Soccer Referee's Page

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• In a routine youth game (i.e. not a championship match or anything close), you insist that substitutes must be at the midfield stripe (rather than 3 yards away with the rest of the team), neither they nor their coach may yell "sub," but  rather, they have to wait for the AR, who may be down at the corner, to silently signal for a substitution. And if they forget and yell "sub," you pull out the yellow card and threaten them with it. Been there, AR'd it, was about as pointless an exercise as touching up the white paint on the goals before the game.
• At 23:07 3/9/98 -0500, someone else wrote: .. At my recertification clinic a month ago, the instructor informed us it was legal to fairly charge a GK holding the ball in his hands. [can we see where this one is going?]
• .......I have often seen the situation where a thrower from near the half way line sends the throw in to his winger well down the field to take advantage of the no offside on a throw in but a defender intercepts. If we allow the thrower to be a metre     off the field and throw the ball so the entry point into play is 20 odd metres down field, can the defender intercept the     ball before it breaks the plane of the side line? If he does, you will have to have theto retake the throw from the original    position. This gives the other team an unfair advantage, so I would advance the argument that it contravenes the SOTG.
• .......I think a ref has the broadest of latitude to Caution for USB....I told the coach, after the third substitution in a minute, with 5 minutes to go, and a one goal lead: No more!...Boom: 20 secs later: "Ref, sub!"...Badaboom: Caution...
• ...........(I was on the line and a colleague did this.) An attacker, breaking free across the halfway line along one side, is fouled; ref whistles for a free kick. The attacker, victimized by the defender's tactical foul, immediately grabs the ball and boots a quick restart laterally across the field to a teammate, before the defense can drop back and set up. The referee whistles the ball dead and says, "No, no! Move it back two yards and take the kick again."......
• ....U-14 Girls game, a tripping foul 20 yards from the coaches bench, midfield, and the referee picks up the ball and starts marching towards the penalty area. Coach yells, "where the hell you goin with the ball?" referee answers, "Coach, pipe down or you'll get a card. The foul was so severe that we will have to have a penalty kick..................
• [in response to a superior team firing rocket shots into the goal]...........................and his "throw the book away" philosophy comes into play. Inform the superior team that YOU will not tolerate this kind of behavior and that player's will get cautioned for UC if they persist. Suggest they score but only left footed, or by headers. Try to get them into the SOTG and stop the onslaught. Talk to the captain and/or coach to get them to back off and let them know cards will fly if they don't. If they persist, use lots of plastic.
• In a message dated 98-03-16 13:25:47 EST, you write: << I thought he had and raised the flag. It was waved off. After the match I spoke with the referee and he said the obvious. The red player had not participated. Then he concluded by saying it is the responsibility of the blue players to play the ball.
• ...........This brings up a question. Although it does not indicate in the laws is it violating the spirit of the game if the Keeper goes that far up into the opponents end and scambles for the ball in active play. Things that come to mind are this player does not have the same uniform and is a special player should he be allowed to act like one of the other 10. I always remember in a course many years ago the instructor saying that he would not allow the keeper to come beyond the center line. Although it was not in the laws it violated the spirit.
• <<.............. Apparently quickly enough to fool the coach, who gave me his low opinion of "my" offside call, but calmed down when I told him I just copied the ref's call, even though I knew it was wrong.
• During an especially slow girls semi-final match, I looked for John but I couldn't find him anywhere on the field! I then noticed a bright yellow shirt in the middle of the spectators bleachers! John left the field to sit with some of the soccer moms! He did tell them that you could see all the fouls from the stands! He returned a few minutes later!
• .................. If the player leaves the field momemtarily while involved with play then I would let it go. If a player prolongs the attack from an off the field presense then I would blow for USB.
• ......After several kicks, the ball apparently goes over the end-line and keeper picks it up, sets it on the six yard line. As I'm backing out, I see the line waving (no semaphoring) his flag. I'm baffled, nobody near the keeper, but he was sooooo obvious and insistent that I went toward him. He starts to lumber out on the pitch, and I get him back on the line. I back over to him and ask what's the fuss. He looks at me in all seriousness and says"she picked it up with her hands before it completely left the field". I must have looked blankly at him because he continued with "intentional handball in the box." I pointed out that this particular player had a different uniform than the rest of her team and that meant she could touch the ball with her hands in the penalty area. He repeated "but she touched it before it went out". I said "trust me on this one, lets just let her kick off and no one will know." he still thinks I screwed up and wants to argue. I signal to the keeper to kick off and turn my back on him.......
• ...............can braiding of a very full head of hair into a single braid constitute a dangerous adornment - either to an opponent (through being whapped by the braid) or to the wearer through the opportunity offerred an opponent to grab the braid and impart a serious torque to the cervical joints)?<< Guilty. I have so whipped and been whipped by long braids. They create mean eye stings -- especially when those little stripped bands with tiny metal holders form a dense, hard end. Could we force girls into pinning them (!!!!) atop their head in the form of a HAT??? (or how about swimming caps.....)
• I will still contend that the throw -in is not complete until a second player touches the ball or it goes out of play. Please follow this line or reason. The ball is in play as soon as it enters the field (breaks the plane etc.). We are still under special conditions mandated by the throw in. The most obvious is the restriction on the thrower ( i.e. no second touch). another restriction if you will is the lack of off side as a violation. These are not lifted until the restart is over which means a second touch by another player or the ball is no longer in play. ...... (Take a look at this signature tag)  .............   State Director of Instruction State Referee, Assessor, Instructor USSF, NFIOA, NISOA
• As an AR I always make a habit of asking before each half if they will be playing an "offisde trap" or not. This usually lets them know that 1) I am interested and 2) I will be prepared for whatever defense they decide to play. I find it sets a positive tone from the beginning.
• Read the reaction of the players; punish it if it upsets the hords .... let it go if it's harmless: and this applies to most of the laws of the game. Not all laws were meant to be enforced ... per se  
• In a message dated 98-04-19 11:58:17 EDT, you write:  Needlessly to say there was much recrimination and accusations thrown around, despite the fact that their own GK admitted coming a foot outside the area to claim the ball, and that the penalty was well deserved.
• ......... After a hard tackle, the ref said: "Hey! No hard tackles! Especialy on that kid! If you ever do that to my brother again, I will card you!".
• Most EVERY time an AR calls offside, it most likely is.
• [this was describing a U-12 Girls Game]........Within 2 or 3 minutes of my lecture to the bench, there was a 50/50 ball that a Red and a Blue player came in on pretty much shoulder to shoulder. Blue player fell on the contact and the ball went out of play for a Blue throw. Blue player on the ground gave Red player a look. Blue teammate went to help fallen Blue player off the ground also looking at Red player while saying "Don't let it bother you (teammate's name), we're BETTER than that!" all while eyeing the Red player. I gave mouthy Blue a yellow for unsporting behaviour........
• I called a trip in the box yesterday and the PK shooter kicked the ball right at the keeper. So it bounced off him so fast he couldn't get his hands on it, IMHO = a deflection. The ball goes back to the shooter who kicks it again, I blow the whistle for double touch...............snip.................. I asked my mentor who is an associate state director of instruction. He agrees with me...........
• ..............This being young youth, no real issue, but had this been U-14 or higher, or an important and closely contested match, it would have been tres embarassing to have neglected to tell the keeper to tuck in his jersey before this had happened...and if he had been told, caution?
• He starts the match (u12 girls) and after about 30 seconds blows his whistle and points back to the midfield mark. I asked him what had happened and he says that his watch isn't working and he has to start the match over again and could I keep time from the line.
• While working the lines for a U-13/14 Girls scrimmage, which we got paid for, the other AR called an offside penalty from a throw in. The was just the start. At half-time, I was talking to the AR, asking him a few offside questions, and his techniques. One of which, was from a goal kick. You can not be offside from a goal kick, however he wanted to call it. And, later on that game he did. His explanation for this was: "Well, the rule book is just for some simple guidelines. As long as you let the coaches know before the game what you will be calling, or a change in the rules, you may call it.".............
• We all pulled out our screw-ins and continued to warm up. As we were being checked in, the referee asked us to change shoes. We asked him (with a puzzled look) why. We were told that we couldn't where aluminum tipped studs. Now we were lucky that there was a soccer store, that we had noticed on our way to the field, within 5 minutes of the field where we could get nylon tipped studs. {you gotta wonder who owned the soccer store???}
• .............. When I advised him there was no Offside on a Goal Kick, he insisted there was, and the only time there wasn't was on a Throw-in...................
• .........Offside was called against our opponent very close to the goal line (this particular ref was not blowing the whistle for offside until the offending player actually TOUCHED the ball (mistake #1 IMHO)). Referee pointed to a spot 2 yards in front of the goal (mistake #2) and gave my side an IFK. Keeper moved the ball (within the goal area) to the six yard line and the ref blow his whistle and warned (not carded) the keeper for advancing the ball. Attacking forward stationed himself no more than 5 yards from the ball (he was JUST outside the goal area). At the keeper approached the ball, the attacker took a step forward and jumped with his back to the goal, blocked the ball and scored...................His only response was that the kicking team has to ask for 10 yards, it's not his job to enforce it otherwise and that the ball only goes to the SIX on a goal kick.
• Placing a ball on the 6 yard is only for a defending foul so the kick is for the attacking team. In this case it was an attacking foul so the kick is for the defense so it stays exactly were the fould occured.
• ............This is off sides. The only play in soccer where off sides does not apply is on a throw in.
• BU-16 Keeper had gathered ball from attack, play turned back up field Keeper dropped/rolled ball to end of penalty area, but then picked it up again. I blew whistle, ran to keeper, got the ball from him and held it. The offensive team wanted me to put it on the ground for a quick kick. I held the ball waiting for the defense to come back (many were almost to the half line expecting a clearing kick from the keeper) My response was to continue holding the ball until the defense got back. This was the (educational) explanation that I gave the offensive team. Question: Was my holding of the ball in this situation OK? Was the explanation I gave (in an educational mode) to the offensive team OK or are there others. One that occurred to me later was "Your team was not fouled, you are not entitled to a quick kick"
• ...........There is no such thing as a "quick kick." There are ceremonial "slow" kicks.
• To my opinion a player has to have both feet behind the touch line when throwing. But then again, what difference does it make? It only at metter of centimeters
• ...........I cautioned the three players and had them rejoin the game. The theory was that their parents would ask the coach why their kids got cautioned and discourage him from doing it again. (I didn't note the cautions on the game card, however -- they were merely for effect
• ........The CR came up the touch line toward me and told me he had to come off  the field to put his boot back on. I said OK, what was his YC for? He  said USB. I'm getting ready to jump the player and asked the CR "what  did he do or say?" He said "He continued to go after the ball after  his  shoe came off." I said "Yeah, and?". The CR said "That's USB and gets  a  YC"
• The objective of the infraction is to prevent time-wasting. This mishap was not time-wasting. I would have pretending that he never touched it with his hands and continued play. However, if in playing the ball towards his own goal, he then uses his hands to make a save to prevent an own goal, at that point I would issue the IFK, b/c the hands usage had created a distinct advantage. Think about the spirit, if you would call it and the blue team would have scored and won 1-0, is that just. Maybe in some people's minds that is, but to me it is not.
• ........ I went to the player taking the throw-in and said quietly and privately, "Your opponents kicked the ball out to stop play so your teammate could get help -- You should do the sportsmanlike thing and throw the ball to one of your opponents." She threw it to a teammate instead, and I whistled it for a foul throw -- possession to the team that kicked it out in the first instance.........
• ...............Following on from that, I notice in the WC that some of the goalkeepers are bouncing the ball once then fly kicking it. This also contravenes the LOTG and should be penalised, but it isn't.

• In saturday's Netherlands v. S. Korea match as well as in at least one earlier match, I noticed the GK bounce the ball on the ground at least once before the punt. I thought that this was illegal as of the last rewrite last year? Has this been revised?
• Can you be offside on a ball last played by yourself? a) On a breakaway, and beat the SDL only keeper between you and the goal. You mis dribble the ball and leave it behind by 5-6 yards. You are now in an offside position, true. You go back and get the ball. b) Again past the SDL (their coach must be livid), keeper comes out to chalange, you pop it high (and I do mean high) run around the keeepr and to the goal mouth. You missjudge and have to come back a few yards to get the ball. What is your call?
• ............ it was a sloppy pitch and footing was causing most of the crashes. After one such "unassisted fall" this spectator ranted at the referee at the top of his lungs, and was ignored yet again. Seconds later, another girl slipped during a fair challenge and the spectator screams, "THAT WAS UGLY REF!"...to which he heard, "so are you, but you do not hear me discussing it publically"....the crowd got its laugh, the game was successfully completed.
• ........I automatically started to go to the usual AR position for a PK when I heard the players yelling at each other to form a wall. Surprised, I looked up to see the CR signaling for a DFK inside the box. While hustling back to my line I tried to signal to the CR that it should be a PK. He did not respond so I raised my flag and requested a little talk with him. I calmly explained the obvious, that a PK was required for any penal foul in the box. We talked for a minute and he concluded that since the fouled player did not have a scoring opportunity, a PK was not justified. He would not listen to me and awarded the DFK anyway.
• .............I was in the PA, high school game..and had just awarded a PK, and was pushing the "wall" back when someone ................
• ..Pick one and give them/it a card for USB. It helps if the Captain is there and it can get the card.....
• .......How could a player possibly be penalized "for shielding the AR from play"? The players have a right to stand on the pitch. You will constantly have players between your line of sight and the ball. Will you caution them?...............
• ................... No, the right side players are not to be called offside, but if I thought for a moment that they were purposely shielding me from play, I might pop my flag and ask the CR to YC for USB......
• It's just like the case where a defender of the team ahead clears the ball into touch by kicking it 60 yards into the next pitch: 1. Add thirty seconds for retrieval time, 2. Add thirty seconds for time to book the defender,
• Early foul by Team A at midfield. I call it. Team A defender is miles away but he could see it better. He tells me so. Everyone hears him. Would you book him? I wouldn't. I'd call him to me. I would stay where I am and wait for him. I would *LOULDY* make sure he and everyone knows that I will not tolerate any of more of the same.
• How about the referee who, on a very cold day, insists that players remove sweatshirts from under their uniforms because they are different colors and therefore not uniform in color. He would allow only one color or no sweatshirt. Game time temperature was 42 with overcast, damp and windy conditions. He went on to officiate the game, bundled with a hooded sweatshirt under his uniform, long warm-up pants, a wool hat and gloves.
• .........A referee in the past had called a PK on us, for after we placed the ball for the goal kick, backed up a few steps, then went and picked up the ball, ran it to the other side, and kicked, we were called for a handball in the box, and intentional.
• ..........My response was, "the games over, I can still hand out reds". Hormones flowing and the need to impress his teamates, another comment spews forth. I ask his dad, the coach, to do something, who says "cut it out", the kids says no. I pop the red. The coach says "You can't do that!" I said that's dissent. So, we argue for 3 minutes, and I back down to a yellow, thinking the games over, just let it go. Then the kid walks off the field, laughing out loud.
• ..........referee (middle) was running around on the field with an umbrella on one hand and a whistle on the other.
• ……How about instead of even using a coin you use Paper, Rock Scisors. The teams love it because they never see it. You never know what you can do instead of the coin toss.
• …Winessed this at State HS Playoffs (1/4 final match). Both team had white sox, ref made home team go to auto- body repair shop across the street from the stadium, come back with red spray paint cans and spray sox.
• …….As team A is about to take a goal kick, referee blows the whistle to indicate the end of the first overtime period. He makes the teams switch ends and proceeds to tell team A to take the goal kick from the other end of the field. That was the restart.
• ….The referee didn't miss any call. It didn't happen, because the ref chose not to see it………………….
• The coach stands too close to the touchline and gets in the way of the other players' attacks. Time for a "please stand back form the touchline coach!" He gets 2 of those and when it is obvious that "please" does not work then it is time to make an issue of the action and tell him to stand back. I usually include a brief message that his team can NEVER score if there is anyone in the field except the players. I AM trying to avoid card for entering the field of play w/o permission!
• ……If I was the CR and I KNEW that the team did something to deliberaly injure the keeper under such circumstances, I might just terminate the game. Certianlly send off the offending player.
• <all this and only two yellow cards?……………..It was an odd game. The only time the players fouled each other was when they sent someone to the hospital, which they did three times! Literally never touched each other unless it was completely out of control and violent. So two yellow cards for that, plus one "simultaneous foul" when two players head butted each other instead of the ball...blood everywhere!
• …..I like to pick out the biggest guy because I know he is not going to atke the fall for the ther guys. Make dorky knows that you are talking directly to him - that he is responsible for everyone on his team and that if anyone else takes a turn at the game, the guy you are talking to gets the card. i.e. "If ANYONE else pulls that crap with the keeper YOU GET THE CARD! "Not them YOU. " Shake your head up and down if you understand and side to side if you don't!….
• Let me tell you about the (paid) referee in my son's high school game, who blew the whistle any time an attacker stepped into the goal area. "Only the goalkeeper is allowed in there; why do you think they call it the goalkeeper area?"
• Halftime of Boys Junior Varsity game. Home team leading 1-0. Woman approaches the (solo) referee and says "How are we doing?". Referee's response "We're winning"
• ………Tournament rules dock teams a point for running up the score past a 6-goal margin. With about 15 minutes to go, and Red GK playing Campos style all over the field, a Red defender got the ball, thought about it a few seconds, and shot the ball into his own open net. CR disallowed the goal and booked the defender for USB.
• ……."Players shall not wear anything that is dangerous to themselves or other players." Metal cleats are not regulation soccer shoes and are clearly dangerous. The U14 boy may not wear them…
• On that passback back to the GK, I would allow the GK to use his hands to block the kick to prevent it from entering the goal (can't stop him from his primary duties of defending the net), but the usage of the hands had better be restricted to blocking the ball (like using his chest to block the ball), not catch the ball.
• I know a referee, a 16 year old. He hated coaches that said anything. He got annoyed at a coach during the game, after the ball was out of play the same coach asked him which was is it sir, so the ref goes to the coach and says -- out loud "SHUT THE F--- UP!" the coach was taken aback and then he tries to clarify that he hasnt yelling at him, and the ref goes " I told you once, now you're done asshole!" and he flashed the red card.
• The ball was kicked out of bound by team A, and as going out of bounds it passed really closely to a member of team B's Breasts, and Referee signaled for Team B throw-in, Team A's coach complained, and the Referee (female) in reply says, "She only wishes her tits were that big".
• ….During my teams last match, the CR called my goal keeper for a six second violation. She was in the act of punting the ball when he made the call…
• He then awarded an IFK from the 18 yard line (the spot of the" infraction"). The girl from the opposing team took a shot directly on goal but put the ball over the wood. Then to my amazement, the CR gave the kicker a yellow card! Since the kick was on my near side, I questioned the CR, what the card was issued for. The CR replied it was for unsportsmanlike conduct, and further explained that she should not have kicked directly at the goal!
• ........the goal tied the game and it went into overtime. I approached the referee after the game and told him that my GK indicated that the ball never went over the goal line. He replied "the goalkeeper was over the line, thats a goal. The ball doesn't have to be over the line, just the goalkeeper.....
• It happened again. I ended up helping to send off another college player (this time a female) for incidental foul language. I was AR this time but both times I heard the player use foul language. Both times I called the attention of the referee and the yellow was given - combined with the red the second time around.
• About 3/4 into the game, in about the middle of the field, white goes down hard in a pack. Center runs back to the 18 and yellow cards the captain who had nothing whatsoever to do with the play. A ref friend sitting next to me commented that this was a very common practice.
• the referee got everyone out of the area, and awarded the penalty kick from the spot of the foul!! Down near the goal line near the outer edge of the penalty area.
• The team was cautioned before the game by the refs that heading the ball would not be tolerated, and that all action should stop if a ball is headed. A boy from the other team made a wonderful header from a goalie punt by our keeper. EVERYONE including the other team stopped in their tracks except for the guy he headed it to, who went in and scored. The refs counted the goal.
• an IFK go over the wall, hit the ground and bound into the goal. The goalie made no effort to save it as it was an IFK (ref had his hand in the air to prove it). Ref counted the goal saying that the ball hitting the ground before it went into the goal made it a live ball.
• a U-6 coach walk over to her son who had just allowed a goal and backhand him so that he went sprawling. That same coach was the referee for a game that we had later. She attempted to force our goalie to throw the ball in from behind the goal line because "it went out of bounds".
• Recently used a game of "paper, rock, scissors" between captains (co-ed middle school)
•  In the 28th minute, the US right fullback chipped the ball to Donovan. Instead of playing the ball with his head, he used his chest to BAT the ball and pass it a teamate who was making a forward run. The referee appeared to be in an excellent position to see this play but made no call. I believe that this should have been a handling ball based on the ATR:
• A player from each team comes over to me for the DB, and I notice that a few yards behind them is a player from the red team ready to attack. I look at the two players poised to take the kick and loudly remind them to wait until the ball touches the ground before kicking it, and then I toss it over the shoulder of the red player to the one standing a few yards behind him. All hell breaks loose as the red attack resumes, being stopped only when the orange GK smothers the ball near the goal line.
• I think we're overlooking the obvious: if the coach has been yelling at me a lot, it's a send-off and PK. If the coach has been a nice guy, it's a caution and IFK.
• Women's League writes: we had a referee on our game that called a handling in the penalty area. However, he felt it was incidental, and did not feel it worthy of a PK. He then gave two direct free kicks from the point of the foul.......what the heck does that even look like?
• When I have a problem dropping the ball to restart play (because the players just can't wait to start kicking), I simply turn 180 degrees and drop the ball behind where I was facing. It's fair (both players still have an equal chance to play for the ball), it's safe (probably safer than the typical dropped ball), and it's fun (just wait til you see the expression on those kids' faces when you do it.
• …..If the Coach and parents had been doing their job of watching, learning and enjoying the kids playing, the call would most likely have been seen by me. Because of their distractions, they blew it……
• Attacker and defender, shoulder-to-shoulder, coming down the field towards my end. They're together from a few yards before halfway, and the attacker maintains possession until maybe five yards before they get to the corner of the PA on my side. The defender is fouling (pushing, holding) the attacker continuously, but the ref correctly (IMHO) didn't stop play until the fouling finally got to be "too bad" shortly before they got to the corner of the PA. The ball rolls 2, maybe 3, yards from where they were when the whistle blew. The attacker goes quickly to the ball, puts a hand on it to make it stop moving and looks around. He sees a wide-open teammate standing in the middle of the D, and pushes a side-foot pass to him. Teammate blasts the ball into top left hand corner of the net from about 20 yards, a great shot. Tweet. CR comes over, indicates a spot *two* yards from where the FK was taken, and requires a retake. Guess what, the second time the defense form a wall, nobody is open, and no goal results.
• the left winger miraculously carries the ball all the way down the far touch line, turns to the center getting past the right back, beats the goalkeeper who has run out to challenge, and crosses. He was so deep by the goal line that everybody is onside. Waiting for the pass are, in order, an attacker at near post, a defender in front of the middle of the goal, and another attacker in front of the far post. If either attacker can control the ball, he has an open shot. The ball goes to the first attacker, who miskicks it so that the ball deflects slightly upward, hits the defender who is not even facing the ball on the forearm (totally an accident, not handling IMHO), is deflected back down to the ground, and is slammed into the net by the far post attacker. Tweet. No goal; penalty kick for handling. The PK hits the left hand post and bounces out.