Question Number: 15995

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 7/11/2007

RE: Under 19

Greg of Sudbury, Canada asks...

Dear AskTheRef,

I was watching a U18 rep game the other night and in the second half with a only a few minutes left, the goalie stops a shot and runs to one side of the box, then runs to the other side and kicks the ball about 10 yards down the field, but out of bounds.

After seeing that the goalie has kicked the ball with all his might out of bounds, I'm guessing the ref found that he was doing that to delay the restart of the game. So the ref, gave him a yellow card, and the opposing team had the throw-in from the point of departure.

I am not TOO familiar with the rules of soccer so my question is, wouldn't that be a penalty kick or atleast a free kick since the goalie was shown a yellow?

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

If the referee felt the keeper took more than 6 seconds to release ball, then he should have blown the whistle and awarded an IFK to the opponents from where the keeper was standing at time 6 seconds was up. If he restarted with a throw in, then the referee could not have been calling the delay of the game.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

The ref may have cautioned the goalkeeper for Unsporting Behavior for kicking the ball way out of bounds, causing time to be wasted. The problem with that is, how far is too far, when does it become unsporting/timewasting rather than just kicking the ball out? Much better to simply tell the goalkeeper that wasn't needed, you are adding time to compensate for the long stoppage, and then be generous in estimating how much time is lost.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Greg ,
we can not award PKs based on unsporting gestures only a penal foul occuring inside the culprits own penalty area allows us that right.

Games played under FIFA laws require we can make up for lost or wasted time as LAW 7 gives us that discrestion.

Tactically kicking a ball is a player's decision not the referee's.

If I see a keeper do something so obtuse I might simply tell him I am adding time while you go and fetch it.

We could enforce the 6 seconds of handling possession to the letter if the keeper was being prissy then award an INDFK from where he is inside his area if he went over.

If the ball is kicked AFTER play is stopped them misconduct for delaying the restart or USB can easily be cautioned and shown a yellow card.

I have deep reservations about doing so (cautioning) if this kick was done during active play. I think we are over stepping our discrestionary powers here to tactically dictate kicking a ball out of play is only allowed at less than full strength.

In my opinion if we CAUTION him for USB then the misconduct occurs inside the penalty area and an iNDFK at the spot of the indiscrestion is called for.

The ball kicked over a touch line is by law a throw in for the opposition. I see no caution being shown for something that the referee dislikes rather than against the laws. Add ALL the time and warn such conduct is unnecessary because you will add the full time plus a bit to ensure the opposing team is NOT short changed.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

There can be no penalty kick unless the keeper has comitted 1 of 9 penal fouls that would apply. ( Deliberately handling the ball inside his own pena;ty area does not apply). The keeper could have been cautioned if he did not release the ball within six seconds and the restart would have been an indirect free kick for the opponents from the point that he did NOT release the ball in time unless it was inside his own goal area in which case the ball would come out to the six yard line. That said, since the restart was a throw-in for the other team, the referee must have cautioned the keeper for delaying the restart of play. This is a gross MISTAKE on the part of the referee. Where or how the keeper releases the ball is not the business of the referee. Law 5 also gives the referee the power and duty to add time as he sees fit. Since there was a long period of time for the ball to be retrieved and thrown in, the referee should simply have added 30 seconds or so. What the keeper did is simply not punishable by a caution and showing of the yellow card. A referee doing this level game should know better.