BRCL Referee Liaison's "DEAR REFEREE" emails and Replies

Referee Decisions

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2006/November - "Deliberate" pass to keeper and IFK restart

Q: Doesn't a teammate have to deliberately kick a ball to his goalkeeper and have it touched by the keeper's hands before a referee whistles a foul and awards an indirect free kick (IFK) to the opposing team? I was watching a game in which a defending player and an attacking player were running toward the defender's goal while both were trying to gain control of the ball. The last player to touch the ball was the defender as the ball entered the penalty area. The keeper left his position between the goal posts, ran over, and picked up the loose ball. If a keeper beats both players and picks up the ball shouldn't that just be considered as the keeper collecting the ball?

A: The key is whether or not the referee considered the action by the defender to be a deliberate pass to his keeper. Apparently, he/she must have considered the ball coming off the defender's foot to the GK to have been deliberate; thus, the awarding of the IFK to the attacking team. This is another example of the many judgment calls referees have to make constantly in the rapidly moving game of soccer.

Q: In this same situation, once the ball was stationary in the penalty area after the referee had awarded the attacking team the indirect free kick, one attacker placed his foot on the ball and then removed it. Meanwhile, the attacking team's goalkeeper, who had came all the way up from the other end of the field, kicked the ball into the net and the referee awarded the goal. By the ball not moving, it couldn't have been in play even though two players touched it, right? How can this be a goal?

A: FIFA's Law 13 says that the ball is in play "when it is kicked and moves." USSF Advice to Referees on the FIFA Laws says that the distance the ball is to be moved is "minimal" (undefined) and that the "kick" need only be "a touch of the ball with the foot." The first player's "touch" therefore became the necessary "movement" that allowed any second player (from either team) to play the ball. The ball was in play after the first touch, a second player kicked the ball into the net, and the referee correctly awarded the goal.

2006/October - Handling injuries and "rough play"

Q: Twice in our game, we had injured players down on the ground. The referee said he did not see them, but the assistant referees did. Can't the assistant referees do something to advise the Center Referee to stop play?

A: The Assistant Referees (ARs) are not prohibited from shouting out the Center Referee's name to get his/her attention concerning injured players. It does happen that the Center Referee sometimes does not see the injured players for several seconds while he/she is running with the play away from where an injury occurred. The Center Referee can stop the game at any point, but may decide not do so while a team has an advantageous attack going toward the opponent's goal.

Q: Why, when our coaches are screaming and our players are waving their hands or flopping around on the ground, can the Center Referee not see them?

A: Again, Center Referees do not like to stop advantageous, on-going attacks. More than likely, they are also concentrating intently on the action where the ball is rather than where an injury may have taken place away from play. Also, some players will fake injuries to stop the other team's attack. Nevertheless, I believe that Center Referees will stop a game, regardless of where the ball is or which team has it, when it is obvious to them that a serious injury must be dealt with immediately. There is something else to consider here. Maybe if some coaches who routinely "scream" at referees would stop doing so, perhaps referees would be quicker to pay attention when they did hear a coach's legitimate scream for help.

Q: How rough can a boys soccer game get at the U19 level?

A: Games can get very "rough" at this level. Shoulder-to-shoulder contact between players within playing distance of the ball can be very forceful. It is not illegal, for example, to very forcefully knock an opponent off the ball with a shoulder-to-shoulder charge when both are within playing distance of the ball. It is also not illegal to charge a player from behind if the player with the ball is trying to shield it until it goes out of play. Soccer is a contact sport, and players can get hurt. The amount and type of "rough" -- yet fair -- play allowed in a soccer game is a judgment call on the part of the Center Referee. Older players will generally let a Center Referee know the limits of what they will accept through the way they play and how they react to their opponent's play. If a Center Referee doesn't take care of the problems -- including serious fouls -- some players will seek their own "justice." That's when things can get out of hand. Hopefully, the Center Referee will have seen this coming and gotten things under control ahead of time.

Q: I know I am probably a little more sensitive than I should be, but in a recent game one player was verbally cautioned several times by the referee about his rough play, but never got a card.

A: If "several times" in your words means three or more whistled fouls against the same player for unnecessary and deliberate "rough play," it might well have been time, in my opinion, to caution and show a yellow card to this player for either "persistent infringement" or "unsporting behavior." That said, this particular referee was in charge of this particular game, and it was his/her decision to handle this player as he/she saw fit, based on his/her best judgment.

2006/October-Caution for losing a shoe?

Q: "A player lost a cleat during the first half of the game. Sometimes it's hard to keep them laced up, especially when you're an eleven year old. One of the officials informed the player's coach that if another player lost a cleat, that player would receive a yellow card. Neither the coach nor I have heard of this Law. Is this accurate?"

A: There is no such cautionable offense in either the FIFA Laws or BRCL rules that suggests showing a yellow card to a player who loses his/her shoe once or multiple times in a game. The only thing close might be "unsporting behavior," if there were some other unsporting action(s) also occurring. Footwear is, of course, compulsory equipment under FIFA Law 4, but I struggle to believe that players, especially really young ones, need to be cautioned or threatened with a caution for losing a shoe. Referees are not allowed to make up rules; they must enforce the ones that are "on the books."

2006/September - Issuing Yellow Cards

Q: Being new to Travel Soccer, I am hoping for a little clarification on when a Yellow Card should be issued by a referee. During our game, an opponent was whistled for 3 or 4 fouls against our players, with one foul being particularly harsh. Play was stopped for the resulting injury to our player, but no caution was issued. After the game, the Center Referee told our coach that he (the referee) could have issued a caution to the player who committed these fouls, but he decided not to do so because he felt the player was behaving this way out of "frustration and fatigue." I realize calls can be subjective; however, I believe an official needs control of the game and the players. I'd appreciate your thoughts.

A: The issuance of a Yellow Card caution is a judgment call by the Center Referee. There are seven instances in which a Yellow Card may be issued to a player:

• unsporting behavior
• dissent
• persistent infringement of Laws/rules
• delaying a restart
• failure to respect the 10 yards distance from the ball on restarts
• going in or out of the game without referee permission
• deliberately leaving the field without referee permission

Again, the issuance of a yellow caution card is up to the individual referee who is in charge of a particular game.

Hypothetically though, if one player committed three or four fouls in a game, and these were all whistled by the referee, the referee could make a good case for issuing a Yellow Card for "persistent infringement." A player doesn't have to get hurt either to justify the issuance of such a caution.

On another point you brought up, each referee has his/her particular style of officiating, but personally, if I were this Center Referee, I would not have said anything to the coach after the game about why I did or did not make a certain decision. In my opinion, this just opens up the possibility of unnecessary debate about the referee, his/her refereeing style, or about specific calls/non-calls in the game.

I also don't believe that earned and deserved cards (yellow or red) should be withheld by a referee just because he/she may feel the guilty player is "frustrated and tired." A player who is "frustrated and tired" and who is repeatedly fouling opponents without consequence may end up seriously hurting someone. The issuance of cards should gain the referee something that benefits the match -- safety, fairness, equality, improved game control, restoration of order, calming of tempers, etc. If objectives like one or more of these can be achieved with the issuance of a card, then issuing the card may very well be the action that needs to be taken by the referee without taking into consideration how the perpetrator feels.

2006/September-Goalkeeper protection

Q: Are goalkeepers to get some "extra protection" from the referee, either through warnings or cards for dangerous play when opponents run into or come into contact with them?

A: The quick answer is that goalkeepers don't get special consideration or protections other than the following:

• players can't prevent the GK from releasing the ball from his hands (FIFA - Law 12)
• a GK is considered to be in control of the ball by touching it with any part of his hand or arms (FIFA - Law 12)
• if a player kicks or attempts to kick the ball when the GK is releasing it, the offending player "must be penalized" [FIFA's words] for dangerous play (FIFA - additional instructions to referees)
• opponents cannot restrict the GK's movement by impeding him/her at the taking of a corner kick (FIFA - additional instructions to referees)

A referee, in his/her judgment, could decide that a "hit" on a GK could warrant a Yellow Card caution if the action is considered "unsporting behavior." (FIFA - Law 12) Unsporting behavior that earns a player a Yellow Card is deliberate and reckless.

A referee could issue a GK "hitter" a red card if he/she considered this offending player to be guilty of serious foul play. (FIFA - Law 12) Serious foul play occurs when the ball is in play and the opponent is challenging for the ball. Such fouls are characterized by excessive force or brutality. Lunging at a player (including a GK) with excessive force and endangerment is serious foul play and thus a red card, not a yellow card. (FIFA - additional instructions to referees)

Violent conduct occurs whether or not the ball is in play and involves excessive force or brutality when NOT challenging for the ball. Violent conduct is also a red card, not a yellow card. (FIFA - additional instructions to referees)

With all this said, "hits" on goalkeepers, like all fouls on all players, come down to referee judgment. Whether or not a card is issued is up to the particular referee in a particular game at a particular moment in time. I think most Center Referees try to protect goalkeepers from cheap shots by opposing players. It is not automatic, however, to expect referees to pull out a Red Card right away when goalkeepers and opposing players collide. It may not have been a deliberate, excessive action in the referee's judgment. Many referees will try to talk to the offender first unless he/she thinks the foul was so blatantly harsh that it warrants the issuance of a card immediately.

Hypothetically, if I had talked to a player once already about running into or hitting the GK, and then this same player did it again, I believe I would be leaning very seriously toward at least issuing the offender a Yellow Card caution for "unsporting behavior" in order to send a more emphatic message about playing safely and fairly. The issuance of such a card hopefully also demonstrates to the GK that I, as the referee, understand his/her vulnerability and am indeed trying to protect him/her to some degree.

One final note is in order here: goalkeepers sometimes are the perpetrators rather than the victims, and a referee has to be prepared to deal with that situation also, whether it be through words or cards.

2006/September-"questionable calls" by young referees

Q: In a recent game [BRCL - U12 Girls], we [the Away team] had three very young referees. The Center Referee looked to be in high school. Many calls were questionable.

A: Often younger referees are assigned to officiate games involving younger age groups. I'm assuming their assignor had enough confidence in their abilities to effectively officiate this match or they would not have been assigned. I'm also going to assume that the assignor will monitor their work and consider the feedback on their refereeing so that they can continue to be assigned to games to which they are best suited. Most calls (far more than 50%) by soccer referees are judgment calls and usually have to be made instantaneously. Obviously, we are all entitled to think what we will of sports officials' calls.

Q: Most calls favored the home team.

A: More than half of the referees' calls in this match favored the home team? Did someone keep track? The number of calls against each team in a soccer game are not necessarily going to be equal or even nearly equal in number.

Q: The other team was quite rough, pushing and shoving our players throughout the game.

A: Soccer is a contact sport with hard shoulder to shoulder, body to body, leg to leg contact being a legal aspect of this game. How "rough" a match is a matter of opinion and perspective, in my view. In general, I have found that players will accept more roughness than what parents will accept, in order to keep the flow of the game going. "Pushing and shoving" are not legal in soccer, but if referees were to whistle every push and every shove in a game, it would be a game of constant starts and stops. Referees look for those fouls that deliberately and unfairly disadvantage a player or a team. Players need to learn to play through trifling fouls. Well-trained referees will whistle the illegal contact that is careless, reckless, or excessive or that indicates players are trying to deliberately hurt an opponent rather than concentrating on playing the ball.

Q: There was one call where our player had a breakaway and was shoved to the ground in a forward motion by two defensive players. There was no call. The Center Referee did admit he could not see what happened, but the other referees should have had a better field of vision.

A: It's good to hear that the Center Referee was willing to say he did not see this particular incident. A referee cannot whistle something he/she did not witness. Likewise, if the two assistant referees don't witness a foul, they can't advise the Center Referee that one occurred. Believe it or not, sometimes none of the referees witness what spectators say happened. At other times, what trained, neutral referees close to the play see and what spectators see are completely different. Again, the game is played under the auspices of certified referees making their best judgments rather than what partisan fans might like to see called, so we rely on referees to make the calls rather than the fans and coaching staffs doing so.

Q: This is U12 Girls soccer, and the referees should be there to ensure their safety.

A: A safe game should be one of the goals of a refereeing team no matter what the age group, gender, or skill level.

Q: Not calling these types of fouls encourages players to play rough or learn to play rough. I would like to think our League is above dirty play.

A: Again, soccer is a very physical activity with hard, bodily contact at times. Players of either gender have to learn that they are going to get knocked around at times and that, depending on what the referee sees, a foul may or may not be called. What one fan or referee considers "dirty play" another fan or referee may not think so. It comes back to judgment calls again. Trained, certified referees are the ones we all rely on to make these calls as fairly as they can in their role as a neutral observer from locations that are generally closer to the action than those of spectators. With all this said, I am a firm believer that referees can continue to learn how to referee better the more games they officiate, the more games they watch, the more reading they do, and the more feedback they are willing to consider from others like you who are also watching the games.

2006/May-shinguards

Q: An Assistant Referee said one of my player's shinguards were illegal since the bottom of the shinguards were more than two inches above the player's ankles. The player was allowed to continue to play, but was the AR correct? If so, what is the source of this rule?

A: The AR was incorrect. Your team was playing in a BRCL game under USSF rules and FIFA Laws of the Game. This "two inch rule" for shinguards is a requirement in Virginia High School League soccer games. FIFA's Law 4 - The Players' Equipment simply requires that shinguards be worn, that they are completely covered by stockings, that they be made of suitable material, and that they provide a reasonable degree of protection. They also cannot be dangerous to the wearer or any other players. Under Law 5, the referee simply assures himself/herself that such equipment meets the standards set forth in Law 4. If the referee says the shinguards don't meet the standards of Law 4, then he/she has the authority to require the player to correct the problem before the player is allowed to play.

2005/September - issuing cards near the end of a match

Q: In our daughter's game, an opponent openly slapped one of our players hard enough to leave a handprint on her back, seemingly out of frustration, right near the end of the match. The referee told our coach that he saw this happen, but that he didn't want to stop the match with only five seconds remaining. What can the referee do to a player who blatantly deserves a red card in the final seconds of a match?

A: First, this is an example of a judgment call for the referee and is totally at his/her discretion. What a spectator considers a "blatant" foul may not be what the referee believes. Also, a referee does not have to stop a match right at the instant that a foul occurs. The referee can let play continue by signaling and calling out "advantage, play on" for the team with the ball or do nothing if he/she believes the foul is trifling. A referee can issue a card, if he/she does so before the next restart after play stops, even if it is right before the conclusion of a match. Referees can also issues cards after a match has concluded. A referee could also decide to just talk to a player who commits a foul, regardless of how much time remains in a match.

A technique that some referees employ is to run by the player who commits a card-able foul and say: "I'm coming back, Number Such & Such." This lets the offending player know that the referee saw what happened, but is letting play continue until the situation can be addressed with the offending player at the next stoppage. Sometimes play doesn't stop for quite a while. When the ball finally does go out of play, the referee can find the player and either have a talk with him/her or issue whichever card the referee believes is appropriate.

Q: Can a red card be given that counts for a player's next game if it is issued by the referee within a certain time period before a game ends?

A: A red card is a red card whenever it is earned by a player, and all pertinent sanctions apply, including the offending player being withheld from the next match. (All such suspensions are spelled out in the Blue Ridge Classic League's rules which can be found on the League's website.) Red cards do not have to be issued during play to affect a player's status for the next match. A referee can issue a card before the start of a match or afterwards. The time left in a match does not have to be a factor in the referee's decision-making process. The incident you describe could possibly fall under any of the following categories: striking or attempting to strike an opponent, playing in a dangerous manner, unsporting behavior, or serious foul play. Again, the referee who saw this incident would have to be the one to decide if what occurred fell into one of the categories listed above and then take whatever action he decides upon at the appropriate time.