Question Number: 16353

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 8/18/2007

RE: Under 19

Noah Scott of owensboro, Kentucky USA asks...

I recently played a game where our oppenent's goalie had successfully completed punting the ball. However, a fellow team mate of mine quickly jumped into the way after the ball had been kicked by the goalie. The ball at this time of being blocked was 2-3 yards away from where it had been punted. The goalie had not been touched in any way yet my team mate was yellow carded on the spot. was this move illegal and did it realy deserve a yellow card?

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Your teammate was interfering with the goalkeeper's release of the ball. That is a foul punishable by an indirect free kick.

Whether or not a caution was needed is up to the ref that day. This ref evidently thought so. I'd be inclined to wait until a repetition of the event, and then caution for persistent infringement of the Laws.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Hmm. U19 players? I'd say they know better and are pushing the limits to see what the referee will allow. And they found out the hard way this ploy to interrupt the goallkeeper's release was unacceptable. Like Referee Voshol, in a younger or less skilled game, I'm likely to warn once before I caution because my role as referee sometimes includes educating the players about the Laws, but in the above stated case I can absolutely support the giving of the caution. I'll wager it didn't happen again?