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

Laws of the Game

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2006/October-Red card "threat" to coach

Q: "On our team's throw-in, the Center Referee called for our substitutes waiting at the midfield line to enter the game. One of our players was a sub for the goalkeeper. The keeper change was obvious, but our coach did forget to notify the Center Referee of the goalkeeper change. The referee 'threatened' to give our coach a red card for not mentioning the keeper change in advance. Our coach apologized. Did our coach commit a red card offense?"

A: No, he/she did not. This sounds like a mistake that happens often at many age levels. It's not worth making an issue of, in my opinion. Referees usually just remind coaches to keep them informed of GK changes in the future when coaches forget to do so on the first occasion. Additionally, referees CANNOT issue red cards to coaches under FIFA Laws and USSF guidelines. (The BRCL uses these Laws and guidelines.) To "threaten" to do so is neither correct nor appropriate, in my opinion. If a referee chooses to take some action against a coach, it is done under FIFA Law 5. A referee can eject a coach for failure to conduct him/herself in a responsible manner, but neither yellow nor red cards are shown to coaches as part of such an action.

2006/October-Ref changed a call

Q: "During the last minutes of our tied U12 Boys game, our team scored a goal. The Center Referee signaled goal, but the other team's coaches hollered that someone was offside. The Center Referee switched his ruling and called offside."

A: Under FIFA's Laws of the Game (Law 5) a referee can change a call as long as the game has not been restarted from the previous stoppage. What you describe meets this criterion.

2005/October-Red card for a "hand ball"

Q: "We would like a clarification on a player receiving a red card for a hand ball outside the box in a game. The player did not have any other yellow card offenses prior to this incident. Also, the definition of where the arm stops can be subjective."

A: A Red Card can be earned by a player for deliberately handling a ball without a yellow card having been issued previously to a player. Under FIFA/USSF Law 12 - "Fouls and Misconduct," a player can be shown a Red Card for denying the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball.

The FIFA/USSF Laws of the Game do not describe "handling the ball" in terms of which part of the anatomy of the arm is used. The "handling" foul could be called for deliberately playing the ball from the tips of the fingers to the upper arm where it connects with the shoulder. They key is whether the player used the particular anatomical area of the arm or hand to deliberately "handle" or maneuver or steer or control the ball. To many referees, if a player uses his/her arm like a hand to maneuver the ball, that's "handling" and earns the whistle as a foul. It's a judgment call.

As referees, we are taught to try to differentiate between "the ball to the hand" versus "the hand to the ball." The ball moving to the hand is not "handling." The hand moving to the ball is.

2006/September-Substitution Requests

Q: As players get older and more skilled, the ball remains on the field longer and longer, and substitution situations become fewer and farther between. It becomes important, therefore, that substitution opportunities not be missed. Sometimes, even with shouting "Sub, Sir!" multiple times, the referee still doesn't acknowledge the subbing opportunity. Aren't referees obligated to check for waiting subs when the ball goes out of play?

A: It is good technique for a referee to look to the substitution location each time a substitution opportunity arises. The BRCL Rules say the following: "Unlimited substitutions may be made from MIDFIELD with the consent of the referee when play is stopped." The two key words in that sentence are perhaps "may" and "consent." There is nothing I can find in either the BRCL Rules or the FIFA Laws of the Game that say a referee is "obligated" to check for subs or allow them simply because the substitutes are up and ready to come into a match. I would hope that referees would try to accommodate substitutions in a fair and equitable manner to both teams, but again I cannot find any language that forces a referee to allow substitutions just because an opportunity to do so occurs.

While someone shouting "sub" to a referee can be helpful to get his/her attention, a referee still is under no obligation to allow the substitutions. The only signal that is officially recognized for substitutions is that of the Assistant Referees holding their flags between their palms and above their head. In addition, this AR signal is only an indicator that a substitution is requested. It is up to the referee to grant the request or not. It would be very helpful, in my opinion, if spectator-side ARs would be consistent in "mirroring" the raised flag of the bench-side AR, when the bench-side AR signals for a substitution request. This is supposed to occur as a visual aid to the Center Referee who may be looking away from the substitution location on the bench-side of the field.

2006/March-field safety

Q: What should referees look at in terms of safety when inspecting goals and a soccer field prior to a game?

A: FIFA's Law 1 - The Field of Play says only two things about goals: (1) They must be anchored securely to the ground. (2) Portable goals may only be used if they satisfy this requirement.

I have seen goals anchored with long spikes, bent reinforcing rods, or sandbags. In a pinch, in order to play a game with goals that were not anchored, teams have placed several of their duffle bags on the goals' back ground bar to make sure the goals were "anchored" temporarily for that particular game.

The only other field safety item that the FIFA LOTG specifically mention is that corner flags be no less than 5 feet high and without pointed tops to the poles.

The USSF Referee Administrative Handbook contains the following advice for referees regarding field inspection:

Field Inspection: All officials should inspect the field. Inspection should include examination of all markings and dimensions. Special attention should be given to critical markings like the penalty-area, penalty-mark, and goal- and touch lines. Goals and nets should be checked, and corner flags checked for proper height and location. Dangerous objects on the field should be examined and dealt with as necessary.

For a general pre-game field safety inspection, referees could consider doing the following:

1. Warm up by walking/jogging the field to check for holes, rocks, glass, etc. Get the safety problems removed or repaired before playing the game.
2. Look for prominently exposed sprinkler heads and cover them with dirt or something soft, if necessary. Make coaches/captains aware of them.
3. Check for dangerous slopes and holes, especially along the touch lines. Make sure to cover exposed drainage grates that are right next to the field.
4. Make sure to move dangerous items away from touch lines and goal lines. I have moved such things as trash cans, lacrosse nets, high jump and pole vault equipment, and even grounds crew equipment such as tractors, discs, and rakes further away from the field boundaries to make sure a player running full speed doesn't hit these if he/she can't stop.
5. Make sure all team equipment including water bottles, extra soccer balls, and bags are a safe distance away from the touch lines. Moving the team benches further back helps keep these items away from the touch line.
6. Check to make sure spectators' chairs are safely back from the touch line.
7. Be on the look out for muddy or slippery areas if it has rained or is raining. Point these areas out to the coaches/captains.

Referees should try to get the game played by helping to correct the safety concerns as best as possible. Technically, it's not the referee's job to correct safety concerns, but it's good public relations if a referee can and does help get dangerous field situations corrected so the game can be played.

All concerns and problems with a field should also be noted by the referee in a game report to the people or organization in charge of the field.