Question Number: 16467

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 8/28/2007

RE: High School

Ron VanBibber of St. Albans, WV Kanawha asks...

two questions:
1.a ball lands on top of the goal crossbar and lays there for a couple of seconds, then falls and is deflected into the goal. Is it a valid goal?
2. A player is given a yellow card for language, then before he can be substituted off,makes another remark and is shown a red card, the ref has not called for sub, yet one comes in as first player is walking off, should the team play a man down?

Answer provided by Referee Steve Montanino

1. I don't think I can envision this ever happening. However, if you want to know if the ball is still in play if it is directly above the cross bar the answer should be YES. That's because the cross bar is supposed to be perfectly parallel to the goal line and the exact width as the goal line. Thus, if the ball is touching the plane of the cross bar extended up it's touching the goal line plane extended up and is therefore, still in play.

If the referee doesn't stop play for potentailly dangerous circumstances while the ball comes to rest while sitting on the cross bar then yes I suppose this could be a goal. Though, the referee may be inclined to give a dropped ball at the top of the goal area, if he feels the ball resting on the cross bar is dangerous.

2. This player may not be replaced. If this is a match under the FIFA laws of the game (USSF) then that substitute waiting off the field is not considered a player until the referee beckons the sub onto the field AND the sub steps onto the playing field. Then and only then is the sub a player and anything done by a player is subjet to shortening the roster if a red card is received. So seeing as this sub never became a player, the misconduct is still applied to the guy going off, which means he can't be replaced.

In HS and College soccer a sub becomes a player from the instant the referee beckons them into the game. The only exception is in the NCAA - which says if during the last 5 minutes of the second half the team in the lead elects to sub, then the referee must stop the clock, at which time the substitute immediately becomes a player.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

(1) An unlikely event, but if a ball ends up resting on top of the goal, it is still in play. It is hardly playable, though. The goalkeeper might be the only player able to reach it, and he's not going to want to. His options would be to knock it over the end line for a corner kick to the opponents, or to knock it back into play right in front of the net. Neither one is acceptable to him or his team. Since we're at a stalemate, the ref should blow the whistle, retrieve the ball, and restart with a dropped ball on the 6-yard line. Should the ball become loose in a very short time - say a gust of wind blew it off the goal, or someone banged the goal and it wobbled off - and it then rolls into the net, a goal has been scored.

(2) If this is a High School game, we need to know why the player exiting the field was sent off. Sent-off players may be replaced in some instances in HS, but not for most. It looks like perhaps this player got a second caution for dissent - in which case, he may be replaced. Gotta love it when the administrators gum up the rules!

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

The ball is in play and the goalkeeper is allowed to jump up and take the ball off the cross bar. This should be the first thing that happens. The referee should NOT whistle for this, let the keeper deal with it.

The second question is peculiar to American High School and other readers shouldn't attempt to sort this one out. Three things happen on this one, a player uses incidental vulgar or profane language, this is a cautionable offense under NFHS soccer rules. Under NFHS rules a cautioned player MUST leave the field until the next legal substitution opportunity. He may be replaced by a substitute from the bench when he leaves. Here's the rub, in their infinite wisdom NFHS has bastardized Law 3 with their idea of how to accomplish a substitution, just as they have made the requirement a cautioned player leave the field.

The referee has the option to beckon a substitute on the field BEFORE the player he is replacing has left! This is never a good thing for a referee to do because of what happened to you.

The player entered the field on his on or with the urging of his coach! This is a cautionable offense as well. While this is happening gutter mouth decides to prove the referee was correct when he cautioned him in the first place and chooses to make another remark the referee considers a disqualification offense.

The referee now has 12 [or one too many] players on the field. He needs to correct this BEFORE doing anything else. So, caution [yellow card] the extra player [a substitute] and remove him from the field. At this point there is a correct number of players on the field. NOW is the time to take action regarding gutter mouth's second offense. He is disqualified [red card] for using insulting, offensive, or abusive language or gesture. He is required to leave the field and take no further part in the match. [You'll note the original question did not mention disqualified [yellow/red] it said red card]

Now there are less players on the field than when the incident started. This is correct. The referee may now REQUIRE the substitute enter to replace another player because when he entered without permission it became known he was a substitute and he wanted to enter. Under NFHS rules he must enter once he has reported to the scorers table or the nearest match official.

Readers, hopefully, will note this convoluted answer is somewhat different that the Laws of the Game would require. The reason for that is 13, otherwise normal human beings who are not members of the International FA Board, have decided that's how things are going to be. You'll also note that the National Organization in America has accepted this and allows their referees to participate in such nonsense.

In my opinion this is not good for The Game. It teaches referees things they can not do in matches in the rest of the Football world. It allows the possibility for a referee to take a decision based on something other than the Laws of the Game. Because of that a referee becomes predisposed to make an error in Law or rule in the heat of battle. Again this is not good for The Game. My humble opinion, and I am unanimous in that opinion...

Regards,