Question Number: 15925

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 7/2/2007

RE: Select Under 13

Gil of Ann Arbor, MI USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 15910

I had one of these late in the Spring season. U12G Select. Keeper dives on the ball, and the opposing forward comes in and makes contact a split second later. Simple careless foul, no card necessary. But now the keeper is down and needs some attention. So I signalled advantage to the keeper's team, blew the whistle, and signalled for the coach.

On the restart, the opposing team had a player ready to participate in the drop. I said, quietly, "You know, the keeper had clear posession when I stopped play. The sporting thing to do would be to back away and let her take the drop alone." The forward didn't back off. So, as I was dropping the ball, I blew the whistle again, nice and loud, and called out "Advantage didn't develop! We've got a free kick for the push, coming out right here!"

So, I'm a little annoyed that the keeper gets a DFK near the top of the goal area instead of a punt from the top of the PA, but I figure it's about as close as I can get to a "fair" restart under the circumstances.

Was what I did supported in law? Was it a reasonable solution, under the circumstances? I know it only works when it's the keeper with the ball that goes down, but unlike a drop kick in the middle of the field, this is right near the goal.

Answer provided by Referee Steve Montanino

I understand what you were trying to accomplish here. I'm a bit concerned with your methodology though.

If play was stopped to deal with an injury then it MUST be restarted with a dropped ball. You're getting into a very iffy territory if you're suggesting that you are "pre-awarding" advantage so that you may later change the restart as if you had retroactively decided there was a foul and not a simple injury.

I also get that you might like to let the keeper have the punt from the top of the penalty area. However, this is not of major consequence to the match. It is better for game management to call the foul against the attacker, who did in fact foul the keeper (otherwise you wouldn't be awarding advantage, I hope). It's often easier in cases like this to protect the goalkeeper and keep it simple here. Then you don't really have a problem when the match restarts.

Also, when players think that you're protecting the goalkeeper they will be far less likely to protect the keeper on your behalf (meaning giving a knock to the player who clipped their keeper). Keeping it simple will prevent a problem - and isn't that really the goal?

That said, I'm glad to see that fairness won out and you made sure that justice was served - however, you really want to be careful not to meddle with proper restarts when you should be using the proper ones.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Gil reading what Ref Montanino has said reinforces my faith in him as a panelist, he hits the points you need to be aware of to be a success. As an assessor on your match, I'm going to note the time and incident as something you might need assistance with. After the match I'll ask something like this:

When the keeper and attacker came together at the 37th minute you played off an advantage and then stopped things to tend to a possible bent keeper. What were your thoughts there.

You answer is: Keeper dives on the ball, and the opposing forward comes in and makes contact a split second later. Simple careless foul, no card necessary.

There is when the assessor mind clicked in! The help I think you need is in differentiating between something accidental and something careless. One is foul play and the other is "stuff happens". You said it was careless and that gives you the ability to pull the attacker up for kicks or attempts to kick, a direct free kick offence. You, in fact, did that when you returned to the original foul after the dropped ball. We can argue, at length, about the validity of the advantage call and subsequent return to the original foul, something I don't think is possible in this instance or we can find a way to clean everything up and still do what we need to do.

So what I ask is you get into the books and find the definition of careless, what it means to commit one of the first six direct free kick offences in a careless manner, what the restart of play is and why it is always better to send a message the goalkeeper is a reusable container that we shouldn't destroy. I want you to do that before your next match and call me and we'll talk about which is better in the long run.

Doing things as you did invited problems and they found you. It left you having to be creative and pull something out of your arse that, in hindsight, kinda smelled bad. You traded safety for location, was it a fair trade?

The good thing is you sold it! But, as I mentioned before the sale may not have been necessary because it did use a dubious application of Law and opened the match to a possible protest based on you being unsupported in Law: to wit - Law 12, Powers and Duties 11th bullet.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Gil,
OK you see a FOUL and you call out and signal advantage but then you realize the keeper can not continue so no advantage thus do not yell play on! but lets get to the point of the foul. The keeper can receive treatment and you can restart with a free kick. That free kick from inside the PA must clear the PA and all opponents must be outside. It serves the match needs.

What you can not do is a drop ball at the edge of the 6. Because if you do then you have said advantage was realized which it was not and a drop ball can be contested by the opponents as you have stopped play solely for an injury.

We understand you think a drop ball is more advantageous for a keeper to get his hands on the ball to punt it but you are creating misapplications of law that could lead to protests.

If you do stop play for injury It is entirely appropriate to drop the ball solely to the keeper well inside his PA in many circumstances. There is no law that says an opponent must be there or for that matter how many players in total. Opponents will often abide by the unwritten code of conduct not to contest such drops. Keepers will on occasions be granted a few extra seconds to have the ball in their hands as I ask please wait for me to get up field before you punt this OK?

Here you have an obtuse player who does not get what goes around will come around. If this was your keeper how would you like them to respond? OK so you tried the are you aware of codes of conduct approach and met indifference. To your credit you did not order him away and forbid him not to contest as that is not within your authority to delegate tactical decisions.

You could say the keeper here will crouch down and grab this ball with his hands as soon as it touches the ground thus he will have possession and in law control of that ball. If you kick him or his hands or the ball at that point I could stop play and award a free kick out and I could possibly caution or send you off depending on what actually occurs are you sure you want to be here?
You have not said he cannot attempt the drop ball but you have indicated it really is a bad, bad idea. Note I say could indicating choice not that I will or he MUST do anything!

To do the switch in restarts will create a talking point with the assessor or mentor of whoever might read over the match report. Best get it done and over with now so if you expect to advance up the ladder this rung is no longer included!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Jon Sommer

Keep it simple. Why call advantage before u stop the game for an injury? You've seen a foul, the keeper is on the ground and is gaining no advantage. Blow the foul straight away, and wave the physio on to treat the injured keeper. The restart can then be a DFK to the goalkeeper. Advantage should be used where a team can gain a clear advantage...Iwould ask myself whether a defensive team would rather a freekick or play advantage when in their own area...the answer here is they would want a freekick. So give it. There are too many risks and patential hazards playing advantage to a defensive team in their own area. I would be more likely to blow than not.

Yours in fairness,