Advice on the Laws of the Game

**The Ref** · 14/02/2007, 8:24 PM

Originally Posted by old git

can u help here ..

was in a pub yesterday and good discusion overheard a bout a penalty decision..

player went to tackle in box ,, but at last min pulled his leg back no contact to oppistion player .. who many thought dived... referee gave a penalty with explanation.. it was for intent same as fouling player ... i have stopped playing a fews years ago but this seems a new one to me ..

Sorry for the delay in replying,

Law 14, the penalty kick states “A penalty kick is awarded against a team that commits one of the ten offences for which a direct free kick is awarded, inside its own penalty area and while the ball is in play.”

the ten offences, that when committed in a manner considered by the referee to be careless, reckless or using excessive force:, results in a direct free kick are;

if, in the opinion of the referee, a player:
1. kicks or attempts to kick an opponent
2. trips or attempts to trip an opponent
3. jumps at an opponent
4. charges an opponent
5. strikes or attempts to strike an opponent
6. pushes an opponent
7. tackles an opponent to gain possession of the ball, making contact with the opponent before touching the ball
8. holds an opponent
9. spits at an opponent
10. handles the ball deliberately (except for the goalkeeper within his own penalty area)

From what you have said, the referee was of the opinion that the player attempted to trip the player, therefore a penalty was given.

Hope this clears it up.

The Ref

**Jamjar** · 14/02/2007, 9:22 PM

Is a shoulder charge still legal ? i.e. shoulder to shoulder to knock your opponent off the ball.

**The Ref** · 14/02/2007, 10:47 PM

Originally Posted by Jamjar

Is a shoulder charge still legal ? i.e. shoulder to shoulder to knock your opponent off the ball.

Prior to 1997, Law 12 mentioned what a fair charge was i.e. shoulder to shoulder. Since then it is left to the referee what a fair charge is.

If a player charges an opponent in a manner considered by the referee to be careless, reckless or using excessive force then it is a direct free kick to the opposition. Otherwise it is legal.

It depends on the opinion of the referee, not an answer I know, but an expaination.

I would normally let it go if it is fair and not dangerous.

The Ref

**Jamjar** · 15/02/2007, 4:58 PM

Thanks for that. I think it should be allowed, don't want the game to be completely non-contact.

**Innishvilla** · 21/02/2007, 8:16 AM

I suppose last nights incidents will spark an interesting debate regarding quick free kicks! I play amateur soccer and I know the rule surely professional footballers should know as well. I felt a bit sorry for Lille until they went to walk off the pitch, that was a disgrace. My question for the Ref is, what would you do if a team threatened to walk off the pitch?

**The Ref** · 24/02/2007, 12:05 PM

Originally Posted by Innishvilla

I suppose last nights incidents will spark an interesting debate regarding quick free kicks! I play amateur soccer and I know the rule surely professional footballers should know as well. I felt a bit sorry for Lille until they went to walk off the pitch, that was a disgrace. My question for the Ref is, what would you do if a team threatened to walk off the pitch?

You ask what I would do, it has happened to me in the past, but it is not covered in the Laws. A little common sense needs to be applied in these situations, should a considerable period of time have elapsed, I would abandon the match but if it took, say two or three minutes to come back to the field I would restart the game with my original decision.

I would not try to influence the team that has walked off nor would I appease them by changing my decision. I would let them know before I was officially abandoning the match that I was doing so, in reality, giving them a final opportunity to change their mind and return to the match.

I would then furnish a report to the relevant authorities giving an account of the facts

The Ref

**thumbtack** · 26/02/2007, 9:45 PM

Was watching a game where team A put the ball out of play for an injury to an oppossing player. Team B threw the ball back to the keeper of team A and he picked it up. The ref gave an indirect free kick to team B, is this a good call.

**Mr_Parker** · 26/02/2007, 10:07 PM

I haven't read threw all of this thread so I'm not sure if this link has been posted before.I find it an excellent reference for all things "referee"

http://www.corshamref.net/

**DmanDmythDledge** · 27/02/2007, 4:00 PM

Originally Posted by thumbtack

Was watching a game where team A put the ball out of play for an injury to an oppossing player. Team B threw the ball back to the keeper of team A and he picked it up. The ref gave an indirect free kick to team B, is this a good call.

No. The fact they the ball was kicked out deliberately due to injury is irrelevent- it was still a normal throw.

**The Ref** · 27/02/2007, 8:18 PM

Originally Posted by thumbtack

Was watching a game where team A put the ball out of play for an injury to an oppossing player. Team B threw the ball back to the keeper of team A and he picked it up. The ref gave an indirect free kick to team B, is this a good call.

No this is incorrect.

Originally Posted by DmanDmythDledge

No. The fact they the ball was kicked out deliberately due to injury is irrelevent- it was still a normal throw.

An indirect free kick is only awarded when the goalkeeper touches the ball with his hands directly from a throw in taken by a team-mate (Law 12 refers).

In the example above, the throw was taken by the opposition.

The Ref

**Derek** · 02/04/2007, 5:08 PM

In an under 10 game, player hurt in the box from the attacking team but not a penalty, ref stops the game to have the kid checked. on resumption of play the ref drops the ball and instructs the attacking player to kick the ball out for a goal kick, atacking player does this but a defending player nips in and gets a toe on the ball diverting the ball into his own goal, so in the ref's eyes he gives a goal, DISASTER! defending team manager and support go mentle and want blood, attacking team happy enough with the goal. Ref trying to avoid a major incident decides not to give the goal an redrop the ball, Ref said that the goal was not in the spirit of the game as it was under 10s.

What do you think?

**pineapple stu** · 02/04/2007, 5:18 PM

Sounds a very good decision from the referee, to be honest.

Yes, it's technically against the rules, but the spirit of the game is vitally important at underage level; ignore it and you get, well, what you have today really.

**Oh No** · 02/04/2007, 5:30 PM

Ladies under 16 match recently and player straight through on goal. Keeper comes out of area and stops shot deliberately with hands. Direct free kick awarded and yellow card for keeper. Ref says he was letting her off lightly. Subsequent free kick was well saved by keeper. Should'nt the card be red no matter what level.

**The Ref** · 02/04/2007, 8:50 PM

Originally Posted by Derek

In an under 10 game, player hurt in the box from the attacking team but not a penalty, ref stops the game to have the kid checked. on resumption of play the ref drops the ball and instructs the attacking player to kick the ball out for a goal kick, atacking player does this but a defending player nips in and gets a toe on the ball diverting the ball into his own goal, so in the ref's eyes he gives a goal, DISASTER! defending team manager and support go mentle and want blood, attacking team happy enough with the goal. Ref trying to avoid a major incident decides not to give the goal an redrop the ball, Ref said that the goal was not in the spirit of the game as it was under 10s.

What do you think?

When small sided games where introduced in the early 90's by the North Dublin Schools League, they were supposed to be fun led and the development of the child was paramount. Referees were instructed to be pragmatic in their approach and encourage the children to do the right thing. We were told that the function of the league was a coaching league and good coaching should always be encouraged.

In my opinion, the referee in question continued this ethos by telling the player kick it out for a goal kick, the manager of the defending team did not (they should not have gone mental at the referee as it shows bad example), but for what the referee done afterwards, I have no problem, I believe he showed a little common sense.

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Sounds a very good decision from the referee, to be honest.

Yes, it's technically against the rules, but the spirit of the game is vitally important at underage level; ignore it and you get, well, what you have today really.

I wholeheartedly agree, technically against the rules, but common sense prevails

**The Ref** · 02/04/2007, 8:55 PM

Originally Posted by Oh No

Ladies under 16 match recently and player straight through on goal. Keeper comes out of area and stops shot deliberately with hands. Direct free kick awarded and yellow card for keeper. Ref says he was letting her off lightly. Subsequent free kick was well saved by keeper. Should'nt the card be red no matter what level.

If the goalkeeper stopped a genuine goalscoring chance, then from what you say it should have been a red card, the rules are the same for Under 16 Ladies and Eircom Premier League.

If there was no goalscoring chance i.e. the player would not have reached the ball, there was a covering player etc, then a yellow card would have been correct.
Remember the referee has a split second to make the judgement call, and sometimes we get it wrong!

**Oh No** · 09/04/2007, 8:00 PM

Does the six second rule for the goalkeeper holding ball still apply? If so it's not applied anywhere.

Also, when the keeper gains possesion from open play and then drops ball in order to kick from the ground, is he under any time pressure to kick? I saw a Man U match lately where Rooney protested that the 'keeper was taking too long to kick from the ground. The referee warned the keeper to kick while pointing at his watch at the same time!!

**pineapple stu** · 09/04/2007, 11:29 PM

Yes on the former - I got done for it once, albeit back in '98 I think. Fecker.

No on the second. Once the ball's in play, the ball's in play. The keeper can't pick it up again though, a ruling which came in in the summer of 1991, I think, which I remember causing Scandanavian teams confusion in Europe because they introduced it at the end of their (summer) season, but were playing in Europe under the new rules.

**The Ref** · 10/04/2007, 9:51 PM

Originally Posted by Oh No

Does the six second rule for the goalkeeper holding ball still apply? If so it's not applied anywhere.

Also, when the keeper gains possesion from open play and then drops ball in order to kick from the ground, is he under any time pressure to kick? I saw a Man U match lately where Rooney protested that the 'keeper was taking too long to kick from the ground. The referee warned the keeper to kick while pointing at his watch at the same time!!

The six second rule is still there. It is contained in Law 12. If a goalkeeper breaches this, I normally give him a quiet word telling next time he transgresses; I will give an indirect free kick � this normally works.

A goalkeeper is under no obligation to speed up play if he holds position at his feet. It is up to the opposition to force him play the ball by tackling him, or by making him pick it up.

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Yes on the former - I got done for it once, albeit back in '98 I think. Fecker.

No on the second. Once the ball's in play, the ball's in play. The keeper can't pick it up again though, a ruling which came in in the summer of 1991, I think, which I remember causing Scandanavian teams confusion in Europe because they introduced it at the end of their (summer) season, but were playing in Europe under the new rules.

Correct

**renovater** · 13/05/2007, 7:26 PM

Just to clear up the sending off rule
If a player is sent off in a cup match and his team wins he serves his match in the next round of the cup.
If his team loses and he was sent off in the cup game then he serves it in his next match, have I this fifa rule right?

**The Ref** · 16/05/2007, 11:07 AM

Originally Posted by renovater

Just to clear up the sending off rule
If a player is sent off in a cup match and his team wins he serves his match in the next round of the cup.
If his team loses and he was sent off in the cup game then he serves it in his next match, have I this fifa rule right?

This is not really a Laws of the Game question so I'll answer best I can

Competition rules dictate, in the FAI junior cup, it is as you say, suspended for the next competitive match if they lose and the next round if they win.

Most other competitions state it is the next competitive match, this actual issue is causing uproar in the Leinster Senior League at the moment.

I would recommend that you check the competition rules in order to be sure (if you can get a copy)