Question Number: 18174

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 12/27/2007

RE: Rec Adult

William Kubicek of Anyang, S Korea asks...

This question is a follow up to question 17874

I hate to keep beating this dead horse, but "In the opinion of the Referee" the goalkeeper was not attempting to delay the restart. (Therefore, I did not need to caution him) Having a natural reaction to the confusion was just moving back to position (as any normal player would do), and actually extended his hand with the ball in which the overzealous player snatched the ball from and placed it quickly down in an attempt to seek an unfair advantage by not placing the ball at the point of the foul. At this time I began to blow my whistle to stop the play from continuing in a haphazard manner and settled everything down to have a ceremonial restart.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

If the ball was not placed correctly, you were right to stop play and have a ceremonial restart.

However, just because a situation is advantageous and haphazard, you don't necessarily have to settle everything down. Players are entitled to a quick restart, except when the restart is being taken wrongly or the referee has some need to hold up play (such as taking care of a caution).

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

William the referee must have a certain amount of flexibility in some things he does. One of those is the location of a restart of play, the exact blade of grass is not always needed even though correct. In this case the goalkeeper had the ball in his hand, this is delaying the restart of play in any one's book. When the attacker took the ball placed it on the floor and restarted play he was saying he could live without a caution for the goalkeeper as long as play restarted quickly. What you did by not cautioning and calling back the restart was delay the restart and approve of what the keeper did and you caused what the keeper did to have the effect on his opponents he desired. By having the ball in his hand he showed you no respect for the point of the restart, the timeliness of his opponent's restart and the required distance at the taking of the free kick, you bought into it and did it his way. Not good, sir. When blowing for a free kick, signalling the direction of that free kick and showing whether it is indirect the referee is saying what someone did harmed the other side. The referee is not supposed to further harm that side by introducing himself into the equation so it is recommended that after giving a free kick the next thing he does should be nothing. He must wait and see what the attack is going to do with their free [operative word here] kick. Do nothing means exactly that, nothing -- not even get in the way, yell to the defenders to get back, stand at the point of the restart, nothing! You just watch what's going on. From there the attackers will, by their actions tell you what to do next. They will either restart things from someplace very close to the exact blade of grass and accept what the defenders are doing or they will wait because they are unable to take their free kick freely. Now is when you get involved, when the free kick is unable to be taken freely. This includes when the kick is taken and an opponent moves toward the ball from inside the required distance and has an effect on things. In all cases of intervention by you the reason is either failure to respect the required distance or delays the restart of play and both of these are cautionable offences. If you fail to act in accordance with the Law you become ineffective on the match and the players must see to enforcing the Laws themselves. Not good, Sir.

The horse is not dead as long as you still believe the goalkeeper was entirely blameless in his giving the ball to his opponents. Get hold of a copy of the Brazil:England match in World Cup 2002 and watch. In that match every time the Brazilians gave up a free kick they retrieved the ball and handed it to an England player. This took away the quick restart and gave Brazil time to get behind the ball. Guess who won that one...

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

All things dead tend to smell a little. I went back and reread the previous correspondences questions and answers. While I understand you choose to interpret this was not cautionable in the intent may not have been to delay in truth did you ask the keeper point blank why he maintained a hold on the ball? Were not the attackers denied their right to restart quickly?

I tend to push that almost any technical indfk restart within the penalty area of the defending team creating the reason must be ceremonial in nature nearly 100% of the time. I whistle it immediately and indicate very quickly that no one goes until I rewhistle. Thus a caution for delaying the restart usually proves unnecessary unless the player is particularly reluctant to give up the ball. True it is not stated in law that it must be so but very few fairplay enthusiasts can convince me otherwise.

The central point here as I see it, is a lack of knowledge of the laws by the player in question does not always lessen the unfair impact on the opponent. Once a foul or infringement is identified and the restart direction is clear the only task the defending team has is to withdraw 10 yards at the very least!

It is a tactic to recover and take away passing lanes by acting in what appears to be a sporting fashion by grabbing the ball and then returning it DIRECTLY to the restart site personally thus standing directly in front of the ball. The ball tossed in a high arc to use up time or slightly away at angle to force the attacker to give chase are devious but effective far too often.

I may not deny a quick restart on an INDFK within the penalty area but everything must satisfy the laws to an exacting standard!
In my opinion, indfks within the penalty areas are for the most part blade of grass restarts if they are attacking options. It is why I push the ceremonial aspect with such fervor. I believe this is FAIR to the GAME as well as the teams as it applies EQUALLY across the board to eliminate the needless tensions and gamesmanship tactics by all participants. Goals are too important to be gained through confusion and gifts of misunderstanding.
Cheers