Question Number: 22997

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 3/24/2010

RE: Select Under 15

Kushal of Irvine, CA USA asks...

DFK Awarded just outside the penalty area near the touch line. Blue defender standing 10 yards away, but runs up towards the ball before the kick is taken. Goalkeeper collects the ball, referee stops the games, duly cautions the blue defender for failing to respect the distance, and restarts with a drop ball to the keeper.

Was that the correct restart? I thought it should have been an IFK inside the penalty area to the attacking team, or should the DFK be retaken?

Thank you.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Referee Kushal
Fundamental error by the referee in this case by restarting with a dropped ball. The correct restart is a retake of the DFK. The reason for this is that the encroachment happened before the ball was put into play so the referee is entitled to caution the defender and restart play again with the original free kick.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

If the referee determined that the defender committed misconduct before the kick was taken and decided to stop play, the kick should have been retaken.

If the referee determined (I'm not sure how) that the defender committed misconduct after the kick was taken, the restart should have been an indirect free kick where the misconduct occurred.

A caution and drop ball to the keeper seems to be a referee making something up. The referee should have followed the USSF Directive on Free Kick and Restart Management available at http://www.ussoccer.com/Referees/Referee-Development/Directives.aspx .

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Kushal, you have to ask yourself was the ball ever put into play. Since it wasn't then you MUST restart with the original action which in this case was a DFK. No way this should have been a dropped ball.

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