Question Number: 19195

Law 8 - Start and Restart of Play 5/24/2008

RE: Competitive Under 15

Ben Citrin of Madison, Connecticut United States asks...

This question is a follow up to question 19172

Just to clarify,

I was not refereeing this game. I was a spectator. I always thought that an IFK was given to the opposing team, which is correct, as it turns out. I was just asking this question because another specator had said when this had happened that the kick-off was just supposed to be re-taken, and I disagreed. You didn't need to be so rude Mr. Voshol...

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Actually Mr. Citrin Ref Voshol was not rude, you took him to be rude and that is your right. It is also your right to be ignorant of the Laws of the Game and accept matches played under the Laws of the Game. It is an obligation for you to know ALL the Laws of the Game. We do not take that obligation lightly and we believe it is affront to all referees when those not knowing something so basic as this accept matches.

Ref. Voshol just recommended you not embarrass all referees by accepting matches. When non referees ask stupid questions a referee knows to be incorrect he must, for the sake of all referees, set this person on the straight and narrow. Had you said I tried to tell this person what was correct, showed him what it says in Law 8 and still he refused to believe me perhaps Ref Voshol would have no need to offer what he did. It is incumbent in any person who accepts entry into this profession to protect The Game by knowing, absolutely cold, its Laws, history and traditions.

Again, in the wording of today's question, you demonstrate a lack of conviction in your belief. If any player, after putting the ball in play from any restart of play, touches the ball a second time before it is touched by another player it is an offence punishable by an indirect free kick unless that touch is with the hand. You must be able to argue this point with conviction and confidence to any unknowing person, be it a player, coach, mom, dad or passer by.

I am not being rude. I am merely offering an opinion and comment.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Ben, perhaps if your original question had been phrased in such a fashion - i.e. "I thought but someone else said so I wanted to check myself on "x"." we wouldn't have been so dumbfounded that a referee wouldn't know the answer. Try us again another time.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

I was not trying to be rude. I was direct and abrupt - the header of your question said you were a referee and this was a U15 game. Referees at that level have no business not knowing the Laws inside and out. We get far too many questions from referees who ask us questions about why they had a problem when they made up their own Laws. Plus all the questions we get from players, coaches and spectators reporting the latest Stupid Ref Trick.

Referees at any level should know what happens when a ball is touched a second time on a restart. It's not something unique you see only at kickoffs. It applies to all restarts made by players. (The dropped ball is the unique one, as that restart is made by the referee.) As Ref Maloney says, if you had said, "I thought X, but the ref did Y" we would have congratulated you on knowing your Laws.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

In your original question you purported that you were a referee and this was a U15 game which would make it a Select level game. Any referee taking such an assignment should know that the second touch would result in an IFK for the opponents. If we appear harsh sometimes it's due to frustration with referees that seem to be ignorant of basic Law and yet are officiating upper level games.