Question Number: 17135

Law 3 - Number of Players 10/6/2007

RE: Competitive Under 17

Alan of Dallas , TX USA asks...

Team A v. Team B

Team A makes a substitution, but during the substitution places 2 new players on the field and only brings 1 off. The center has not counted or noticed too many players are on the field and the AR does not signal to the center that there is a problem.

Team A moves on the attack - a breakaway towards goal. Still no signal/recognition by either the Center or 2 ARs. The parents start yelling that Team A has too many players.

Scenario 1: the 12th player or coach realizes he has too many players once the parents start yelling and gets the player off the field during the course of play. Team A scores.
Scenario 2: 12th player/coach does not realize. Team A scores.

Question:
Are the 2 scenarios handled differently? Do you warn (yellow card equivalent - the coach)? What and where is the appropriate restart?

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Well the appropriate thing is to CONDUCT the substitution properly so it will prevent this from occurring! Why are two subs moving onto the field before TWO players have left? The referee must watch carefully at these exchanges and ONLY signal the subs to enter after those who are to be replaced have in fact left the field.
In my opinion, to single out and warn the coach only makes no sense! We can point the finger of blame at all who allow these situations to occur when not following proceedure! With ARs and a referee missing this speaks of a lack of focus by the officiating team. Plus in most normal FIFA played matches coaches are not shown cards

I suppose we could allow a 12th player who goes ooops and steps off before it was realized by the official and go with the flow so to speak. Yet it is difficult to ignore if a goal was in fact scored whilst he WAS on the field. If we deny the goal there must be a player cautioned who was not given permission to be there? It could be one of the two subs or a player the referee thought had left but remained in as much the player who was being recalled.
If the goal was scored and this information arises the goal is not counted and an INDFK out from inside the goal area out is the correct restart!
If play was stopped SOLELY to get the 12th player off the field and show the yellow card then the restart is an indfk from where the ball was when play was stopped!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Shame on the referee team. It is so easy to prevent having too many players, yet everyone is always in a big hurry to get the subbing over, as if they can't give that time back. Tsk. Anyway, for Scenario 1, technically, the extra player gets cautioned for UB under Law 3 for a sub entering without permission, assuming the referee has the brass to do this after allowing it to happen in the first place - shame on the referee team. Goal will stand, if player 12 is off the field before the score and the ref team is aware of it or can verify. Scenario 2 - if the team scores with too many players on the field and it is discovered before play is restarted, the goal will be nullified, the player cautioned and removed and the restart is an indirect free kick for the defense from their goal area. If it is discovered after play has restarted, the goal counts, player 12 is cautioned and removed, restart is an indirect free kick from the place where the ball was when play was stopped, assuming play was stopped to remove the player. If play was stopped for a reason other than the extra player, and the extra player is discovered during the stoppage, the restart is in accordance with the reason play stopped. The referee must make a full report to the association/league and they will take it from there.

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

If team A scores and has too many players on field, the referee can disallow the goal and restart with a IFK from inside the goal area. The referee shall caution the extra player. If the referee realizes that there is too many on field while ball is in play, he shall stop the game and caution extra player. Then the restart is IFK from the location of the ball when play was stopped. This is poor performance on the referee crew for allowing this.

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 17600