Question Number: 18005

Law 13 - Free Kicks 11/26/2007

RE: schoolboy Under 14

Colin of Banbridge, Co.Down N. Ireland asks...

I have 2 questions,

1, In a recent schools match which was refereed by an Irish FA ref my son was involved in an indirect free kick inside the box it was taken and they scored but the ref dissallowed the goal awarding the opposition a free kick saying that the ball was hit before he blew his whistle is this correct ?

2, My son hit a shot at goal while the ball was in mid flight towards the goal the ref blew the final whistle is this covered by any rules ? it seems to me to be very unsporting...

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

1) If the player was told to wait for the referee's whistle before proceeding (for example, because the wall was being managed or there was misconduct that had to be recorded) and did not do so, the kick should be retaken. The player kicking early may also be cautioned.

2) Time is up when time is up - and the referee is the timekeeper. The wise referee will have better things to watch in imminent attacking situations, instead of watching the last exact seconds tick off his watch. But unsporting doesn't enter into it. Why should the opponents have to defend any longer than full time?

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

1. If the referee told the players to wait then they should have. That said, if the kick was taken without permission the restart would be a retake by your team not a free kick for the other team. SOunds like a referee erroe (Hey, it happens!). 2. Time is up when the referee says it is. If he has decided to blow the whistle it is just as unfair to the OTHER team if he does not.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

It is surprising to hear a free kick isn't free to be taken whenever the attacking team wishes - it doesn't normally require a signal or whistle from the referee, unless the attacking team has requested a ceremonial free kick or the referee needs to manage opponents who are encroaching. An indirect free kick inside the penalty area is such a great chance to score for a team, I have a hard time understanding why the team would need to wait for the whistle. If the referee chose to do it this way, he must have had good reason since the newest version of the LOTG includes instructions on when to whistle, and I can therefore only assume he had informed the team to kick only on his signal. However, to then take the restart away from them is unfair and an error on the referee's part, and nothing in the LOTG would suggest this procedure. It should have been a rekick, along with an ass chewing to the kicker, and perhaps even a caution for unsporting behavior (unlikely unless the referee was having difficulty getting through to the boys). As for calling time when a kick is in progress - makes me wonder if the referee was having a bad day. He was perfectly within his authority to call time whenever he thinks time is up since he has the duty to act as timekeeper, but it is not the greatest of management techniques to blow the final whistle during a kick - especially since it is hard to believe every single second that needed to be added had in fact been considered and added - it's not a science, generally, and 10 seconds one way or the other is reasonable wiggle room.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

If a player jumps the gun to go early on a free kick the correct restart is a retake after possibly cautioning the player who did not heed the wait for the restart signal. That said, no restart signal is required UNLESS the referee SPECIFICALLY stated it was so! An INDFK requires a raised arm to signal that it is NOT direct although any free kick not at the pk spot inside the area must be an indfk as all dfks fouls inside the perptrators own penalty area occur from the 12 yard pk spot.
It totally sucks to see a ball launched towards the goal be whistled down when the ball continues into the goal. But totally nothing you can do about it! The whistle stops play. Could we find a better opportunity? Sometimes, but time is up when it is up if the refere holds that opinion! Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

Typically if everything is done correctly, the referee need not signal for a free kick. If however the referee intervened by backing up the defense or to issue a card or for some other reason, then a signal is needed. It was wrong of the referee to award the kick to the other team however.