Question Number: 19618

Law 13 - Free Kicks 7/17/2008

RE: Select and below Under 19

Scott of Fort Drum, NY USA asks...

My question really is poll of what other refs do considering the 10m rule. I was recently at a game and a foul was committed which the team asked for there mandatory yardage. I stood where 10m should be and told the players to move to me. At this time the coach goes balistic about me not 'marching off' the yardage. I know that in the rule book there is nothing about having to 'march off' the yardage. Every year in the recertification classes I hear 'Do not march it off.' Yet I see in international games, MLS games, and even some college games the ref 'marches off' the yardage. How I mark the distance is, before the game starts I put the ball on the spot in the circle, then I walk back to the center circle and eyeball the distance to the ball. Now I know the distance, a foul is committed the team asks for the required distance, I eyeball the same distance from the beginning. So I am just wondering is the 'marching off' the distance become expected sort of like the ceremonial coin toss? What do others do?

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

The Laws say 'at least' 10 yards. Is 12 yards at least 10? Is 14? 17? You get where I'm going here?

The more times they make me set their wall, the farther 'at least' will become. And no, I'm not going to march it off. I might just take giant steps, 38 or 42 inches long.

Funny aside: All of my kids were in marching band. They learn to take 8 steps to go exactly 5 yards - and I mean exactly, to within an inch. I suggested my sons count off 16 steps to mark where the free kick should be, but they declined. They did use marching band steps to check the field dimensions.

As you suggest, we have a lot of clues on the field to how far 10 yards is. The center circle is exactly 10 yards; it's 12 yards between the edge of the goal area and the edge of the penalty area, etc. When you play on a field that's marked out for both real football and gridiron football, you even have those convenient lines running across the field every 5 yards. And darned if the team doesn't see the ball a few inches from one of those lines, and still can't figure out that they then have to be two lines away!

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

You have proper mechanics. I would ask myself why the players are not at the required distance after the first time you demanded them to be there. Could it be they KNOW then can delay things without being cautioned for their misconduct?

The coach going ballistic, this is not acting responsible and he should be expelled. He is permitted to give tactical instructions to his team, NOT you. Reason? You are not part of his team. SHUT him up or send him to the locker room, your enjoyment level will increase tremendously when some Alpha Hotel coach is not screaming at you. Life is just better when there is no garbage being heaped on you. This also makes like better for the next referee because the Alpha Hotel coach will be still on his break.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

If we MARCH it off ,the ten yards could be more like 12 or 15 because the laws say a miminimum of 10 yards. If we have to resort to that style of management you can be sure that minimum is achieved. While we can appreciate a cerimonial restart if the team kicking wants to do a razzle dazzle set up we have no patience with opposition player who think they can dilly dally about creating confusion, confrontation and delay. Coaches who think they can do other things beside tactical instruction from inside the technical area will be parking lot bound in short order if they fail to abide in a reasonable manner. We can backward pace ten yards, eyeball ten yards or walk it off and be dead on within a few inches. There are field markings and visual clues on most fields as well.
What other refs do is what othe refs do! Make what you do count!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Gene Nagy

Scott, in Canada we were asked NOT to pace off the ten yards, oh by the way that is not 10m, not even in Canada: it is 9.15m. But these days if it should come to pass that they ask for 10 yards, pacing off is in order. This seems to be a change in policy.

I say a few words of warning to both teams prior to the game that they should retire the distance on FKs. If they hang around the ball when there is a free kick they are cautioned. They either know me or only do it once in a game. This means that I rarely end up setting wall because the players know that they should be there in the first place.

As far as the coach is concerned I do not tolerate 'ballistic' coaches at all. I calmly stop time, walk near to his technical area and ask him to leave. I figure by this action he is made an example of and the next time he does it he would be a repeat offender. The league will not tolerate such a person for long.

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

To save time and move the game faster, referees should estimate the yards. Now, you need to practice and make sure that your estimate is very close to actually being 10 yards.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

First, you expel the coach who is going ballistic from the premises for behaving in an unprofessional and irresponsible manner and being a discredit to the game. That will make the rest of the game easier. You do not 'march off' 10 yards. You know where 10 yards is and you go to that point. If the team making the wall doesn't like that, you move a few yards further away.