Question Number: 17069

Law 3 - Number of Players 10/3/2007

RE: Rec Under 16

Mike Nolan of Costa Mesa, California USA asks...

I was an assistant referee at a recent game. A substitute stopped a ball that was in play almost at the touch line. The ball was clearly going to go out for a throw in for his team. I indicated to the referee that the ball did not go out before it was touched. The substitute had earlier in the game, while a player, been cautioned for disent. The referee told the substitute's coach that the substitute was on very thin ice. He did not speak directly to the substitute but spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear. I don't remember the referee blowing his whistle but play had clearly stopped. The referee started play with a direct free kick. What is the correct restart?

In my opinion the substitute knew the ball was still in play when he stopped it. He was not trying to interfer with play. At most he was trying to help his team take a quick throw in. He stopped the ball on the field because he was lazy or careless and did not think that it mattered. Should he have been given a second caution?

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Let's go through this one thing at a time.

1. The ball was in play on the field.

2. The substitute entered the field and played the ball.

3. The substitute didn't have the referee's permission to enter the field of play.

And the Law says what in this circumstance?

Now what did the referer not have the courage to do?

After the referee does what he is supposed to do what should have been the restart of play?

Mike this a mandatory caution! The Law says: "play is stopped -- the substitute is cautioned, shown the yellow card and required to leave the field of play -- play is restarted with an indirect free kick at the place the ball was located when play was stopped"

In this case the substitute is sent-off for a second caution in the same match because of his dissent and the face he did something that mandated a second caution. There can be no other course of events in this case. Unless, of course, the referee demonstrates how courageous he is.

Granted there those who will argue it did nothing to send-off the substitute in this match because it was [possibly] near the end of the match and his side didn't have to loose a player. Good argument, but what about the next match? Because he should miss that match and doesn't the referee has, perhaps, affected the outcome of that match as well. Think about that those of you who argue no harm is done...

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Did the substitute stop the ball with his hands, in order to give it to his teammate to throw in?

We can award creativity points to the ref - restart is a DFK for handling, right? Unfortunately creativity in this case means creating your own Laws. Let's use the ones that exist, please. See Ref Fleischer's answer.