Question Number: 15930

Other 7/3/2007

RE: Adult

ivan of Sydney, NSW Australia asks...

1)If a player has been sent off before a game commences can he be replaced?

2)A player shoots for goal and the ball hits the referee then the ball rolls into the net is that goal ok?

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

1) He may be replaced on the field by a named substitute. No new names are allowed to be added to the roster of named substitutes. This does not count as one of the substitutions.

2) The referee is a field hazard, just like a clump of grass or clod of dirt. The goal counts. One might wonder about a referee who positions himself between the player with the ball and the goal, but sometimes there's just no way to avoid getting in the way of the players. In the same token, if the ball had carromed off the referee and crossed the line outside the goal, the goal would not have been scored. The restart would be a corner kick, as an attacker was the last player to touch the ball before it crossed the line.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Ivan,
if a player is sent off BEFORE the game commences the team does NOT have to play short nor is the amount of subs allowed in that match diminished. A named substitute off the roster can replace the original starter. This simply lowers the substitution pool of available subs by one as no replacements can be added to the match roster. This replacement is NOT a substitution!

If during active play a ball deflects off the referee into the goal a referee should award the goal then quickly run to his car hitting the start button so when he jumps in he can immediately drive away to safety or the nearby tavern as one team is likely wanting his head the other quite willing to stand him a pint!

Only kidding! Well sort of. As my colleague points out a CLUMP of dirt is likely the correct analogy given the feeling one team is likely to have regarding our positioning to allow such an event to occur. Just like a corner flag or the posts and crossbar of the goal a referee is a rebounding surface on the field of play. What occurs after is play on, the ball's last touch is credited to which team last played/touched it before the ball struck the referee!

I really suggest care is taken to avoid such circumstances!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

1. Yes. By a named sub already on the roster. 2. Aside from a bit of embarassament, nothing wrong here and the goal counts. The referee is considered part of the field.

Answer provided by Referee Steve Montanino

It is important to remember that even though the team will not play short at kick-off, they may not add another name to their roster to replace this person. That change doesn't count as a substitution though.

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

1. Yes. Provided the replacement player was on the roster. 2. Referee is a large blade of grass...answer = yes.