Question Number: 15187

Law 3 - Number of Players 4/15/2007

RE: All Under 13

James Dale of Atlanta, GA USA asks...

I am going to ask this question in three ways if you don't mind.

1) At a goal kick, Team A calls off 5 players to be substituted. The ref then allows play to restart before ANY of the substitutes are back on the field. Thus team A is playing with only 6 players on the field, that is 1 below the minimum required to play. Of course Team B scores.

What should happen?

2) What if only 2 players were involved in the substitution (i.e. 9 players still on the field)

3) What if the ref was waiting for TEAM A to put in their substitutes but they took forever. After severla "hurry up" warningsd, can he restart anyway or MUST he wait for the players to be substituted?

Many thanks, James

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

1. If the referee has not restarted play, wave off the goal. 2. Goal, 3. He may start play

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

All of your questions lead me to one thing. Was the procedure laid forth in Law 3 followed or was it short-cutted. If short-cutted then the answer to each question is who knows.

If the procedure was followed to the letter you calling for subs may not get the referee to allow the substitutes because unless you had notified him before the ball left play there aren't going to be any. If the procedure is followed to the letter when the substitutes enter the field [after the players they are replacing have left] play can restart without signal. It is not the referee's responsibility to guarantee your substitutes are ready and positioned.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI James,
the referee who PEMITS substitutions if the proceedures are not followed opens up the proverbial can of worms. That said it sounds like this was a power struggle moment between referee and coach to restart play. The referee, wanting to teach the coach a lesson, restarted play before the one team was ready to go?

If a coach is being a doughnut for whatever reason punishing the kids to make a point is not a good idea. Instead the coach should be treated as a responsible adult and if fails so badly in that reguard where a simple proceedure or warning to please get a move on is met with attitude then consider removing the blockhead from the match.


While 7 is the required number of playersto continue a match it is not that a match must be abandoned if that number falls below that amount if those still available to play are only temporarily disposed and within a reasonable time frame will resume their positions

Having 5 players leaving means having 5 subs waiting at centre. The number of allowable subs is covered under modifications allowed by FIFA but the number at one time or at what point in a match is controlled by the association bylaws.

Referees need not wait for players to reform and regroup but if the sub proceedures are followed sufficent time to reenter and resume play is usually not an issue. Those players or subs that delay a restart by delaying the substitution going in or out can be cautioned and time added to make up for such delays. I likely could caution before restarting for if we restart while they are not prepared no caution could then apply on those who were dragging their feet. Plus it leads to too many or too few players and possibilities of further complications. If rubbish starts, fix the problem then get on with the match. Allowing a match to proceed while rubbish is ongoing makes for a thouroulghly unpleasent experiance and room for protests to arise!

A player must first exit before a sub can be WAVED on by the referee. Subs are at the discretion of the referee but if coaches actually follow proceedure a referee cannot unconditionally refuse as the right to sub is a tactical neccessity

Cheers