Question Number: 17680

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 11/4/2007

RE: Competitive (Club) Under 14

Kirt Christensen of Riverside, CA USA asks...

I recently officiated a boys under 14 match where the goalkeeper rasied his knee to an oncoming attacker as he was taking possesion of the ball in his penalty area. The attacking player was never closer to the keep than one yard, he backed off as he should. I saw this and was concerned as I had not seen it in play in my 8 years as a referee. I stopped play, approached the keeper to warn him of the behavior. Before I could complete my comments the keeper began to protest and dissent toward me and eventually earned a caution for dissent. I restarted play with a IDK for the opponent just inside the 18. My questions are this:

1. Can the keeper raise there knee to "protect" themselves from oncoming attackers? and

2. The keeper had possesion of the ball at the time of the caution for dissent. Should I have restarted with an IDK to the opponent or a drop ball to the keeper as he had possesion?

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

NO not really but we (meaning us coaches) trained them just the same as they are vulnerable to an attacker cutting in under them.. If referees were strict on not letting that happen as a misdiagnosed 50/50 the knee thing likely would lessen.

A keeper has a right to challenge for a high ball and with the keeper?s arms upraised an opponent has no real opportunity to win. BUT there are those balls he can win and if a keeper is allowed to use a knee unfairly to impede or play in a dangerous manner that is in fact an INDFK offence.

What concerns me, you stopped play because what you saw bothered you. You felt it important enough yet did not call it what it was PIADM! Instead you wanted to say BAD keeper and warn him. It is classified as an inadvertent whistle. That is a drop ball restart! The misconduct of him arguing with you occurs after the stoppage.

Your INDFK restart could be in my opinion correct if the knee raise was in fact called PIADM (playing in a dangerous manner) and from that spot of that infringement is where the INDFK occurs subject to law 8 special circumstances in the goal area..

Your arbitrary restart location from just inside the 18 for what was in your opinion at the time a drop ball restart does push the envelope of what discretionary power does allow. Why that spot? Why that restart? If you stopped play SOLELY to caution the restart as INDFK would be correct but that was not the case. Plus the restart location occurs from where the ball is in this case, where the keeper was standing holding the ball

A drop ball restart is a drop ball restart giving it back to the keeper as the only person present is not illegal as no one need be at the point of the drop or all 22 players can participate. The thing is a referee can not prevent an opponent who WANTS to participate from doing so, just to appease a referee's sense of justice.

Foul recognition and keeper safety are big deals in game management. Keepers are definitely at greater risk BUT they have no more right to get a ball than any other and must do so in a fair manner.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Ref Dawson gives you excellent advice, both from the referee and the coaching perspective. The important thing to remember is the restart must follow the reason for the stoppage. In your case, you stopped the game to visit with the keeper about his potentially dangerous play. Since you didn't call it PIADM, your only possible restart is a dropped ball, and yes, you could drop it right back to the keeper. I would perhaps suggest on the first occurrence of such behavior, instead of stopping play, you cruise by as you head back up field and tell the keeper to "Watch the knee, keep. Let's not have to stop for dangerous play or worse." And leave just as quickly, so he can't dissent without running after you. You've been seen to deal with him (the run-by), so if he repeats and you call, it's not like he wasn't warned. You've left him his dignity (nobody knows exactly what you said) and he doesn't have to protest. All is good. Now, all this changes if the raised knee actually causes damage and that's why you stop. But that's not what you wrote about, and with any luck, and good game management, you won't have to!

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

This action is taught in goalkeeping clinics because referees, as a whole, do not offer adequate protection to goal tenders. What referees must do us to un-teach this learned behavior during their match. Ref Maloney offers a method. There are others and as you learn the others will come to mind. Bottom line is if you stop things to chat, restart dropped ball. If you try to make the point more strongly start indirect, then penalty kick, then persistent infringement and a penalty kick, then the new keeper gets to start with a penalty kick because you have sent-off the first keeper.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Steve Montanino

As a keeper I was always taught to raise the knee. The logic my coach gave was, no one is going to get hurt by the knee if they get out of your way (as they are required to do). The knee thus protects you and is a deterrent to foul play by the attackers.

This presents referees a problem as the behavior isn't really permitted but it is commonly and widely taught in the USA, so you must exercise cautious judgment when dealing with these situations. My colleagues note excellent ideas on this situation.

I also agree that your restart should have been a dropped ball based on your reasoning for stopping play, all that is well explained by Ref Dawson and Maloney above.

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

You could consider this kicking or attempting to kick or dangeorus play. I like the idea to stop play to have a talk with the keeper then a drop ball at first and then indirect and then penalty kick after that. We as referees must stop this behavior at once though, but it certainly is not "ok".