Question Number: 15233

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 4/21/2007

RE: Rec Under 9

Brett P. of Brookfield, Wisconsin United States asks...

During a game there was a shot an open goal and a player from the other team reached up and blocked the shot with his hands. My brother's team took a free kick and lost possesion of the ball and ultimately lost the goal and game by one goal because of a ball that was destined for the back of the net that diddn't go in. I'm not blaming the ref in any way but should have the ref allowed the goal because the ball still went in the net? It just was handballed first. Plus this is U8 rec leauge soccer.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Brett,
The referee was likely learning his craft as the youngsters were learning theirs. I know that some leagues have bylaws that only allow indfks or no cards to be shown but a referee could delay a whistle and await an advantagous result if the opportunity to do so was there!

(1)IF the situation was a ball is shot towards the goal and an opponent handles the ball deliberately which STOPS the ball from entering his goal a referee can not award a goal as if it would have scored all he can do in law is award a PK and send off the player off per point 4 of the sending off offences listed in law 12
Sending-Off Offences
A player, substitute or substituted player is sent off and shown the red card if he
4. denies the opposing team a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball (this does not apply to a goalkeeper within his own penalty area)

Preventing a goal or an obvious goal scoring opportunity---
A player is sent off, however, if he prevents a goal or an obvious goal scoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball. This punishment arises not from the act of the player deliberately handling the ball but from the unacceptable and unfair intervention that prevented a goal being scored.

(2)IF the situation was a ball is shot towards the goal and an opponent handles the ball deliberately in an attempt to block it but FAILS and the ball deflects into the goal off the hands, assuming a referee has not blown his whistle before the ball crosses the goal line under the crossbar and between the posts it could be allowed as a legal goal. If the referee blows a whistle too quickly before the ball is over the goal line we are back to the other result red card and send off!

Per LAW 5 The Power and Duties of the Referee
The referee: allows play to continue when the team against which an offence has been committed will benefit from such an advantage and penalises the original offence if the anticipated advantage does not ensue at that time;
FIFA Q&A LAW 12
22. A player tries to prevent the ball entering the goal by deliberately handling it. The ball, however, enters the goal. What action does the referee take?
He awards the goal and cautions the player for unsporting behaviour.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

Referee can apply advantage here and award the goal. Just had this happen in a game I refereed today. If a player uses hands deliberatly to prevent a goal, they are suppose to be sent off (red card). If they are not sucessful in denying goal, then the ref should apply advantage, award the goal, and caution the chaeating attacker. Since this was U8 it changes everything though.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

The Law states this is a sending-off offence and it is not listed as one of the 5 things allowed to be modified at the national association level. Did your club feel it necessary to change it so the child may learn it's no biggie to stop a goal by handling the ball deliberately? If so I don't know what to say because the referee is not unable to award a goal unless the whole of the ball passes under the cross bar and between the goal posts.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Steve Montanino

The kid who stopped the goal should have been shown a red card and if he handled the ball inside the penalty area, play should have restarted with a penalty kick. Sorry to tell you, but the referee can never "allow" an assumed goal.

Now - some refs who are new aren't going to get this right all of the time, and other refs have a hard time sending off an 8 year old, but I wonder what lesson the player who did that has taken away from the field with him, certainly that cheating worked and perhaps he'll try it again. If he has suffered the appropriate consequence then maybe he would never do this again for the rest of his life...