2010 Outdoor Season
Click on the
following links to see the full question and response:
· (July 27th) Question 35: “Can my son play with a hard cast…?”
· (July 14th) Question 34: “What is the news from ASA lately?”
· (July 14th) Question 33: “Who answers these questions?”
· (July 13th) Question 32: “Why is the role of the CDSRA not more prominent with the CSF or ASA?”
· (July 13th) Question 31: “We see the same referees for all of our games it seems.”
· (July 13th) Question 30: “What preparations should a ref make before taking charge of a game?”
· (July 12th) Question 29: “…after watching some very varied officiating in the World Cup?”
· (July 3rd) Question 27: “How do you sign up to be a referee?”
· (June 29th) Question 26: “Is there any rule against slide tackling?”
· (June 24th) Question 25: “By the start of the second half, one team refused to provide AR…?”
· (June 22nd) Question 23: “...how old do u have to be if you want to be a referee?”
· (June 21st) Question 22: “...how old do u have to be if you want to be a referee?”
· (June 21st) Question 21: “...when is a penalty a direct kick vs an indirect kick?”
· (June 19th) Question 20: “…U12 8v8 soccer if there is a foul in the goal area …?”
· (June 18th) Question 19: “When can you call a time out…?”
· (June 15th) Question 16: “Why do the ref's have so much power…?”
· (June 13th) Question 15: “…qualifications of a referee?”
· (June 11th) Question 13: “…intent of a foul or… focus only on what happened?”
· (June 7th) Question 12: “…U 12 girls outdoor soccer - How long is the game?”
· (June 3rd) Question 11: “…wondering if they don\'t put up corner flags at SAIT…?”
· (June 3rd) Question 10: “Are PK's allowed in U12 outdoor?”
· (May 22nd) Question 9: “…does the assistant referee ever blow the whistle?”
· (May 18th) Question 8: “…how much do you get paid for assistant refereeing U12?”
· (May 18th) Question 7: “…I was a soccer referee in my home country for more than 3 years”
· (May 10th) Question 6: “…modifications came out last week for U12?”
· (May 10th) Question 5: “…lineman responsibilities are for outdoor soccer - u12?”
· (Apr. 27th) Question 4: “…new U12 8x8. What are the rules for subbing?”
· (Apr. 25th) Question 3: “Can you confirm the rule regarding goalie handling of the ball”
· (Apr. 20th) Question 2: “…but who will ensure the players, coaches and fans understand the LOTG? …”
· (Apr. 19th) Question 1: “…goalkeeper touches the ball with his hands outside the penalty area…”
(July 27th) Question 35: “Can my son play with a hard cast…?”
Can my son play with a hard cast
on his arm, from palm to elbow?
Response: The thought that 1st comes to mind is NO. CMSA has stated in their regulations: "The wearing of rigid casts or splints, even though covered with foam or other protective padding, will NOT be allowed.".
I’ve sent an E-Mail to the new CMSA Referee Coordinator to confirm and I will revise this response, if required.
(July 14th) Question 34: “What is the news from ASA lately?”
What is the news from ASA lately?
Does this affect referees?
Response: I regret that I don’t have a real good answer to this one. I inquired with a National Referee who is aware of the ‘news’ you are referring to. He commented that that it is a long story, still a subject of discussion, and hence no real answer if and/or how it will affect Referees.
(July 14th) Question 33: “Who answers these questions?”
Who answers these questions? Are
they sent to more than one person?
Response: Simple answer is yes and no. Yes there are a number of people that answer these questions (eg. A National Referee; Executives of the various Leagues, Joe Guest aka. CSA Referee in Chief; the CSF Referee Coordinator;; certain members of the RAC to new a few) No they are not answered by committee. If each question was sent out to a number of people, then the responses received paraphrased into one response, the turn around time would be weeks, not days.
Those questions received that are accompanied by a name and return address get a personalized response as well as the response being posted on this page.
Periodically the CDSRA executives will review the questions and responses, on a rare occasion will call to discuss the response and, if necessary, suggest changes to the response.
And lastly someone from our audience will write in referring back to a question for further discussions (ie. that’s primarily the reason the Q&A is numbered). So if you have a concern about a particular response, or something to add, I invite you to comment.
(July 13th) Question 32: “Why is the
role of the CDSRA not more prominent with the CSF or ASA?”
Why is the role of the CDSRA not
more prominent with the CSF or ASA? What role does it play?
Response: I’ve forwarded this question to our President and I am awaiting his response.
(July 13th) Question 31: “We see the same referees for all of our
games it seems.”
We see the same referees for all
of our games it seems. Surely there are some bright up and comers than can get
better games than having the old guard all the time?
Response: I suspect this is more coincidence than intentional. For the Men’s team I play on, I have not seen the same Referee twice. The games that I am assigned, I may officiate the odd given team twice in their 18 game schedule.
Yes there are a number of “bright up and comers” either entering the system or working through the system. Some are satisfied with the level of games they are currently qualified to do, and even if they do have the skill set to do higher level games, they have chosen not to pursue it.
Officials are assigned to matches by the CSF Referee Coordinator. I know she uses a software tool called Arbiter to match up Referees availability to the games they are qualified to do. I will ask her to read this response to see if she has anything to add.
I’ve also observed that statistically there is a significant gap between the “old guard” and the “bright up and comers”. Historically the attrition rate of new Referees was high, but the gap is slowly being reduced thanks largely to the CSF and CMSA Mentoring programs, and in part the CDRSA membership that promote Refereeing.
(July 13th) Question 30: “What preparations should a ref make before
taking charge of a game?”
What preparations should a ref
make before taking charge of a game? Should teams and standings be reviewed?
Response: Historically in every season ASA refresher the instructor will advise all Referees to be ‘mentally prepared’ for the game. As mentioned in Question #29, a Referee will officiate a low level CMSA game differently than a high level CUSA game. At the very high levels, the four game officials may meet to discuss disciplinary records of the players. At low level games, not so much.
“Should teams and standings be reviewed?”… For the majority of game officials this is a good way to be ‘mentally prepared’, but it should not cause the game official to ‘pre-judge’ the team officials or the players. Two teams playing for a spot in Provincials, be prepared for a tense game. For a 1st place team against a last place team, be prepared for a one sided match. BE PREPARED, but don’t expect it because as we all know that “…on any given day…… {we all know the saying}.
(July 12th) Question 29: “…after watching some very varied officiating in the World
Cup?”
How do you think that the ASA /
CSF will ensure that referees are treated with respect after watching some very
varied officiating in the World Cup?
Response: There is no reason why anything that happens at the World Cup should have any effect on the respect offered here. I feel that they will be treated with the same respect as any official in any sport. As with any sport, if the players demonstrate respect for the game, the game official will be more relaxed with some infractions. If the players start to abuse that liberty, the game official is going to be more strict.
The other factor is it goes to show that like the players, game officiates are human and as such will make mistakes. Still, the vast majority of the calls (96% according to FIFA's stats) were entirely correct. I think that nearly all of the players here recognize that some calls will occasionally be incorrect, but that on the whole, the referees do a very good job. I don't see why the World Cup would change that.
Now for dissent. The players at the World Cup are no different than the players here. Most of them know where the line is, and get close to it but don't cross it. Some go over. This is no different at that level, except the line is in a slightly different place. This is true at all levels. The "line" in CMSA games is in a completely different place than the line in CUSA games for most referees. In fact, although more is tolerated at the higher levels, there is almost always dramatically more respect shown at those levels than there is locally. There is a major difference between disappointment/frustration and dissent. The higher the level, the greater the stakes, the easier and more dramatically the disappointment rises to the surface. Note that the times when the line was crossed over to dissent (i.e. the caution to Robben in the final for chasing the referee some 40 yards to complain), the caution was given.
(July 5th) Question 28: “…while carrying the ball she was slide tackled
sending her airborne. Is this type of play
allowed?”
Recently my daughter was playing
in a u14 tier3 game. She is a fairly strong player and
twice while carrying the ball she was slide tackled sending her airborne. Is
this type of play allowed? There was no ref, a parent from the other team
filled in and made no call. It appeared the other girls were coached to knock
the ball carrier off her feet. Slide tackling is not allowed in many other
leagues for obvious reasons, is it allowed in our league?
Response: Quite the contrary. As pointed out in Question #26, there is only one league in the Calgary Soccer Federation that does not allow slide tackles, the Co-Ed League. However the slide tackle must be done in a safe and sporting manner. A lot of people think that as long as the player contacts the ball first, it's OK. This is not correct. The player making the slide tackle must get the ball clean and their action must not be seen as taking out the opponent in a careless manner (ie. an opponent that 'goes flying' is seen as running into the player that made the slide tackle). A slide tackle that is done carelessly (ie. a slide tackle that follows through and takes out the player as well as the ball, or a dangerous slide tackle from behind through the opponent, or a slide tackle that is directly oncoming to the opponent) can be a foul, cautionable offence, or even a dismissal.
If the parent that volunteered to officiate the match was a qualified Referee, they would know this (and by 'qualified' I mean to officiate this level of soccer). If not, I suspect a parent volunteer should not have been selected to officiate a Tier III game. I know this is a difficult choice for the coaches, but safety must be considered.
(July 3rd) Question 27: “How do
you sign up to be a referee?”
How do you sign up to be a
referee?
Response: Depending on your age, you need to enroll in either the District Entry Level two day course (ie. you need to be 16 years old on or before March 31st), or the Youth Entry Level Course (ie. you need to be 12 years old on or before March 31st). These courses typically run during the Months of March, April, and May of every year. However additional dates are added based on the number of requests received during the year. Send in your request to referees@calgaryminorsoccer.com and you will receive a reply of when the next course is being held.
It may not be til next fall. I saw they just complete a Distict Entry Level course last weekend at the CSC.
(June 29th) Question 26: “Is there any rule against slide tackling?”
Is there any rule against slide
tackling? There were 6 in our game last night. One player was taken to the
hospital by paramedics. The referee only blew the whistle because the player
was down and couldn't move. No foul was called.?
Response: The only league that does not allow slide tackles is the Co-Ed league.
If a slide tackle is done carelessly, it can be called a foul or even a cautionable offense. Particularly slide tackles from behind or directly in front of the opposing player, regardless if the player contacted the ball first or not.
I cannot comment on the player being taken to the hospital by the paramedics. If in the opinion of the Ref the slide tackle was made in a safe manner and it was the opposing player that just landed awkward, or it was an action by the opposing player and not the player doing the slide tackle, that caused the injury then there is no foul.
(June 24th) Question 25: “By the
start of the second half, one team refused to provide AR…?”
By the start of the second half,
one team refused to provide AR and I asked the home team to do both sides
lines. As I was reading question & answers on this topic, I found out this
should have been written down on the game sheet, which I did not as I was not
aware I had to write it down on the game sheet. Now what action should I take
as a referee? Do I give my report to CMSA? Reason for not providing AR for the
second half of the game was I had to ask the coach to leave the field as he was
showing dissent and disturbing the game's atmosphere, and he then informed me
that no parent will do the lines. I did not show a red card (I understood I did
the right thing here after reading Q & A on this topic), but failed to
write it down on the game sheet. What is my recourse now?
Response: It was very kind of you to ask the Home team to do both lines, however that is not your responsibility. The other team should be making that request. Often I see the one team ask the Ref if they can ask there opponent on their behalf, which is acceptable. On many occasions the other team will oblige because it is to their benefit to have a club AR in their attacking half. If the other team can not supply a 2nd club AR, then they also need to know that you will have to make the call the best you can from the field side.
Next point is YES, note it on the game sheet. Sometimes a team is fined for not supplying a club AR, and sometimes the fine is waived if they make arrangements with their opponent to supply a club AR. However if either happens often, then the League Administration will be contacting them.
Final point is if any Team Official is dismissed, the Ref is instructed to hand in the Team Official’s Card with a completed Misconduct Report to the League Administration and note it on the Game Sheet. You are correct that a RED card can only be shown to a player, and not to a Team Official.
That being in hindsight (and I trust a learning experience for you and you colleagues), I consulted the CMSA League Administration. They want you to fill out a misconduct report ASAP and hand it in to the League Office. You can explain the confusion and the reason for not having the coaches card with the report so that they know not to look for a card. CMSA will then be in contact with this coach.
(June 24th) Question 24: “...is
any foul happening inside the penalty box have to be a penalty kick…?”
is any foul
happening inside the penalty box have to be a penalty kick for the attacking
team? for e.g tripping an
opponent by carelessness inside the penalty box , can be awarded direct kick?
Response: No, not any foul. Only fouls that would result in a Direct Free Kick. See the FIFA Laws of the Game Law 12 page 32 for a list of fouls that result in a Direct Free Kick.
As for your example, if you do blow the whistle to stop play (ie. do not wish to call an advantage), then yes the restart is a Penalty Kick from the spot. Whether it was careless (ie. tried to play the ball and missed) or intentional (ie. was clearly beaten and decided to play the player and not the ball), it does not matter. What the Ref needs to consider is if it is worthy to CAUTION the player or not.
(June 22nd) Question 23: “...how
old do u have to be if you want to be a referee?”
I read the policy on lightning
but when is a game official if you have to abondon
the match?
In other words
If team A is leading by 1 goal,
and then it is unsafe to play due to hail, lightning etc does it have to be
pass the half way to be recorded a a match or 10
minutes into the match?
Response: Technically, 60 mins constitutes a game. However please be aware that it is not your responsibility to decide if the match is postponed or recorded as a game with a result. That is up to the league to decide. Your responsibility is to record the time that you stopped the game (ie. whether it be 5 mins or 65 mins into the game), the reason the game was stopped, and the score at the time the game as stopped. Hand the game sheet in and the league will then advise the teams if the game is to be re-played or not. Anything you advise the teams is unofficial.
ASA has a strict policy for lightning. If in the 59th min the 30/30 rule applies, STOP THE GAME!!!!, fill out the game sheet, and hand it in.
(June 21st) Question 22: “...how
old do u have to be if you want to be a referee?”
how old do u
have to be if you want to be a referee?
Response: You must be 12 years old on or before April 1st.
(June 21st) Question 21: “...when
is a penalty a direct kick vs
an indirect kick?”
Can you clarify for me, in a
simple "list" so I remember....when is a penalty a direct kick vs an indirect kick?
Response: It's a simple list. All penalties are a direct free kick. I suspect what you are asking is what fouls committed in the penalty area is a penalty kick. If so, I would direct you to page 32 of the FIFA Laws of the Game. Any of this 10 offenses committed in the penalty area is a Penalty Kick.
(June 19th) Question 20: “…U12
8v8 soccer if there is a foul in the goal area …?”
In U12 8v8 soccer if there is a
foul in the goal area then according to the modified rules a direct free kick
is awarded on the line parallel to the goal line (correct?) Since the goal box
is 8 yards deep can the defending team setup a wall 6 yards back from the ball.
Just wondering if the 6 yards is in play or if the direct
free kick will essentially be an unobstructed "penalty" kick on the
goalie.
Response: No this is not correct. What you described is the procedure for a foul that results in an Indirect Free Kick. Should a defender commit a foul as described in Law 12 page 9 of 15 in the Laws of the Games Modified for U12 8v8, then the opposing team is awarded a Penalty Kick from the penalty spot and all players except the defending Keeper must be at least 6 yards from the ball and behind the ball.
(June 18th) Question 19: “When
can you call a time out…?”
When can you call a time out,
does it change for age and tier?
Response: There are no 'time outs' in soccer, at any level. The clock does not stop for any reason. The coach's only opportunity to talk to the team as a whole during play is at a stoppage to tend to an injury and only as long as it takes to escort the player off the field.
(June 16th) Question 18: “…comments
section of our game sheet the ref put KO on our sheet and Y on the opposing
team?”
In the comments section of our
game sheet the ref put KO on our sheet and Y on the opposing team. What does
this mean?
Response: I quizzed a number of my colleagues. No one knew. Our only guess was the Ref noted which team Kicked Off in the 1st half (ie. KO) and which team won the toss (ie. Y)
(June 16th) Question 17: “What
is the CSF’s policy on a referee calling a game early due to the state of
health of the referee?…?”
I refereed a CWSA Div 5
doubleheader last night at
Wanted to get your feedback on whether
I handled this correctly? What is the
CSF’s policy on a referee calling a game early due to the state of health of
the referee?
Response: I suspect that more learning took place on the evening that could be gained on this forum.
I suspect you already know that unless there is a safety issue for the players, or both coaches agree, or the grounds keeper closes the field, the game should not have ended early. A Referee not prepared for the weather conditions should not be a factor in whether or not to shorten the game. I’ve experienced myself, and I know a number of my colleagues have as well, being so cold that I had difficulty writing out the game sheets afterwards. But I did not end the game early for that reason and learned from this experience.
(June 15th) Question 16: “Why
do the ref's have so much power…?”
Why do the ref's have so much
power, that they cannot hold a rational conversation after a game with a
parent? They preach respect but totally disrespect the parents. The power has
shifted way too much the wrong way. If a parent respectfully holds there
comments during the game and approaches a ref after a game to ask a question
they should not be yelled at for inquiring.
Response: The amount of ‘power’ or authority the Referee is given has nothing to do with the way they deal with the general public (ie. team officials and/or spectators). And I suspect you are stereo typing every Referee into a category that is not deserving.
It is true that some Referees lack certain communication skills, but I’d hazard to say that they are vastly the exception, not the rule. Also you must respect that Referees are not afforded the time to ‘chat’ with the spectators. They must fill out the game sheets, get the copies and the cards back to the Team Official, and then prepare for the next game.
It has been my observation that the vast majority of Referees are ambassadors to the game. The power has not ‘shifted’ in any way. At refreshers that are given at the beginning of every season we are instructed when the rules need to be strictly enforced namely because of players, coaches, and spectators that try to take advantage of a Referee (particularly the youth Referees) and act inappropriately. The first sentence in the FIFA Laws of the game is the Referee is there to ensure the game is played safely and fairly for all players.
(June 13th) Question 15: “…qualifications of a referee?”
How do I receive information of
the qualifications of a referee?
Response: If you are a team official, the Referee Qualifications are confidential and are not released to the general public. If you are concerned about the qualifications of a Referee for a particular match, you ar asked to note your concerns using the Referee Evaluation Form on the League Website. You can then follow up your concern with the League administration.
CSF has ranked the skill set to officiate every level of game. Each and every game is matched up to a Referee that is qualified to officiate the level of the particular game.
(June 13th) Question 14: “…amount of time that is allow to pass for the referee to submit their report for a
game?”
Could you please tell me the
amount of time that is allow to pass for the referee
to submit their report for a game.
Response: CSF (Calgary Soccer
Federation) would like officials to hand in the game sheets to a drop box near
them within 48 hour of the match. If
the Referee hands it in to a drop box other than the Calgary Soccer Center or
Broadview, the Referee is asked to note that for most other drop boxes the game
sheets are packaged up and sent by courier only once or twice per week (ie. the drop box at the SWU club is packaged up and sent
every Tuesday).
If the report includes a Misconduct form, the game official
is asked to take it to the league office within 24 hours.
(June 11th)
Question 13: “…intent
of a foul or… focus only on what happened?”
What is more important -
establish intent of a foul or ignore intent and focus only on what happened?
Response: This is not a question of “…more important?”. A FOUL UNDER Law 12 is a foul, regardless of intent. However the Laws of the Game grants the Referee some liberty on how he/she deals with the foul. For example, if the foul is considered trivial and the player maintains possession, the Ref can provide the appropriate direction to Play On (eg. Yell out to maintain possession, or signal Advantage). If the foul is more severe and the Ref could interpret the intent, the Ref may want to talk to the player at the next stoppage. If the Ref just ignores it altogether, that sends out the wrong message to the players. This is all part of ‘Game Management’ that is talked about at the courses and refreshers every year. Ignoring the foul may cause a game to “GO SOUTH”, then he/she has a lot more to deal with. The Ref can also tell from the reaction of the players, coaches, etc. of what the tolerance is expected and react accordingly (ie. Premier Players will tolerate fouls more than a Tier 6 team)
(June 7th)
Question 12: “…U
12 girls outdoor soccer - How long is the game?”
In U 12 girls
outdoor soccer - How long is the game? Is is 30 or 35
minute halves?
Response: In reference to the ASA Modified Laws of the Game for 8 aside Soccer:
Published on the ASA website (page 3 0f 15), the game consists of 2x30min halves.
(June 3rd) Question 11: “…wondering if they don't put up
corner flags at SAIT…?”
Just wondering if they don\'t put
up corner flags at SAIT as it is artificial turf or is it just me who has been
unlucky twice there with no flags?
Response: There are a number of fields that do not provide corner flags, and SAIT may be one of them. As a rule, if the field has a Grounds Keeper stationed at the facility, Corner Flags are provided (eg Shouldice, CSC, Tom Brooks, Renfrew). If not, (eg Woodbine), the Home team s expected to provide the markings. And then there is the odd Referee, lke myself, that brings Corner Flags because I hate ding a game without them.
My suggestion is to note it on your copy of the game sheet and/or contact your League Administration. They will advise if there is a reason Corner Flags are not supplied at this location.
(June 3rd) Question 10: “Are PK
Are PK's allowed in U12 outdoor??
Are yellow and reds used in U12
outdoor??
Have bee asked by some coaches,
seem to be some confusion.
Response: In reference to the ASA Modified Laws of the Game for 8 aside Soccer:
Law 12 Rule 2:
"Should a player commit one of the above offences within his/her own goal area while the ball is in play, irrespective of the position of the ball, a penalty kick shall be awarded to the opposing team."
Law 12 would also indicate that a player can be cautioned (ie. shown a Yellow card) or dismissed (ie. shown a Red card). However the offences by which the cards are shown are modified. For example, Coaches are expected to deal with Abusive or Insulting Language and/or Gestures (commonly known as AOILG).
(May 22nd) Question 9: “…does the assistant referee ever blow
the whistle?”
I'm a referee I just wanted to
know like does the assistant referee ever blow the whistle? Or does the referee
always blow the whistle and we do our signals to the whistle?
Response: For the outdoor game, the Assistant Referee doesn’t carry or us a whistle. The Assistant Referee and the Middle Referee work as a team. The Assistant Referee uses a Flag to signal to the Middle Referee what has been observed. These signals are published in the FIFA Laws of the Game, Starting Page 88. The Middle Referee will use the whistle to control the match, it is not used to signal the Assistant Referee.
(May 18th) Question
8: “…how much do you get paid for
assistant refereeing U12?”
how much do you
get paid for assistant refereeing U12?
How do you sign up for the tournament between May 21 and 24
Response: The games fees are published every year on the Calgary Soccer Federation Website: www.calgarysoccerfederation.com. Select the link ‘Referees’ on the menu along the left hand side of the page. Then hold the cursor over the link ‘Information’ and select Game Fees in the Pop Up.
To register for the Presidents Cup, or any other tournament sponsored by CMSA, send a note to referees@calgaryminorsoccer.com.
(May 18th) Question 7: “…I was a soccer referee in my home
country for more than 3 years”
I am a new referee in
Response: The Referee Coordinator will assign you games
according to the instruction she receives from the Referee Affairs
Committee. So submit your request to
them, ref.affairs@subwaysoccercentre.com
. They will access your skills and look
at the experience you’ve acquire to determine at what level you can officiate. They can also put you in touch with a ‘
(May 10th) Question 6: “…modifications came out last week for
U12?”
I was told by 2 referee
instructors that new modifications came out last week for U12. Where can I find the new rules/modifications? I search ASA and CMSA website and found
nothing
Response: I too had to go looking. For some reason, ASA put the link under the Referees Tab about 2/3’s down the page. Look for the line New U12 8 vs. 8 Rule Book.
(May 10th) Question 5: “…lineman responsibilities are for
outdoor soccer - u12?”
I have been trying to find a few
bullet points on what the lineman responsibilities are for outdoor soccer -
u12. This a a volunteer role
for the parents on the team and they are not always clear on what they need to
do. Can you tell me if there is a resource that I can reference?
Response: For some reason, the ASA document for the U12 8v8 game doesn't reference the duties of the Referee or the Assistance Referee.
So simple rule of thumb is that if the instruction is not listed in the league supplementary rules, the item is referred back to the FIFA Laws of the Game. In this particular case, that would be Law 6. Please note that because the duties of the Assistant Referee are delegated to Club Volunteers, the Referee should discuss with them what his/her expectations are.
(Apr. 27th) Question 4: “…new U12 8x8. What are the rules for
subbing?”
When refereeing the new U12 8x8.
What are the rules for subbing. I thought only on
throw in\'s but a coach tonight thought anytime there was a stoppage of play
Response: U12 8v8 game follows the same procedure for substitutions as the U14 and above 11v11. Therefore the answer to your question is written in the FIFA Laws of the Game, Law 3: "The referee must be informed before any proposed substitution is made" and "all substitutes are subject to the authority and jurisdiction of the referee, whether called upon to play or not".
To paraphrase, the Referee decides when the substitution can be made, not the Coach. There is no statement within the laws that say when a substitution can be requested, only that the Referee has to provide permission.
The Laws of the Game provide some guidance, namely that the game be played fairly for both teams. Rule of thumb is a Referee does not allow a substitution when the opponents are looking to take a 'quick kick', or everyone is set up waiting for a corner kick and the coach uses a substitution request to slow the game down or distract the opponents.
So in short, it is your decision as the Referee to allow or deny. Most Referees will follow a simple guideline: ask the coaches to restrict their request to: their own throw-ins; free kicks; 'piggy backing the opponents request'; or 'Long Ball' (ie. ball is kicked out of play and it will take time to retrieve it).
Use your judgment. If the team has not had any of these opportunities and their players are getting tired, grant the request at the next stoppage.
(Apr. 25th) Question 3: “Can you confirm the rule regarding
goalie handling of the ball”
Can you confirm the rule
regarding goalie handling of the ball. As there is no penalty area, just a 8x20 goal area, is this the area the goalie can handle the
ball. It’'s
not mentioned in the U12 reg. guild on the web site.
Response: My colleague was kind enough to let me sit in on my son’s Youth Ref Course, ‘cause I knew these types of questions would come up.
This very question came up in the course. And the response is: for U10 7v7 and U12 8V8, the goal area and the penalty area is one and the same. That goes for Keeper handling the ball, Keeper Free Kicks, Etc.
(Apr. 20th) Question 2: “…but who will ensure the players, coaches
and fans understand the LOTG? …”
There have been a number of
updates to how the Laws of the Game are written (clarifications) and there are
some great instructions to referees that come with the Law Book. It\'s great
that referees understand and adopt the correct LOTG but who will ensure the
players, coaches and fans understand the LOTG?
This is a bit tongue in cheek for
sure but the fact remains there are some instances ("ball first"
before contact, interpretation of active offside, quick free kicks etc) where
the players have a drastically different view than the referee. This leads to
game management issues (and incorrect sports commentary and endless debate,
love it!)
Response: If it’s any comfort, you are in good company. From personal experience as a CMSA Coach, the club has provided me with the LOTG (among other items) at the Coaches Meeting. I have then taken that information and gone over certain Laws with my team (in particular Laws 8 thru 17). I’ve also encouraged the parents to look at the LOTG on the FIFA Website. I cannot speak for all coaches, but I know a lot of them do this as well. Now I also recognize that a lot of what I tell the kids goes in one ear and out the other, c’est la vie. But I do know one way a player or coach will understand the LOTG. In most leagues if a player or coach is Sent Off/Dismissed, that person is instructed as part of the discipline to attend an Entry Level Course, and in some cases are required to officiate a specified number of games.
I also mentor youth refs, and the one bit of advice I give them is: no matter what the player’s or coach’s view is, the Ref has the better understanding. I’ve seen a few cases where this may not be true, but I also advise them if they are challenged, look it up after to either confirm the call was correct, or learn from the mistake.
(Apr. 19th) Question 1: “…goalkeeper touches the ball with his hands
outside the penalty area…”
In the case where the goalkeeper
touches the ball with his hands outside the penalty area (in front of his net)
what is the call? Should I issue a caution (yellow) or a sending off (red). Let’s say that the
attacking team does not have a clear scoring opportunity, defenders are back,
and intermixed with the attackers. There is no offside or
other offences occurring.
Response: In the FIFA Laws of the Game under the section of “Interpretation of the laws of the game and guidelines for referees”, there is a section entitled “Handling the Ball” (page 111). In summary, the referee must observe and take an appropriate disciplinary action. Outside the penalty area, the goal keeper has the same restrictions as any other player. There may be some instances when this is not an infringement (ie. Ball to hand) and play goes on. If the player makes contact with the ball, it may be a simple ‘hand ball’ resulting in a direct free kick to for the opposing team. If the player “…deliberately and blatantly handles the ball to prevent an opponent gaining possession” the player should be cautioned for Unsporting Behavior (ie, handling the ball is NOT itself a cautionable offense). The player may be sent off if the action of handling the ball prevented a goal or obvious goal scoring opportunity (ie. Again the play is not sent off for ‘handling the ball’, but from the unacceptable and unfair intervention that prevented a goal being scored)