Question Number: 16409

Law 13 - Free Kicks 8/24/2007

RE: COMPETIVE Adult

OSWALD BROOKS of FPO , AE NAVAL STATION GUANTANAMO BAY asks...

IF A FOUL IS CALLED AND THE OPPOSING TEAM PLAYER THROWS THE BALL IN THE AIR TO GIVE IS PLAYER ENOUGH TIME TO FORM A WALL, IS THAT LEGAL?
IS THE REFEREE CORRECT TO CAUTION THE PLAYER WHO THROW THE BALL IN THE AIR?

DOES THE PLAYER HAVE THE RIGHT TO THROW THE BALL IN THE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES WHILE THE IS DEAD/

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Ref Brooks, hopefully while you are busy serving the country you are still able to keep up with the updates in the Laws. In the 2007 version recently released by FIFA, in the Additional Instructions section at the back, we find, "Referees must caution players who delay the restart of play by tactics such as: ... provoking a confrontation by deliberately touching the ball after the referee has stopped play." This is not a change to the Laws, but an amplification of a concept that should have been in practice. It was added in 2006 to specifically address referees who were not cautioning players who delayed the restart this way.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

I think you answered your own question, but no, it is not legal for a player to delay the restart of play in such a manner. He must be cautioned for this and the restart will still be the same one for which play was originally stopped. As for a player throwing the ball into the air during a dead ball situation, it would depend entirely on what else was going on - why is the ball dead, whose ball is it, does this bring the game into disrepute, is the player just goofing around while an injury is being treated, is he checking the ball for proper shape - what? The referee doesn't need to be looking for reasons to caution players, as I'm sure you are well aware, but should not be shy about stopping disreputable behavior either.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

BT

FOR ALCON GITMO

1. REQ REFRAIN FROM NAVAL MSG FORMAT IN CIVILIAN CORRESP.

2. Feel free to use lower case letters when writing us. If the old gummers here can't see what you write we just put on our glasses.

BT

To your question: any player who gives a foul and delays the restart of play should be dealt with in accordance with the Law. here the applicable paragraph may be found in the misconduct part of Law 12. Therein it defines delaying the restart as a cautionable offence. Yup, that's a caution!

Where the player learned he has the right to delay things so his team mates can get behind the ball and defend is irrelevant. The referee must teach him a new way to behave.

Art. 134, UCMJ is just the same as the cautionable offence of Unsporting Behaviour -- the referee should use that tool as necessary.

Regards,