirect free kick for the attacking team within ten yards of the opponents' goal, or a quick free kick by the attacking team). Referees should use discretion in cautioning for an infringement.------------------------------------------------------------ 13.3 ENFORCING THE REQUIRED DISTANCE If the referee decides to delay the restart and to enforce the required minimum distance, the referee must quickly and emphatically indicate to the attackers that they may not restart play until given a clear signal to do so. Under these circumstances, an attacker who restarts play without a signal should be verbally warned and, upon repetition, be cautioned for unsporting behavior. The free kick in such cases must be retaken, regardless of the result of the original kick. An opponent who moves closer to the spot of the kick (from any direction) before it is taken must be cautioned and shown the yellow card if the referee has delayed the restart to ensure that the opponents are at the minimum distance. If one or more opponents fail to respect the required distance before the ball is properly put into play, the referee should stop the restart to deal with this infringement as required by the Law. The free kick must be retaken even if the momentum of play causes the ball to be kicked before the referee signals. The infringement plus the referee?s decision to deal with it cancel any apparent restart regardless of a delay in announcing this decision. However, referees are also expected to consider whether the infringement on the minimum distance was trifling (had no effect on the freedom of the attackers to restart) and, if so, to refrain from issuing a caution and to allow play to proceed. The referee is expected to deal with opponents who fail to respect the required distance, even in situations in which they were induced to do so by attackers appearing to put the ball into play, but where the ball was not kicked (touched with the foot and moved). An attacking team may exercise its right to take a free kick when the players see an advantage to do so even with an opponent closer than the minimum distance. However, they may not thereafter claim infringement of the distance requirement if the ball is kicked to an infringing opponent who is able to control the ball without moving toward it. In this case, because the attacking side has considered the encroachment trivial, the referee must accept what he or she has seen. On the other hand, when the attacking team has exercised the option to restart play quickly and the opponent closer than the required distance moves toward the ball and performs an act that makes a difference in the play, such as blocking the kick, that player has committed an offense that must be dealt with firmly in accordance with the Law. After the referee has cautioned the failure to respect the required distance, the original free kick must be retaken as required by Law 13.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13.4 QUICK FREE KICK Law 13 requires all opponents to be at least ten yards away in all directions from the location of any free kick and it is the duty of these opponents to retreat the required distance as quickly as possible without being directed by the referee to do so. It is also the right of the team which has been given the free kick to start play quickly even if one or more opponents have not yet moved back the required distance, provided the other requirements of Law 13 have been met. The referee should move quickly out of the way after indicating the approximate area of the restart and should do nothing to interfere with the kicking team's right to an immediate free kick. At competitive levels of play, referees should not automatically "manage the wall," but should allow the ball to be put back into play as quickly as possible, unless the kicking team requests help in dealing with opponents infringing on the minimum distance. However, if advantage has been applied to misconduct and the referee has determined that a card is to be given, the referee must act quickly to prevent the restart in order for the misconduct to be recorded and the proper card shown, even if one or the other team would benefit from this delay. End quote

That was our Question YOUR Answer is...

ref47 a Referee from arlington va usa

ussf issued a position paper on 6-22-07 covering this very issue. (see ussoccer.com, under laws of the game, position papers.)

an opponent that is closer than 10 yards to a free kick is not penalized for merely being in that position, if the kicking team chooses to take the kick before that opponent has the opportunity to retreat the 10 yards. if the ball is kicked directly to the opponent, he/she may play the ball and still not be penalized. however, if that too close opponent chooses to advance towards the ball and makes contact, he/she should be penalized by at least awarding a rekick to the kicking team, and possibly issuing a yc to the too close opponent for frd.

i believe that "advancing towards the ball" includes extending a leg to the side to intercept the flight of the ball, not just advancing forward towards the ball.

of course, if the attempt to intercept the ball fails, advantage or trifling should be considered and play allowed to continue.

Aaron a Referee from Chicago Illinois USA

While it is permissable for a player to be within 10 yards of a free kick, he must be moving away out of the 10 yard radius. Therefore, in this situation, had the player been moving away from the ball and the ball had struck him, regardless of whether he was within 10 yards or not, play would continue. However, since he stuck out his foot, this would likely be considered not moving out of the radius as the player is moving towards the ball. Play should be stopped, the player cautioned, and the free kick retaken.

Paul Larsen a Referee from Pleasant Hill CA USA

1. Stop play.
2. Caution the player that moved toward the ball and struck it.
3. Retake the free kick.

Advice to Referees 13.3
"An attacking team which chooses to take a free kick with an opponent closer than the minimum distance may not thereafter claim infringement of the distance requirement, even when the ball is kicked to the infringing opponent, who thereby is able to control the ball without moving toward it. In such a case, the referee cannot caution the opponent who has not remained at the required distance from the ball."

The key here is that the player moved toward the ball. The advice says without moving toward the ball. If he was able to control the ball moving toward it, then the restart would be the corner kick and no caution for not respecting the required distance.

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