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What's The Correct AYSO Answer?

Test Your Knowledge

The following is a recently received question:

February 2, 2012

"Who penalizes the offside, the referee or the assistant referee?"

Answer: The assistant referees have the duty, subject to the decision of the referee, to indicate when a player may be penalized for being in an offside position. But the referee has the duty to enforce the Laws of the Game, including "Law 11 - Offside." Therefore, it is the referee who penalizes the offside offense.

There are many aspects of offside that need analysis, and we'll continue to share related information in future editions. Key to the correct evaluation and management of offside offenses is the teamwork between the referee and assistant referee. The referee team should review the mechanics for offside during the pregame conference in order to have the same team awareness. Basic mechanics include the following steps:

The referee maintains a position that allows looking through play at the assistant referee.

The assistant referee raises the flag vertically (preferably with the right hand) to indicate that an offside offense may be penalized.

If the referee does not see the (flag) signal, the assistant referee should stay at attention with the flag raised until the defense gains ball possession through ball control, a goal kick or throw-in.

The referee acknowledges the assistant referee's signal by stopping play or waving down the flag to indicate play should continue.

After making eye contact with the referee, the assistant referee indicates the location of the offense: far side, middle of the field, near side (see picture below, courtesy of USSF).

The referee gives an indirect free kick signal when it is appropriate to do so, and indicates the restart location.

The referee holds the indirect free kick signal until the ball is touched or played by another player, or until play is stopped for another reason.

If needed, the referee intervenes quickly and decisively to prevent and manage possible player discussions with the assistant referee pertaining to offside decisions.

(See pages 33 and 103 in the 2011-12 AYSO FIFA Laws of the Game).

January 26, 2012

"In a game with free substitutions, the blue team requests a substitution when the ball goes out for a throw-in. Is the referee required to wait for the substitute, who is coming into the field of play, to get to his playing position before restarting the game?"

Answer: When the substitute coming in is replacing the goalkeeper, the referee should allow the new goalkeeper to get to his playing position before restarting the game. For all other players, the referee is not required to wait for substitutes to get to their playing positions.

However, within the "Spirit of Fair Play," when any substitute is coming in to immediately defend against an attack because the opponent will have control of the ball with the restart of play, the referee should wait until the entering player is at least in his general playing area. If the pace of the game allows, the referee can provide this courtesy during all substitutions. To expedite the substitution process and avoid wasting time, the referee should encourage the substitute coming in to get to his general playing position as soon as possible.

(See pages 18 and 61 in the 2011-12 AYSO FIFA Laws of the Game).

January 19, 2012

"You told us that acceptance is the thing needed to be a good referee and provided a couple of examples of how to earn it in every game. Please share more examples."

Answer: Please refer to the Dec. 16, 2010 edition of "What's The Correct AYSO Answer" to review the concept of acceptance as it pertains to refereeing. It is important for referees to identify the opportunities to earn respect and trust, but it is just as important to plan to use these opportunities during the game to generate the acceptance.

An opportunity to earn respect is presented when you show up to the game properly uniformed. The uniform is the first tool that a referee has to project authority and professionalism, two ingredients that generate acceptance. The right uniform shows that you care about and respect the players and the game, and in return, players, coaches and others will start respecting you. This is easy to achieve by just planning well and making sure you have a clean, appropriate uniform.

One opportunity to earn the trust of the players, coaches and others that you can handle the game is to effectively manage fouls by the bench area. Coaches, players on the bench, parents and others watching the game get anxious as the game goes on, especially if their team starts losing. Fouls by the bench, even simple careless fouls, will get the coach and others more excited, as they are close to the action and can see and feel more. If the coach and others feel that you are managing fouls correctly, they will team up with you to manage the bench and the fans. This will make it easier for the parents and other spectators to relax and enjoy the game, and allow you to referee and enjoy the game. Take the following steps to manage fouls by the bench:

Be close to play when the foul occurs. Read the game well in order to stay close to play as it develops near the bench area.

Make quick and decisive actions. Don't hesitate, especially when you're close to the coach and others who are close to the field.

With fouls by the bench, verbalize as appropriate to reassure the coach and others that you know what you are doing, and briefly communicate the factors you used to make your decision. For example, saying something like, "Watch the kicking, #5. Keep it safe. Thank you," tells what you saw, and that you care about and respect players.

After making your decision, quickly get the game restarted or allow play to continue, and move away from the bench area.

In future editions of Whistle Stop, we'll continue to share different opportunities to earn acceptance. And remember, good referees never leave anything to chance, and they expect, plan for, and use these opportunities in every game to earn acceptance.

January 12, 2012

"The blue team's goalkeeper takes a long goal kick toward the center circle. Blue #4, who is standing just outside the center circle and near a red player, yells, 'Let it go!' when the ball is moving toward him. Is this an offense?"

Answer: Players can and should communicate on the field of play during the game in order to improve teamwork. For the communication to be acceptable, it must not:

Be offensive to others.

Be used to unfairly interfere with an opponent's opportunity to play the ball. For example, blue #4 yells at an opponent from behind, causing him to let the ball go through and be controlled by blue #4.

Be used to incite, instigate or provoke players.

Be used to frustrate players.

The referee should deal immediately with a player whose communication becomes offensive and/or gains him an unfair advantage. Here are some possible scenarios involving a player's negative communication, and the recommended referee action:

The player does not affect the opponent's ability to play the ball - The referee should allow play to continue, run by the player and verbally admonish him. The player needs to know that his action is unacceptable.

The player gains an unfair advantage - The referee should stop play, verbally admonish the player or caution him for unsporting behavior, and restart the game with an indirect free kick for the opponent.

January 05, 2012

"Should the referee caution young players?"

Answer: The purpose of a caution is to notify a player that the manner in which he is playing and/or behaving is unacceptable, and that if he continues with the same behavior, he will be sent off for the remainder of the game. In AYSO, children who are under 12 years of age should not be formally cautioned or sent off, unless under exceptional circumstances.

Younger players may not be fully aware of their actions, so the referee should team up with the coach in influencing players to reflect the proper behavior. Usually, a referee can achieve better player-management results with a firm yet positive verbal admonishment, which helps avoid the need to show the cards.

Referees should monitor the players' behavior and take immediate action when a player starts demonstrating negativity. This approach is very helpful in reducing the need to caution and/or send off players.

(See page 18 in the 2011 AYSO Guidance for Referees, Coaches, Other Volunteers and Parents).

December 22, 2011

"During a free kick, the defending team is arguing the referee's decision, with the objective of delaying the restart. Should the referee do something, even if the attacking team doesn't complain?"

Answer: The game is much more fair and fun when the ball is in play. Even if an attacker does not complain, the referee should aim to restart the game as soon as possible for all free kicks. Per Law 13, all opponents must be at least 10 yards in all directions from the location of the free kick. If the opponents deliberately do not provide the required distance, or do so in a slow manner, they may be delaying the restart of play. Delaying the restart of play is a form of illegal gamesmanship, and the referee must address and handle the situation.

Coaches should teach players not to behave in this manner, but if it happens, the referees must take action and support the coaches. After awarding a free kick, the referee should always encourage that it be taken quickly. The referee can do this by directing opponents that are near the ball to establish the required 10 yards and prevent interference. The referee can firmly verbalize for them to back off as he points at them with an extended arm, even if the kick is not ceremonial. However, when the referee decides to manage a free kick in a ceremonial manner, it is still important to put the ball in play as soon as possible.

The following referee actions are recommended to help players put the ball back in play from a ceremonial free kick:

Move to the spot for the free kick and ask the attacker to place the ball.

The referee should clearly communicate that he's managing the situation. This can be done by pointing to the whistle and saying, "Wait for the whistle."

Get the defenders to move 10 yards away from the ball in all directions. The referee can do this by positioning himself at the required distance (known as becoming the "first brick of the wall") and asking defenders to quickly line up with him.

If any defenders try to come to the ball and delay the restart, the referee should immediately ask them to back away to the minimum of 10 yards.

If a player insists on delaying the restart, the referee may show him the yellow card and caution him for delaying the restart of play.

Move to the best restart position for the referee and whistle for the restart.

The referee should manage the first free kick in the game to set a standard that can be followed for all free kicks during the game. The referee's quick and proactive manner is needed to effectively discourage any negative gamesmanship.

(See page 119 in the 2011-12 AYSO FIFA Laws of the Game and section 13.4 Quick Free Kick vs. Ceremonial Free Kick in the USSF Advice to Referees).

December 15, 2011

"In a U-19 boys game, red #6 makes a throw-in down the line, but the ball never enters the field of play. What is the restart?"

Answer: Provided that the throw-in was made within the correct procedure, the ball is in play when it enters the field of play. In this scenario, the ball did not enter the field of play, so the game was not restarted. Therefore, the referee should restart the game with a throw-in for the red team. It is recommended that the referee explains the reason for repeating the restart, letting the players and parents know that the ball did not enter the field of play.

(See page 46 in the 2011-12 AYSO FIFA Laws of the Game).

December 8, 2011

"In a U-14 boys game, red #9 takes a shot at the blue team's goal while standing inside the blue team's penalty area. Right after taking the shot, red #9 is fouled by defender blue #3. The blue team's goalkeeper stopped the shot and played the ball to his teammate. Should I have called a foul?"

Answer: This scenario can potentially deal with the application of advantage, which is one of the powers granted to the referee per Law 5. The May 27, 2010 edition of "What's The Correct AYSO Answer" addresses the concept of advantage, lists the factors that should be considered by the referee before applying advantage and provides a video clip with an example of the correct application.

Here are two scenarios related to your question that deal with the application of advantage:

Blue #3 commits an offense that leaves red #9 without a clear opportunity for an immediate, promising attack. In this case, the referee should stop play, deal with blue #3 as appropriate to the severity of the foul and restart play with a penalty kick or an indirect free kick for the red team (depending on the type of offense committed).

Blue #3 commits an offense but red #9 is still able to maintain possession of the ball to make an immediate, promising attack. In this case, the referee should apply advantage and allow play to continue, then deal with blue #3's offense as appropriate at the next stoppage of play.

Your scenario is a slightly different case because the foul occurred after the immediate, promising attack had already been enacted. You were right to let play continue - it is almost never a good idea to blow the whistle when the ball is in the air and headed toward the goal. The fact that the goalkeeper stopped the shot is irrelevant because the advantage occurred when the shot was taken.

Applying advantage in the penalty area, especially for direct free kick fouls, is a challenging call for referees to make. Experience and continued AYSO referee training will help referees learn how to quickly evaluate situations and make the right decision.

(See pages 23 and 68 in the 2011-12 AYSO FIFA Laws of the Game).

December 1, 2011

"In a U-19 girls game, blue #4 commits a tripping foul inside her own penalty arc. Should the restart be a penalty kick?"

Answer: An arc of a circle, known as the penalty arc, must be drawn outside the penalty area, with a radius of 10 yards from the centre of the penalty mark. The penalty arc is only relevant during the taking of a penalty kick to keep all players away from the ball at a minimum distance of 10 yards. The penalty arc is not part of the penalty area, and therefore, any fouls committed in the penalty arc are outside the penalty area. A tripping foul merits a direct free kick from where the offense occurred. In this scenario, the referee should restart the game with a direct free kick for the red team.

(See pages 8, 12 and 34 in the 2011-12 AYSO FIFA Laws of the Game).

November 17, 2011

"What can I do to prepare for my referee assessment for upgrade?"

Answer:The evaluation of referee performance, also known as a referee assessment, provides valuable feedback and tips to the referee that help him improve his skills and refereeing ability. The assessment process also helps the referee assignors/schedulers allocate referees to the appropriate games based on their skill level. Assessments are required to upgrade to higher levels of referee certification and preparing for the process will make it a positive experience. The list below includes tips to help you prepare for an assessment in a manner that will maximize the benefits and help you successfully meet or exceed evaluation expectations.

Read the AYSO manual Preparing for Assessment.

Review the portion of the AYSO National Referee Program manual that contains the criteria that your assessor will use (beginning on page 44 for Advanced Referee candidates and on page 47 for National Referee candidates).

Review the AYSO edition of the FIFA Laws of the Game.

Review the USSF publications Advice to Referees and Guide to Procedures.

Review referee concepts by accessing the online Course R002 - Basic Referee Online Training found in http://www.aysotraining.org/training/courses.asp

Go through a service assessment which will help you get comfortable with the mental/emotional experience without the pressure of a pass/fail situation.

Connect with an assessor so he can provide information and mentoring related to the assessment expectations.

Learn what you can about the teams you will be officiating. You may discover information that can help you with your planning.

Connect with the assistant referees ahead of time and develop a good teamwork plan.

Don't accept referee assignments before or immediately after the assessment so you can concentrate 100 percent on your assessment.

Drink a lot of water and have light meals the day before the assessment.

Arrive early to the field so you will have time to modify your plan if needed.

Be professional. Enter and leave the field of play as a team with your assistant referees.

Get the game started on time.

Make eye contact with other officials and work as a team.

Relax, smile and be yourself.

AYSO assessors are trained to conduct effective evaluations and provide mentoring and support to our referees, creating a positive environment for referees to develop their skills. This makes it easier for referees to request periodic assessments or observations in order to continue improving skills and performance.

November 10, 2011

"If the goalkeeper releases the ball on the penalty area line, is he guilty of handling the ball?"

Answer:The lines on the field of play belong to the areas of which they are boundaries. Therefore, it is legal for the goalkeeper to handle the ball while it is on the penalty area line, either on the ground or in the air. However, the goalkeeper has to release the ball before it has wholly crossed the penalty area line in order for it to remain a legal action.

Goalkeepers often learn to handle and release the ball very close to the perimeter of the penalty area. When this happens, it is OK for the referee or assistant referee to make the goalkeeper aware of the line by asking him to be careful not to release the ball outside the penalty area. Goalkeepers are likely to appreciate the warning, and will learn to readjust their timing and distance for releasing the ball.

(See pages 6 and 34 in the 2011-12 AYSO FIFA Laws of the Game).

November 3, 2011

"During a throw-in occurring in a U-12 boys game, is the ball in play once it crosses the outside of the touch line, or after it completely crosses the touch line? And is handling of the ball an issue if the player does not release the ball before it crosses the touch line?"

Answer:The procedure and mechanics of a legal throw-in are included in the Jan. 6, 2011 edition of "What's the Correct AYSO Answer?" During a throw-in, the ball is in play once it has crossed the outside of the touchline and it has been released by the thrower. Therefore, it is impossible to commit a handling of the ball offense during a throw-in. We respectfully remind referees that a throw-in is a restart that should be kept simple, and referees should avoid any potential frustration by not continuously stopping the game to retake throw-ins. If a youth player does not perform a proper throw-in, the referee may allow play to continue and ask the coach to work with the player at practice to perfect the throw-in process.

(See page 44 in the 2011-12 AYSO FIFA Laws of the Game and pages 78-79 in the USSF Advice to Referees on the Laws of the Game).

October 27, 2011

"When I perform the duties of an assistant referee, some referees ask me to make noise with the flag when I use it to signal and others tell me not to. Which is correct?"

Answer:The assistant referee's flag may or may not make noise when it is used to signal. In general, assistant referees should not attempt to "snap" the flag or cause it to make more noise than it normally would. Assistant referees should practice their signals when they are training on a field and in front of a mirror in order to achieve good form and familiarity with the correct signals. Below is some information to help assistant referees use the flag correctly:

Signals should be restricted to those authorized by FIFA and USSF, unless there is a need to communicate information to a player or the referee that cannot be communicated in any other way.

The flag must always be visible to the referee, unfurled and relaxed while the assistant referee is in motion.

When making a signal, stop running, face the field of play, make eye contact with the referee and raise the flag with deliberate and firm (not hasty or exaggerated) motions.

The flag should become an extension of the arm.

Raise the flag with the arm that will be used for the next signal in sequence (example: throw-in signal).

If circumstances change and the other arm must be used for the next signal in sequence, the flag should be moved below the waist to the opposite hand.

A signal for ball-out-of-play must continue until the referee acknowledges it, or stopped if the referee does not see it for an extended period during which play is stopped and restarted a couple of times.

A signal for offside must continue until the referee acknowledges it or the ball is clearly under the control of the defending team.

Referee and assistant referees should make eye contact as often as possible, and at every time there is an offense or ball-out-of-play situation.

Assistant referees must mirror each others' signals when needed to assist the referee.

The above information should be discussed in the pregame conference.

(See pages 90 and 92 in the 2011-12 AYSO FIFA Laws of the Game and section 6 in the 2011 USSF Advice to Referees on the Laws of the Game).

October 20, 2011

"In a U-14 game, if a player gets winded and walks away from the field of play to recover, does he have to wait until a stoppage of play to come back on the field?"

Answer:The referee should caution a player that deliberately leaves the field of play without permission. However, the referee should consider that a player who is winded or hurt needs to get assistance from the coach immediately. By walking away from the field without interfering with the game, the injured player is helping the flow of play within the Spirit of the Game. In this scenario, after he/she gives the player permission to re-enter the field, the referee may inform the player to notify him/her if he needs to leave the field of play in the future.

The player does not have to wait for a stoppage of play to re-enter the field because this is not a substitution, and there is no equipment correction or blood to inspect. However, the player must wait for the referee's permission to re-enter the field. Permission can be given at any time, even while the ball is in play, as long as entering the field will not give the player an unfair advantage.

(See page 36 in the 2011-12 AYSO FIFA Laws of the Game).

October 13, 2011

"What is the punishment for a coach that enters the field of play to tend to an injured player without the permission of the referee?"

Answer:The referee must ensure that no unauthorized persons enter the field of play. When a player is injured, the coach and trainer must wait until the referee beckons them onto the field of play to assist the player. Entering the field of play without the referee's permission is a form of irresponsible behavior, and the referee may take disciplinary action against the coach or other bench personnel if they commit this fault. The disciplinary action may vary from a verbal admonishment to expulsion from the field of play and its immediate surroundings.

In youth soccer, some coaches are still learning about the correct application of the Laws of the Game, and seeing a youth player get injured often generates a strong desire to do something about it right away. These conditions create a tendency for some coaches to want to immediately run onto the field of play to assist players.

Referees can help the coaches provide timely and appropriate assistance to the players by communicating the process with them before the game starts. The referee should tell the coaches to wait for a clear signal, like beckoning with an extended arm, before they enter the field of play. To ensure teamwork with the coach, the referee can explain that he will check the player, quickly make a decision as to whether assistance is needed, and provide a signal either way. Coaches and others are more likely to be supportive of referee decisions and actions when they understand the application of the Laws, and referees have an opportunity to share this knowledge in every game.

(See page 24 in the 2011-12 AYSO FIFA Laws of the Game).

October 6, 2011

A player went down and it took him five minutes to recover with assistance from his coach/trainer. What can I do during the player-down time?

Answer:The safety of the players is the priority for referees. When a player goes down or appears to be injured, the referee should check to see if the player is OK to continue playing. If not, the referee should stop the game and beckon the coach or trainer onto the field to provide assistance. Referees should make an effort to quickly get injured players out of the field of play in order to restart the game. However, if the referee determines that the player will need a few minutes of assistance from the coach or trainer in the field of play, then he or she can use that time to check game factors. The list below has some items that the referee can check as needed during player-down time:

Get feedback from both assistant referees based on the items discussed in the pregame conference, including the referee's control of the game, the referee's positioning, players with potential to become trouble makers, behavior of the spectators, etc. The feedback will help the referee make changes for the better.

On hot days, encourage players to go get water in an organized manner. The recommended way, which should be discussed with both coaches before the game starts, is to have the water ready and accessible for the players, and then have them take a quick drink by going close to the touch line but still within the field of play. The assistant referee should help manage the process and get the players ready to restart the game as soon as possible.

Talk to players that may be getting frustrated and try to calm them down. Perhaps explain a decision and ask them to be supportive.

If the coaches are calm and supportive, thank them and maybe briefly answer a couple of questions.

If the coaches are not calm and supportive, talk to them and remind them of the AYSO Team model, "Coaches, Parents and Referees supporting the children at all times," and thank them for honoring your request.

Referees need to make good use of time to perform self-analysis and collect feedback. When an injured player receives assistance in the field of play for a significant number of minutes, it offers the referee team an opportunity to evaluate and modify the plan of action in a manner that will improve game control.

September 29, 2011

Do sent-off players have to leave the facility, or just the field?

Answer:A player, substitute or substituted player who has been sent off must leave the vicinity of the field of play and the technical area. However, in youth games this requirement is challenging to apply because we do not want to send children away where they cannot be supervised and safe. The main objective for this requirement is to make sure that the sent-off player will no longer participate in or in any way interfere with play.

We recommend that the referee take the following steps to ensure both compliance with the send-off requirement and the safety of the children:

When a player is sent off, briefly discuss with both coaches the need to keep children safe but away from interfering with the game.

The team coach is responsible for the behavior of their players and substitutes, so allow each coach to decide how he or she will manage their players if they get sent off.

It is OK for the coach to decide to involve parents.

Make sure the assistant referees take part in the discussion so they understand who is doing what when a player gets sent off.

Explain to the coach that the sent-off player(s) will not be able to participate in the ceremonial handshake at the end of the game.

Making sure that sent-off players do not interfere with the game is important, and this can be achieved while still keeping the players properly supervised and safe by communicating with the coaches.

(See page 37 in the 2011-2012 AYSO FIFA Laws of the Game).

September 22, 2011

In a U-14 boys game, I called a tripping foul against the blue team and blue #8 came over to stand in front of the ball. He questioned my decision and red #14, who was fouled, came over and gestured that he was going to kick the ball at blue #8. The incident started a verbal confrontation between the two, so I cautioned both of them. Was I correct?

Answer:In your description of the incident, blue #8 failed to respect the distance required for the red team to restart play with the direct free kick, and so you correctly cautioned him. Red #14 was guilty of unsporting behavior, taunting the opponent by pretending to kick the ball at him, so you correctly cautioned him as well.

Referees should have a good understanding of the application of cautions and send-offs to ensure game control and minimize player frustration. More importantly, referees should have the skills and understanding of preventive refereeing techniques to influence players to behave positively. Referees who have a feel for the game at all times can take actions that will help players conduct themselves in a safe and fair manner. In this scenario, we recommend that the referee take the following actions, helping players focus on playing and to avoid cautions:

As soon as the referee blows the whistle for a foul, he should look around for potential player misconduct.

The referee should immediately look at blue #8 as he starts walking toward the ball, and firmly ask him to walk away from the ball and provide the required distance.

The referee can say, "Back off blue. Let's go. Thank you," and keep walking with him until he is 10 yards away.

As the referee walks the player away, he can explain the decision: "That was a tripping foul." This will calm the player down and show him respect.

If blue #8 insists on walking toward the ball, the referee should verbalize a stronger message such as, "Let's go. Now!" When the player backs off the 10 yards, then the referee can smile and say, "Thank you."

When the referee maintains a firm yet respectful demeanor to control the game, players will follow his direction. However, if a player insists on not listening to the referee and showing disrespect for the game, then the referee should show him the yellow card and caution him. When the referee takes preventive steps to help a player behave and he still ends up being cautioned, there will be little or no complaint because the referee gave the player a fair chance.

(See page 36 in the 2011-12 AYSO FIFA Laws of the Game).

September 15, 2011

In a blowout game where one team keeps scoring, should the referee decide to shorten the game when it is evident that it is not fun anymore?

Answer:In AYSO, we try hard to have Balanced Teams to help the players enjoy competitive games. However, one of the beauties of this game is that on any given day, any team can end up scoring a lot of goals. In AYSO, we also support and teach Good Sportsmanship, and a blowout situation provides the opportunity for the winning coach to try different things and have his team work on new skills, which will also help the losing team maintain their enthusiasm about the game. What we don't support in AYSO is to have teams completely stop scoring goals, as it only penalizes a team for accomplishing what it has been trained to do.

An example of something that the winning coach can try is moving the player(s) who are scoring a lot of goals into defense. This will help the scorer to have an appreciation for the efforts of the defenders, as well as learn how to play defense himself. Another tactic the coach can try is to ask his players to make at least three to five consecutive passes before they can take a shot. This exercise will help the winning team improve their ball-possession skills, which will come in handy when they play in tougher games.

Two valuable lessons for players are learning how to deal with challenging teams and learning how to respond with a positive attitude in a tough situation. Perhaps the losing team may end up having a bad game day, but at the next couple of practices the coach can teach the players skills and values that will improve their ability to play against better teams. In addition, the coach can teach the players about working hard, developing different attacking and defending options, trying different team tactics, and how to react positively when losing a game.

September 8, 2011

I completed the referee course and will start refereeing in a couple of weeks. How should I prepare?

Answer:Thank you to all of our referees, both those who recently got certified as well as those returning. There are a lot of things that all referees can do to prepare for refereeing, and the list, "Ten Things Referees Can Do to Prepare for the Season," contains 10 tips to help you get started.

Preparing to referee should become an automatic routine, one that includes key steps that provide review, confirmation of knowledge, awareness and self-confidence. The average referee becomes a good referee when he prepares to successfully conduct a game.

(See page 27, section 5.14 in the 2010-11 USSF Advice to Referees).

September 1, 2011

A blue defender commits an offense inside his own penalty area, which is punishable with an indirect free kick, but the referee awards a penalty kick to the red team, who score a goal. Before restarting the game with a kickoff for the blue team, the assistant referee informs the referee of the wrong decision and gets him to change his call. Is this correct?

Answer: If the referee still believes that his decision to stop play for a direct free kick offense is correct, even after considering the assistant referee's input, then he should maintain his decision and restart the game with a kickoff for the blue team. If the referee realizes that his decision was incorrect and the offense should have been punishable with an indirect free kick, then the referee may change his decision because the game has not yet been properly restarted. In this case, the referee should restart the game with an indirect free kick for the red team inside the blue team's penalty area where the offense occurred. The referee may consider explaining the change of the decision to both coaches with a sense of responsibility and professionalism which will earn him respect from both teams. The key is to make the right decision to keep the officiating fair, even when the process looks bad.

Changing a decision under this circumstance is based on the established principle that correcting a wrongly announced decision, even after the restart is taken (but before a subsequent restart is taken), is consistent with the Spirit of the Law and the fact that the restart taken by the player was not valid. If the referee changes the restart, it is appropriate to make sure both teams have adjusted and are ready before the whistle is blown to restart play.

To avoid this situation the referee and assistant referees need to have good communication. In this case the assistant referee should get the referee's attention as soon as he sees the signal for a penalty kick, which was an incorrect restart. He could have talked to the referee or even walked to the referee to make sure the proper restart was awarded. Referees need to include the scenario of wrong decisions and what to do about them in the pregame conference.

(See page 27, section 5.14 in the 2010-2011 USSF Advice to Referees).

August 25, 2011

Should a referee whistle to restart play after an offense?

Answer: The referee does not have to whistle to restart play after an offense. However, he must whistle for the following game scenarios:

To stop play for an offense resulting in a free kick or penalty kick.

To stop play when each half or extra period ends.

To stop play when a match must be suspended or abandoned.

For the taking of a penalty kick.

To restart play after delaying a restart to allow a substitution.

To start or restart play with a kick off for the first half, second half and after a goal is scored.

To restart play at free kicks when the referee has had to manage the required distance, also known as managing "the wall."

To restart play after it has been stopped to issue a caution or a send off.

To restart play after it has been stopped to check on an injured player.

Except where required, the referee should keep whistling to a minimum and only when he needs to get the players' attention to clarify a decision as in the following examples:

When a goal is scored and the ball goes back into the field of play.

To indicate a goal kick or throw-in when the ball leaves the field of play and goes back in.

To emphasize which team gets a throw-in when it is not clear to them and they start challenging for the ball or the incorrect team attempts to take a quick throw-in.

August 18, 2011

Should a referee intimidate players to control the game?

Answer: Intimidation may gain some game control, but in the long run it just ruins the game for the players and others, including the referee. A referee should use positive influence to control the game. The 10 Referee Personality Traits That Help Control Games describes referee personality traits that you can use to control games with good results. Before every game, be sure to bring out and use your best traits in support of the players and others in the game because in AYSO, it's about more than the game!

August 11, 2011

What is a good process for recovering from a situation where I don't make a call when it was really needed?

Answer:

The first thing we must accept and manage with composure is that referees are human and will make mistakes. Everyone, including referees, players, coaches and parents, needs to embrace this human behavior of weakness as part of the beautiful game. The emotional stress for the referee caused by making a mistake can be minor, as in a situation where he misses a careless foul in the middle of the field of play. But the stress can also be significant, as in a situation where he misses a foul in the penalty area which requires a penalty kick and a send off for a player that denied a goal-scoring opportunity.

When the referee realizes too late that he made a mistake, the primary objective is to concentrate back on the game in order to avoid making additional mistakes. Continuing to think about a mistake will only lead to more mistakes. Here is a series of steps that a referee can take to return concentrate to the game:

Acknowledge the mistake briefly and quickly. Say to the player who was fouled or the captain, "I'm sorry I missed that one and I will pay more attention. Thank you." Then move on. This will get you respect from the players.

Ask yourself a series of questions that will help you concentrate on the game. Examples: "What is the score?" "How many minutes are left in the game?" "Is one team dominating more than the other? If yes, what do I need to do?" "Are there any players who are close to getting in trouble because of their behavior?"

Asking these questions will make you think about what you need to do and before you know it, you will be concentrating on the game again.

In the pre-game discussion ask the assistant referees (ARs) to pay extra attention to the game and help you manage it if they see that you lose concentration after missing a significant call.

Ask the ARs to get your attention and help you get back your concentration. If needed have them talk to you and "wake you up."

After the game is over, analyze the mistakes and identify options that can be used in future games to avoid the mistakes.

Contact an assessor, instructor or more experienced referee, to mentor you and help you identify options for doing better in future games.

All of us need to be supportive of referees when they make mistakes and we can do it by taking the following actions:

The coaches from both teams should ask their players to respect the referee and focus on playing. Example: "Keep playing and respect the referee. Thank you."

Parents should continue to cheer on their players and not say anything thing to the referee.

At the next break or end the game, offer the referee water, thank him for being there and do not mention a thing about the mistake.

ARs can take on more responsibility and help manage the game while the referee recovers from the mistake.

August 4, 2011

What is the correct position for the assistant referee when the goalkeeper is about to punt the ball?

Answer:

When a goalkeeper is about to punt the ball, the assistant referee (AR) has two key objectives. These are to assist the referee in managing infringements by the goalkeeper and to get in position to evaluate offside. The AR should take the following steps to achieve these objectives:

Get in position with the penalty area line, which is parallel to the goal line. This position will allow the AR to check if the goalkeeper handles the ball outside his penalty area.

As soon as the goalkeeper punts the ball, the AR should move to the position where he can judge offside.

If the goalkeeper releases the ball other than by a long punt, like dropping and dribbling it, the AR should remain close to the goalkeeper's position. This will allow the AR to judge a second possession by the goalkeeper.

If it is obvious that the goalkeeper is not in a position to handle the ball outside of his penalty area, like punting the ball from within the goal area, the AR may move earlier to the position for judging offside. An example of this situation is presented in the image below. The red team's goalkeeper is punting the ball from a place close to his goal area. The AR moved to a position where he can judge offside but he is still close where he can adjust his position to judge infringements by the goalkeeper.

July 28, 2011

In a game with unlimited substitution, the blue team requests to sub blue #7 when the referee awards a goal kick for the blue team. The referee signals for the substitute blue #11 to enter the field of play, and he does. Blue #7 who has not left the field of play strikes an opponent after blue #11 entered the field of play. The referee sent off blue #7. Should the blue team play short?

Answer:

The referee did not follow the proper substitution procedure. The substitution procedure requires that the replaced player leaves the field of play before the substitute enters the field of play.

However, the referee authorized the substitution when he signaled for the substitute to enter the field of play. When blue #11 entered the field of play, he became a player and blue #7 became a substituted player. The referee was correct in sending off blue #7 for violent conduct when he struck an opponent with the use of excessive force. However, the blue team does not have to play short because the substitution process was completed and blue #7 was no longer a player when the violent conduct incident occurred. The referee should explain his decision to the captains and coaches if needed to provide clarity, and restart play with the goal kick for the blue team.

To avoid confusion, the referee and assistant referees should pay close attention and follow the substitution process as defined in the Laws of the Game. The assistant referee can prevent the substitute from entering the field until the player to be replaced has left the field of play. The substitution process is another example of the importance of teamwork for the referee team.

(See pages 16 and 35 in the 2010-2011 AYSO FIFA Laws of the Game)

July 21, 2011

In the final game of the Women's World Cup, there were several kicks from the penalty mark. Is a penalty kick or a kick from the penalty mark considered illegal because of feinting to kick the ball?

Answer:

Feinting in the run-up to take a penalty kick to confuse opponents is permitted as part of soccer. However, feinting to kick the ball once the player has completed his run-up is considered an infringement of Law 14 and an act of unsporting behavior for which the player must be cautioned.

If a goal is scored as a result of illegally feinting to kick the ball after completing the run-up for a penalty kick, the referee should:

Show the yellow card to the kicker

Caution the kicker for unsporting behavior

Have the kicking team retake the penalty kick

If there is no goal scored as a result of illegally feinting to kick the ball after completing the run-up, the referee should:

Stop play

Show the yellow card to the kicker

Caution the kicker for unsporting behavior

Restart the game with an indirect free kick for the defending team

For a kick from the penalty mark, it counts as a miss

This video, courtesy of USSF, provides eight examples of penalty kicks with descriptions and explanations why they are either legal or illegal.

(See page 124 in the 2010-11 AYSO FIFA Laws of the Game).

July 14, 2011

Can a coach change a player just before the start of the game?

Answer:

Yes, the coach may replace a player with a named substitute. However, the coach needs to notify the referee before changing the player. If the player is replaced before the start of a match without notifying the referee, then he must show the yellow card to the player and caution him for entering the field of play without the permission of the referee. This act is considered to be an improper manipulation of the roster, rather than a substitution, and does not count as a substitution.

Referees should always look for ways to help coaches and players avoid misconduct. Assistant referees are encouraged to carefully check the players who will start the game and then confirm that no replacements were made before starting the match. If an assistant referee or the referee notices that a named substitute has entered the field or wants to enter the field to replace a player before the start of the game, he should immediately team up with the coach to help him make the necessary corrections.

July 7, 2011

Can you share more about the U.S. referee team in the Women's World Cup?

Answer:

The U.S. referee team of Kari Seitz, Marlene Duffy, and Veronica Perez has delivered a strong presence with their opportunity to officiate at the Women's World Cup (WC). In their second match, Seitz delivered a respected performance with her officiating and earned recognition from players, coaches and spectators.

This video takes you to the highlights of the Brazil vs. Norway game. Seitz demonstrated simple but effective refereeing skills while conducting a match at the highest level of the game.

0:07 - Seitz's self-confidence and readiness to enjoy the game are projected by her smile as she picks up the game ball, and again when the captains exchange banners. This level of confidence and joy with the game influences players to relax and feel that the referee will take care of business. In AYSO, referees should connect with the coaches, players and parents in similar ways, always enjoying the experience.

0:20 - The Norway attacker dribbles the ball into a Brazilian defender and loses some control. She ends up tripping herself when she makes contact with the Brazilian player's foot. The Norway player's fall looks dramatic so people could easily perceive it to be a foul. Seitz is within 8 yards of the incident with a clear view so she recognizes that there is no foul and allows play to continue. When the Norway player gets up, she says nothing. It is critical for referees to be close to play so their decisions will be accepted by players and others.

0:25 - Brazil's Marta is dribbling towards the Norway goal and makes contact with a defender who goes down as she continues to dribble and scores a goal. In the WC, where the players have the highest level of technical, physical and mental skills, Marta's contact is incidental as she is trying to get around the defender. Unfortunately for the Norway defender, she was a bit clumsy in her running, moving forward feeling the pressure behind her from the best player in the world, looking backwards and losing view of the ball, so the slight contact made her go down. Seitz recoveres and is within 10 yards, with a clear view, and courageously allows play to continue which results in a beautiful goal. When referees make good decisions from the start, and they are close to play to be convincing, they influence players and others to accept the tough decisions.

1:43 - Norway's defense makes a mistake and Brazil collects the ball and scores a goal. As the play develops into a goal scored by Brazil, Seitz quickly gets within 12 yards of play and in a position to have a clear view, as there are several players in the penalty area. It is important to have fitness to keep up with play, the ability to read the game and position yourself in the best place to see the action, in order to make good decisions.

Seitz and her team projected great confidence, stamped the game with their presence, made good decisions throughout the game and displayed the fun they had officiating the game. This type of refereeing performance influences players to play fair and allows them to bring out their best skills with the end result being a low foul count. "Kudos" to the U.S. referee team.

June 30, 2011

What can AYSO referees look for in the Women's World Cup?

Answer:

The FIFA Women's World Cup Germany 2011 (WC) kicked off with great games last weekend. The FIFA Referees and Assistant Referees (ARs) will have ample opportunities to officiate games with high level play. Women's WC games bring the same passion and talent as the Men's WC games. The referees must be ready to manage gamesmanship, help players elevate their game to deliver their best skills in support of their team's objective and share their unique talents to entertain the world.

The U.S. referee team will be well represented by Kari Seitz, Marlene Duffy, and Veronica Perez. With intense preparation, they earned an invitation to the WC. Their final test was at the Algarve Cup played in Portugal in March 2011, where they passed all of the fitness, written, psychological and other tests to earn their invitation to the WC!

The link referenced here, Watch to learn more about their experience at the Algarve Cup, takes you to the video where all three of them share their experience in the Algarve Cup.

Kari's first WC assignment was the France vs. Nigeria game. France beat Nigeria 1-0.

Here we can see highlights of the U.S. referees officiating that apply to the WC, as well as AYSO games.

0:22 - Kari is effectively trailing players as France attacks, "boxing play" between her and AR2 Veronica.

0:41 - Veronica is concentrated on the activity inside the goal area, ready to assist the referee, as France attacks and hits the goal post.

0:59 - France starts a counter attack and Kari is 15 yards away, moving fast. By the time the French player takes a shot on goal, Kari is 10 yards away, and Veronica is in good position, in line with the next-to-the-last-defender. It is a good example of their level of fitness!

1:45 - When the French player scores, Kari is on top of the Penalty Area with an open look at all of the players, and maintains good positioning.

1:56 - At the end of the game, both teams are satisfied with the US referee team's performance! Nigerians are regrouping instead of protesting; both coaches exchange words while smiling; and the referee team influenced players to display sportsmanship and supportive behavior, without having to use cards.

The USA referee team was the first one to receive their next WWC assignment, Brazil vs. Norway on July 3, a high profile game! We know they will do well and make us proud!

June 23, 2011

I was the referee conducting kicks from the penalty mark in a U-14 boys game. Blue #12 kicked the ball before I gave the signal for the penalty kick to be taken and sent the ball over the crossbar. After I admonished blue #12, I asked him to retake the kick and he scored. The red team's coach argued that I should have not allowed blue #12 to retake the kick because he missed the first kick. Was the coach correct?

Answer:

The player taking a penalty kick (PK) must wait for the referee to signal before kicking the ball. The referee must use the whistle to restart play for penalty kicks. If the PK is taken before the referee signals, the kick must be retaken regardless of the outcome of the first kick. In this scenario, you were correct in having blue #12 retake the kick. In AYSO, we often have to use the procedure kicks from the penalty mark to determine the winner of a match, therefore, we recommend that referees review the process which is fully described on pages 50 and 51 of the AYSO FIFA Laws of the Game.

(See pages 41 and 76 in the 2011 AYSO FIFA Laws of the Game and 73 in the USSF Advice to Referees on the Laws of the Game)

June 16, 2011

Is slide tackling allowed in AYSO?

Answer:

Making local rules in the presumed interest of safety seems well-intentioned on the surface, but careful consideration must be given to the overall effect of the local rule and whether or not it is permissible per the Laws of the Game. Slide tackling is a skill that players develop over time and it is allowed in AYSO.

Slide tackling is a sideways slide that attempts to knock the ball away from the opponent's feet. The referee must judge whether the tackle by an opponent is fair or whether it is careless, reckless, or involves the use of excessive force. For example, if the player making a fair slide tackle subsequently lifts his leg to cause the opponent to fall, then he is committing a foul.

Referees should look for the following player actions when evaluating a fair slide tackle.

Commits to the slide, looking at the ball and not the opponent.

Slides on one side of his body.

Leads with one leg. If he slides on his left side, he leads with the right leg, extending the foot toward the ball, while the left leg is bent at approximately 90-degree angle.

Leans partway down on the side of the leg as sliding in a more upright position will allow the player to spring up after the slide.

Makes contact with the ball first.

Knocks the ball far out of reach away from his goal or tapping it more gently if he is attempting to gain possession.

Uses his left arm and left leg to quickly get up from the ground and get on his way.

The video clip linked below, courtesy of USSF, is an example of a correct slide tackle.

This is a fair, sliding tackle and no foul should be called.

In this tackle there is no unfair contact by white #2 with black #7.

Black #7 falls over white #2's leg after the ball has been cleared.

Players' awareness of one another.

Black #7 knows that white #2 is near and close to reach the ball.

White #2 commits himself to the tackle, looking at the ball.

Black #7 is expecting this tackle and his foot is not on the ball as white #2 makes contact with the ball.

Players' reactions – no one looks to the referee expecting a call.

Everyone knows/senses that this has been a fair challenge.

In games with older or more experienced kids, referees should expect players to develop and use slide tackles in situations similar to this one.

Referees should read play and get into a proper position to judge the fairness of tackles similar to this one.

(See pages 17 in the 2011 AYSO Guidance for Referees and Coaches, and 13 in the 2011 AYSO National Referee Program.)

June 9, 2011

In the last couple of games, I had assistant referees (AR) make mistakes that showed poor communication. In a U-14 girls game, the goalkeeper took a goal kick that went directly to two teammates who were 10-15 yards behind the opponents and the AR raised his flag to signal offside. In a U-16 boys game, the AR raised and quickly dropped the flag for a foul committed by the defenders where advantage was obvious. In both of these cases and others, I allowed play to continue as appropriate. Please help me deal with these ARs.

Answer:

The scenarios you have described demonstrate the need for better understanding of the Laws and better communication between the referee and the assistant referees. The referee team must have a pre-game conference to discuss AR duties, signals to be used and other game related topics. The AYSO Basic Referee Summary Sheet provides the information that should be discussed during the referee team's pregame conference.

We will continue to address this topic in future editions of Whistle Stop but for now, the referee team should discuss at a minimum the following items.

The pre-game activities for the referee team

AR positioning at restarts and during dynamic play

AR signals for fouls, including penalty kicks

When the AR should help the referee with foul recognition

Suggestion - "As the referee, if I'm close to and looking straight at the play, I get first shot at deciding fouls. If I have a doubt, I will take a look at you and that means I'm asking you if you have seen a foul. If yes, please give the signal for foul."

What the ARs should do for incidents not seen by the referee

What the ARs should do when a goal is scored

What to do in case of possible offside situations

Who will keep record of the game

What to do and who will do it during the substitution breaks

Game officials are at different levels of knowledge and experience and a great number are at the entry level. The pre-game conference provides a great opportunity for experienced referees to help others. Good teamwork is best started by the referee when he connects with the ARs to make them feel comfortable working together and providing input (signals) during the game. Then the referee should support the ARs throughout the game and thank them in a visible manner when they make good decisions. Halftime or post-game is a good time to remind everyone, in a mentoring way, that there is no offside on a goal kick. Referee teamwork starts and continues with a good human connection.

June 2, 2011

How many different-color referee uniforms should I have?

Answer:

There are a wide variety of colors for referee uniforms which can make it financially challenging for referees to have a full set of uniforms. This large selection of colors also makes it challenging for referee teams to dress up for games in a consistent manner that will project professionalism. Here is a list of recommendations to help Regions and their referees select and purchase uniforms that will help minimize costs and facilitate consistency.

The primary color for shirts is gold (yellow).

Alternate colors include black, blue, red and green.

Referee teams can wear alternate colors as long as all three have the same color, preferably from the same manufacturer.

Consider weather conditions where you officiate, cold vs. hot.

Include uniform discussions in the planning phase of tournaments.

It is okay to initiate referees with a "Starter Kit".

Use uniforms to influence the motivation of referees. Example: Regions can provide alternate color shirts to thank them.

Do not use fines related to uniform situations to deploy discipline. Example: fine referees if they are not properly dressed 30 minutes before the start of the game.

Evaluate options, make selections and inform all referees before they go out and purchase uniforms so they can spend their money on uniforms that align with everyone else in the Region. Make it easy for referees to have the proper referee dress code.

May 26, 2011

When referees are watching their peers officiate, are they allowed to make comments to the coaches about the referee's performance?

Answer:

Referees are expected to project professionalism and be AYSO role models at all times. This includes being supportive of peers on and off the field of play, respecting their decisions, and not criticizing them. Sometimes coaches ask referees about another official's decisions because they want to understand and learn more about the game. In this case, respectfully and always basing answers on the Laws of the Game, any referee can help a coach understand decisions by providing general information, emphasizing support for the official's opinion and the fact that they are focused on and closer to the play. But other times coaches are frustrated with the game outcome and they try to project their misdirected passion for the game at the officials. In this case it is best not to engage in discussions of other official's decisions as the coach is not prepared to understand or learn about the game. To help you avoid negative circumstances, please consider the following recommendations.

When you are watching a game do not wear the referee uniform.

Do not make any comments about the referee's performance to anyone.

Do not make any comments about the coach's behavior.

If you are coaching a team, be supportive of the referee's decisions.

If you notice other people demonstrate negative behavior, remind them of the AYSO values and concepts such as Good Sportsmanship and the Kids Zone.

Our conduct as referees is a reflection of AYSO so we THANK YOU for making it the best to help parents and volunteers have a great experience.

May 19, 2011

Last week you discussed player dissent. What about coach dissent?

Answer:

Excellent question! Just like with player dissent, there is so much to discuss and not enough space to share it all in one edition of Whistle Stop. There are some coaches in AYSO that have moments of weakness and dissent towards the referees. The great news though, is that referees have an opportunity to help these coaches join the AYSO team and project our AYSO values.

Let us say it again, dissent is very negative and destructive to the game of soccer, and therefore there should be zero tolerance for it.

The referee should only take action against coaches for irresponsible behavior or for actions that bring the game into disrepute. A coach may not be cautioned or sent off, nor shown any card, however, at the discretion of the referee, he may warn him regarding his behavior or expel him from the field of play and its immediate area and document the incident in the game's report.

Last week's Whistle Stop described dissent and the factors to consider in identifying it correctly. In dealing with dissent and when circumstances permit it, officials should use an escalating approach so that the referee team's responses match the nature of the coach's behavior. Try to use the least intrusive response that will solve the problem.

The process "Ask, Tell, Remove" described in section 5.10 of the USSF Advice to Referees on the Laws of the Game is effective and recommended in dealing with negative conduct by the coach. The objective for the referee team should be to remind a dissenting coach about the responsibilities related to the AYSO team, parent/coach/referee, in a manner that helps the coach remember and project AYSO values.

The list, Game Management - 10 Tips to Help You Deal With Coach Dissent, provides the recommended steps that the referee can take to help a coach rejoin the AYSO team and support the AYSO philosophies.

(See page 25 in the USSF Advice to Referees on the Laws of the Game).

May 12, 2011

What is player dissent and when should the referee deal with it?

Answer:

Dissent is very negative and destructive to the game of soccer, and therefore there should be zero tolerance for it. That is, referees should deal with dissent right away as it is easier to manage it when it first shows up.

In future editions of Whistle Stop we will continue to address dissent because there are so many examples to share and various techniques for preventing and managing dissent. Dissent is committed by word or action, including gestures, when the words or gestures directly challenge the authority of the referee or assistant referees, actively dispute an official's decision, or are likely to be taken up by a widening circle of other players. Players as well as substitutes can be cautioned for committing dissent.

The referee needs to deal with dissent to support and maintain respect for the spirit of the game, maintain respect for the authority of the officials, and to eliminate the risk that other players will get frustrated and start dissenting, as dissent is contagious. The referee should evaluate dissent in terms of content (what exactly is said or done), loudness (the extent to which the dissent can be seen or heard widely), and whether it is clearly directed at an official (including assistant referees and fourth officials). Evaluating player behavior in this manner will help the referee recognize the difference between dissent which is an affront to the referees' authority, and an emotional response due to frustration which can usually be managed by a respectful but firm word from the referee.

The clip below, courtesy of USSF, provides an example of clear visual dissent. The white player is dribbling and shielding the ball near the touchline when red #12 pushes him in the back. The referee correctly awards a direct free kick to the white team, which frustrates red #12 so he picks up the ball and, with both hands, slams it hard into the ground as a sign of dissent. In this case, red #12 should be shown the yellow card and cautioned for dissent in a public and visual manner.

However, the referee in this clip does nothing and creates the risk that red #12 and others players will continue to dissent throughout the rest of the game. This will make it difficult to manage the match and potentially have a negative impact on the safe, fair and fun factors of the game. The list, "Game Management - Ten Tips To Help You Deal With Dissent" provides tips that will help the referee manage dissent.

(See pages 21, 25, and 66 in the 2010-11 AYSO FIFA Laws of the Game and page 57 in the USSF Advice to Referees on the Laws of the Game).

May 05, 2011

In a U-16 girls game, blue #2 kicked red #78 as she challenged for the ball. As the assistant referee (AR), I yelled, "Play on," because the ball went to red #17, but the referee blew the whistle. Can the AR call advantage?

Answer:

Only the referee may invoke and apply advantage. The assistant referee (AR) may use the concept of "advantage" to determine if a signal is needed by the referee for offenses committed out of the view of the referee. If the AR believes that "advantage" should be applied, he should keep the flag down and continue running with the play. However, the referee makes the decision to call or to not call a foul, to apply advantage or to consider the action a trifling violation.

ARs need to understand the foul recognition that the referee is applying so their assistance with fouls can be on the same page. It is recommended that ARs look at the incidents that the referee determines to be fouls, and those that he determines to be trifling or no fouls. If, in the opinion of the AR, the referee needs to call more or fewer fouls, he can communicate this to the referee with the subtle signal that was agreed to in the pre-game discussion. As always, the referee decides how to act on the AR's input.

(See pages 21, 25, and 66 in the 2010-11 AYSO FIFA Laws of the Game).

April 28, 2011

Some referees interpret fouls differently when they happen after a play or pass is made. When I am in the middle of the field and I get fouled after I pass the ball, the referee almost always calls the foul. However, when a forward takes a shot on goal and gets fouled after, some referees don't call the foul even when the ball goes over the goal. Why the difference?

Answer:

Any of the seven offenses listed under the Direct Free Kicks section of Law 12 may become a foul if they are committed in a manner considered by the referee to be careless, reckless or using excessive force. In addition, for the offense to be considered a foul it must be committed by a player, it must occur on the field of play and it must occur while the ball is in play. For a given foul, the referee may decide to apply advantage if the fouled player's team keeps possession of the ball with a good chance for an attack on the opponent's goal.

However, fouls should be interpreted in the same manner regardless of the position on the field. This is easier said than done because refereeing involves knowledge, experience and mental and emotional skills. Sometimes, inexperienced referees feel the pressure or lose courage to apply the same foul interpretation as the attackers get closer to the opponents' goal line. Recognition and proper management of fouls gets easier and more effective as the referee gets more experience, continues to participate in training sessions, gets mentored and becomes a better student of the game. When a referee has a moment of weakness we all have to jump in and support him, which will encourage him to improve.

(See pages 21, 32, 66 and 109 in the 2010-11 AYSO FIFA Laws of the Game).

April 21, 2011

In a U-19 girls game with monitored ("free") substitution, the referee forced a red team substitute to wait until the player to be substituted left the field of play before she could enter the pitch. Should the referee allow the new red team player entering the field of play to take her position before restarting the game?

Answer:

Monitored substitution is allowed in AYSO for U-16 and U-19 age groups, which means substitutions need not occur at pre-set intervals, provided a system is in place which will ensure that every participant plays at least one half of every game. Except as provided by the rules of the competition (Section, Area, Region or tournament/event rules), monitored substitution for U-16 and U-19 games may occur only at a stoppage in the match with the referee's permission. The referee should allow a replacement goalkeeper to reach a reasonable playing position before restarting the game. For all other players, the referee should consider the fair and fun principles and, applying common sense, wait until the entering player is at least in the general area of his playing position. It is not necessary to wait for the entering player to assume the exact position on the field occupied by the player he replaced.

(See page 25 in the 2011-12 National Referee Program manual and page 8 in the 2011 Guidance for Referees, Coaches, Other Volunteers & Parents).

April 14, 2011

In a U-14 girls game, red player #7 made a long pass up the field. The ball deflected off the assistant referee, who at the time was on the field of play running to stay in line with the second-to-last defender, and remained on the field of play. Should I have called the ball out of play when it touched the assistant referee?

Answer:

The ball is out of play when it has wholly crossed the goal line or touch line, whether on the ground or in the air, or when play has been stopped by the referee. The ball is in play at all other times, including when it rebounds off the officials when they are on the field of play. Therefore, in this scenario the referee should allow play to continue when the ball rebounded off the assistant referee because he was on the field of play.

Assistant referees and referees should make an effort to stay out of the way of the ball in order to avoid impacting the outcome of the game. Assistant referees should continuously check the ground to make sure they are running outside the field of play.

(See page 29 in the 2010-11 AYSO FIFA Laws of the Game).

April 07, 2011

My game went into overtime and one of the coaches did not play all of his players during the extra periods. I was challenged by the other team to make the coach play all of his players, but I was not sure about what to do, so I did nothing. Is the referee responsible for making the coach play all of his players in overtime?

Answer:

No, the referee is not responsible for this decision during overtime periods. Except as noted in Article I.C.3, all eligible team members in attendance at AYSO games must play at least half of the game, but this does not include overtime. Therefore, there is no requirement to give every player the opportunity to play during the overtime periods. However, in AYSO we encourage the coaches and referees to team up and provide opportunities for kids to play as much as possible.

For example, we encourage the "Three Quarter Rule," which means no player on a team should play four quarters in a given game unless all players can play at least three quarters. In a similar manner, we encourage coaches to allow all the team players to play at least one of the overtime periods.

When teams go into overtime periods, it gets challenging for the coach to track and balance player participation along with all the other tasks they perform. Recruiting and empowering an assistant coach can help track player participation and provide them with playing opportunities. The assistant referees can also help track player participation, and if asked, can assist the coach in identifying who has not played in the overtime periods. The more playing time the kids get, the better.

(See pages 7 and 22 in the 2011 AYSO Guidance for Referees, Coaches, Volunteers and Parents).

March 31, 2011

Do girls commit less fouls and misconduct than boys?

Answer:

Soccer is a beautiful game which generates the same passion for everyone who plays it regardless of gender! As the kids get older, girls teams average less fouls than boys. However, they will commit the same types of fouls and misconducts as boys when their passion is misdirected. The attached video clip, courtesy of USSF, shows an example of misconduct.

White player #3 controls the ball with her back to blue player #9 who proceeds to foul white player #3 first by hitting her in the back with her hip and then pushing her down to the ground. Another blue player then lands on top of white player #3's legs as she barely kicks the ball to a teammate. This frustrates white player #3, so she gets up and retaliates by deliberately stepping on blue player #9.This action, when seen by the referee, is determined by the referee to be violent conduct because the player deliberately drives her cleat/foot into the opponent.

The referee seems to have the incident in his sight-lines, but he must refrain from the tendency to merely follow the ball.This tendency can help the white player get away with committing the violent conduct because the ball goes to another white player. Because the white team maintains possession, the referee allows play to continue and takes his eyes away from the players before the incident happens. To deceive the referee, white player #3 steps on the opponent in a subtle manner, looking away from the blue players and disguising her action as an attempt to jump out of the path of the opponent, while naturally following the play action.

This type of misconduct is not very common and is done in a subtle and quick manner, which makes it very challenging for referees to identify and manage it. Referees should consider the following when dealing with similar offenses:

Girls will commit the same fouls and misconducts as boys; respect female players and don't underestimate them.

Players will feel extra hurt and frustration when they are pushed to the ground or fouled by two opponents.

After an incident, get close to the players, keep your eyes on them for a couple of seconds, and look for possible retaliation.

A strong whistle, verbalization and physical presence can be used as preventative tools.

If there is no clear opportunity for a promising attack, call the foul to prevent further offenses and, if needed, deal with misconduct.

(See pages 35 and 66 in the 2010-11 AYSO FIFA Laws of the Game).

March 24, 2011

Red player #10 was fouled a couple of times by different blue team players. When the blue team continued to foul red player #10, I cautioned the next two blue players as I interpreted it to be persistent infringement. May I send off the next player that fouls #10?

Answer:

A player is sent off if he/she he commits any of the seven "red card" offences listed in Law 12 under the "Sending-off offenses" section. Persistent infringement is not one of them. The deliberate fouling of the same opponent by different players is considered persistent infringement of the Laws of the Game. A player is cautioned and shown the yellow card if he is guilty of committing persistent infringement.

We recommend that the referee take a few extra seconds to deliver a firm message to the guilty player when the first caution for persistent infringement is given. The guilty player's team and coach need to understand the gravity of the situation and potential consequences. The referee could say "I know what you are doing and you need to stop now. We need to keep the game safe for everyone." Pause and then ask the player "Do you understand?" which will help get acknowledgement, and then say "Thank you."

If more players commit persistent infringement then the referee has to continue cautioning individual players as a team may not be cautioned for persistent infringement. Any player who has already been cautioned and is cautioned again should be sent off by the referee for receiving a second caution within the same game.

(See pages 34 and 35 in the 2010-2011 AYSO FIFA Laws of the Game).

March 17, 2011

I was watching a game and the assistant coach for the blue team was yelling at the referee. At the next stoppage of play the referee walked over to the blue team's coach, who was not doing anything wrong, and said to him "You're responsible for the conduct of your team members so you're gone." and he dismissed the coach. Is this right?

Answer:

The referee has the power/authority to expel team officials, including coaches, who fail to conduct themselves in a responsible manner. In this scenario, the team official who was not conducting himself in a responsible manner was the assistant coach. Therefore, expelling the coach was incorrect because he was not doing anything wrong and was a potential ally to the referee team. Allowing the assistant coach to remain on the field was wrong and created a risk because he could have escalated his behavior to a higher level of negativity.

In AYSO we strongly encourage and support Positive Coaching and Good Sportsmanship and we have zero tolerance for negative behavior which is targeted at kids, referees, coaches, volunteers, and/or parents/spectators. In similar scenarios we recommend that the referee manage the situation by taking the following steps.

Connect with the coaching staff from both teams before the game starts to help the strengthen the relationship and support the referee's actions during the game.

Team up with the coach who is responsible for sideline behavior, and is behaving properly, and ask him/her to dismiss the assistant coach.

The referee can say "Your assistant coach's behavior has become a negative impact to the game. Please ask him to leave the field premises. Thank you."

Walk away and give the coach a reasonable amount of time to send the assistant coach away, around one to two minutes, so it can be seen that the assistant coach was asked to leave and that he/she is walking away from the field. Normally this action resolves the problem.

Wait until the assistant coach is away from the field to restart the game because if you restart it before he/she is gone, then he/she may stop and quietly go back to the team's bench area.

If after waiting a reasonable time the assistant coach decides not to leave, go to the coach and say "Your assistant coach has to leave now or I will abandon the match. Thank you."

If the assistant coach does not leave after a reasonable amount of time, explain to everyone that you will now terminate the game, will report the incident, thank the players and coaches, and end the game.

It is challenging to abandon a match because of negative behavior on the part of a team's coach or assistant coach but we must ensure an environment that is safe, fair and fun for our players and parents. In AYSO, referees seldom have to take this action but when it is needed, it must be done.

(See page 22 in the 2010-2011 AYSO FIFA Laws of the Game).

March 10, 2011

In class, the instructor said that advantage may only be applied to infringements of Law 12. However, sometimes referees wave down a flag for offside (Law 11) and allow play to continue. During the taking of a penalty kick (Law 14) when a defending player encroaches, if the kicker scores, the referee applies advantage and allows the goal to count. What am I missing?

Answer:

Related to the Laws of the Game, it is important for referees to use the correct vocabulary and apply the correct concepts so we can deliver consistent and effective officiating. The word advantage appears a few times in different sections of the Laws of the Game but the concept of applying Advantage, a power given to the referee by Law 5, can only be applied to Law 12.

Regarding Law 11, a player in an offside position is only penalized if he is, in the opinion of the referee, involved in active play by interfering with play, interfering with an opponent, or gaining an advantage by being in an offside position. When a referee waves the flag down it is because in his/her opinion the conditions required for an offside infraction, offside position and involvement in active play, have not been met. A common example is when the ball, last touched by an attacker, gets to the defending goalkeeper who takes control of it before an attacking player in an offside position can get to it.

Regarding Law 14, during the taking of a penalty kick when the kicker scores, infringements by defending players should be considered trifling which should not be penalized.

Therefore, the application of Advantage is not relevant to infringements of Laws 11 or 14 and it should only be applied to infringements of Law 12.

(See page 31 and 42 in the 2010-2011 AYSO FIFA Laws of the Game).

March 03, 2011

In a U-19 boys game, the referee awards a direct free kick to the blue team and blue player #6 who will take the kick, asks for 10 yards. The referee tells him to wait for the whistle signal and starts directing the defensive players to the right distance. The attacker kicks the ball before the referee's signal and it goes over the goal. What should the referee do?

Answer:

The whistle signal is required for free kick ceremonial restarts where the referee has delayed the restart to order back the line of defensive players, or the "wall", to the appropriate distance. Because the game was not restarted properly, regardless of the result of the original kick, the referee should restart the game with the direct free kick for the blue team.

However, the action by blue player #6 generated a game control risk and the referee should deal with it. By kicking the ball before the referee's signal the blue player delayed the restart and will probably take a similar action with future free kicks if not properly managed. This action will also get the opponents frustrated, potentially provoking confrontation, and they may end up committing misconduct if the referee does not manage the situation.

In this scenario, the referee should immediately let everyone feel that he/she is in control. The referee should provide a firm warning to blue player #6 by verbalizing, "Wait for my signal and don't play the ball. Do you understand? Thank you," proceed to move the defensive players away the appropriate distance, and then signal for the restart with the whistle. The referee must manage this situation the first time it happens or most, if not all, subsequent free kicks will be challenging for him/her to manage and will end up generating a lot of frustration for players, coaches and spectators. If the player repeats the action he/she should be cautioned for unsporting behavior.

(See page 22 and 69 in the 2011 USSF Advice to Referees on the Laws of the Game).

February 24, 2011

Should the referee stop the game exactly when time ends or can he allow play to continue if there is an attack?

Answer:

Straight from the AYSO Guidance for Referees, Coaches, Other Volunteers and Parents: Referees are trained not to be influenced by the emotions of the moment when determining whether or not to add on time.

Referees must consider what is fair for both teams in determining the exact moment to end the half or the game. For example, a player on a breakaway attack on goal at the end of an exciting match with the score tied should not be given extra time to see if the player scores or not. Similarly, the referee should not stop the clock because the team that is winning is not rushing to put the ball into play near the end of the game.

In general, the referee will not add time at the end of the match for an event for which he or she would not have added time had it occurred at the beginning of the game. The ball does not have to be in play for the game to end.

(See pages 12 and 13 in the 2011 AYSO Guidance for Referees, Coaches, Other Volunteers and Parents).

February 17 , 2011

I was watching a game and a person claiming to be a Referee and the Referee Administrator showed the red card to a coach, yelled at him "I'm a referee and you are out of control!!", and sent him off. He was not the referee for the game so can he do this?

Answer:

Only the referee assigned to officiate the game has the authority to enforce the Laws of the Game, including taking action against team officials who failed to conduct themselves in a responsible manner. We thank administrators and other leaders for helping us eliminate negative behavior off the field of play and we encourage them to do it in a respectful manner.

With this in mind we recommend that they use the following process to help manage any coach or other team officials who are conducting themselves in an irresponsible manner.

Talk to the person and respectfully ask them to change their behavior. Example of what to say, "I understand your frustration but please stop your behavior because it is affecting the kids in a negative manner. You can submit a report to the Board with your observations and complaints. Thank you." This should be done as soon as possible while the person's behavior is at a manageable level and they are open to suggestions. Reminding the person that we all want to keep things safe and fun for the kids usually is good enough for them to stop.

If the person continues with the negative behavior, then the administrator can make the referee team aware at the next opportunity, substitution time or half-time. Then the referee can take action based on his/her evaluation of the situation.

If needed, the administrator can enlist the help of the local authorities to ensure that we keep the environment safe for everyone.

The administrator should avoid playing the role of the referee because it is not correct and it will only make things worse. If the person trying to deal with the issue abuses their authority as a referee and/or administrator, they should be reported to the Region/Area/Section because this also reflects irresponsible behavior.

(See page 21 in the 2010-11 AYSO Laws of the Game).

February 10, 2011

FIFA Law 17 says that "the ball should be placed inside the corner arc for a corner kick." However, the diagrams show the ball on the line. Which is the right placement?

Answer:

"The ball" within the FIFA statement means any part of the ball. Therefore, the ball is properly placed for a corner kick as long as any part of it is touching the area marked by the corner arc - including the lines which enclose the corner arc. A ball properly placed for a corner kick may extend beyond the area of the corner arc, including beyond the field of play. The image below shows examples of correct and incorrect ball placement for corner kicks.

The placing of the ball for corner kicks should be a simple task for the players. The referee or assistant referee (AR) should help players place the ball quickly and correctly to avoid confusion, possible frustration and delay of the restart.

(See page 48 and 128 in the 2010-11 AYSO Laws of the Game and page 82 in the 2010-11 USSF Advice to Referees on the Laws of the Game).

February 3, 2011

Should I whistle to indicate or signal the direction of a throw-in?

Answer:

The whistle can be an effective refereeing tool or it can be distracting and irritating for the players. The whistle is used to start play - at the start of the first half, start of the second half and after a goal is scored. The whistle is also used to restart play for a penalty kick, free kicks when the referee delays the restart, after suspending the match, after issuing a caution and/or send off, after a substitution and for injury.

The whistle is also used to stop play if the match is suspended or abandoned, when a period of play has ended due to the expiration of time and for a free kick or penalty kick. If the free kick or penalty kick is due to a severe offense, the whistle should be quick, stronger and a bit longer in order to immediately get the players attention. The players need to know and sense that the referee has the game under control and a strong, long whistle will help deliver this message.

The whistle is not required to stop play for goal kicks, corner kicks, throw-ins or goals. However, if there is a need to clarify any of these four decisions, the referee should blow the whistle quick and hard as he/she is providing the correct signal. For example, when the ball hits the crossbar, lands on the ground completely over the goal line and between the two goal posts, and then quickly bounces back on to the field of play, the referee needs to signal that a goal has been scored. Except when required, referees should remember to use the whistle only when they need to get the players' attention.

(See page 76 in the 2010-11 AYSO Laws of the Game and page 22 in the 2010-11 USSF Advice to Referees on the Laws of the Game).

January 27, 2011

I was the referee in a U-16 co-ed game, and during the first half blue player #7 was screaming every time she received the ball while in the middle of several opponents. She would not do this when she received the ball with no opponents nearby. The red team's coach and my assistant referee (AR) made me aware of the situation at halftime. Before blowing the whistle to start the second half I asked her to stop screaming and her response was "Whatever." I started the second half, and she kept screaming so the next time the ball went out of play I cautioned her. Soon after she screamed again and I stopped play and sent her off with a direct red card. When players asked me why I sent her off, I said "It was unsportsmanlike, I warned her, cautioned her, and showed her the red card for persistently infringing the rules." Then I restarted the game with a dropped ball. Should I have managed the situation differently?

Answer:

Blue player #7 was guilty of unsporting behavior if her screaming was interfering with the opponents' ability to play the ball. In this scenario, the referee could have used the player's coach to help change her behavior while he/she addressed the players during halftime. The referee can talk to the player when she is next to her coach – "Number 7, when you scream as you receive the ball, you interfere with the opponents' ability to play the ball as you distract and confuse them. Please stop screaming. Do you understand?" Pause to get her acknowledgement and support for the request and then say, "Thank you."

If the player's response is negative such as "Whatever", immediately involve the coach. "Coach, please help your player understand and support my request. Thank you," and walk away to prepare the restart of the game. This option teams up the coach with the referee in mentoring the player and usually gets players to change their behavior. After this step, if the player insists on committing a misconduct offense then the referee should show the yellow card to the player and caution her for unsporting behavior.

In this scenario, a good disciplinary concept was applied, but there should be a few technical corrections. The referee decided to caution the player a second time because she screamed again, the reason for this caution being unsporting behavior – verbally distracting an opponent during play. When a player receives a second caution in the same game, the referee should first show the yellow card and then show the red card before sending the player off. Also, in this scenario, the referee stopped the game to caution the player so the restart should be an indirect free kick for the red team.

(See pages 33, 34 and 115 in the 2010-11 AYSO Laws of the Game).

January 20, 2011

When a referee makes a mistake and he stops play, should he restart the game with a dropped ball?

Answer:

Good question, and the restart will depend on the mistake and when it is discovered. If the referee stopped play because he "jumped the gun" and inadvertently blew the whistle, then yes the restart is a dropped ball at the spot where the ball was when the referee stopped the play. To avoid this type of mistake, we recommend that referees do not run around with the whistle in their mouths.

If the referee announced/signaled the wrong restart then he/she can correct the error before restarting the game. This should be done quickly and firmly. For example, if the referee incorrectly signals a goal kick and then realizes that the correct decision is a corner kick, he can quickly point to the corner, verbalize the correction – "I'm sorry, my mistake. It is a corner kick. Thank you" and restart the game with the corner kick.

If the referee makes a mistake but doesn't realize it until after the next restart, the mistake cannot be corrected. For instance, if the referee mistakenly awards an invalid goal and restarts the game with a kick-off and then realizes he/she made a mistake, the goal counts and the mistake should be documented in the referee's report. In a similar manner, if the referee cautions or sends off the wrong player and restarts the game, he/she should document the error in the referee's report.

To avoid this type of error, which is more significant, we recommend for the referee to work closely with the assistant referees (ARs) and always check with them to confirm the correct number of the player before showing the card. If the referee shows the card to the wrong player, then the AR should immediately help by letting the referee know the shirt number of the player that should be cautioned or send off.

(See pages 27 and 34 in the 2010-11 USSF Advice to Referees on the Laws of the Game).

January 13, 2011

Some referees in my Region were discussing the 'jumps at an opponent' statement and the majority said that they would call this foul only when there is contact between the players. How much contact is needed for 'jumping at' to be a foul?

Answer:

In soccer, "jumps at an opponent" means launching one's body towards the opponent and if it is done in a manner considered by the referee to be careless, reckless or using excessive force, it becomes a direct free kick foul. Contact is not required for this type of foul and depending on the nature of the offense, the referee may also caution or send off the player. "Jumps at" is done to intimidate opponents, to feign heading the ball in order to distract the opponent or as a genuine but unsuccessful attempt to gain control of the ball. Typical responses by players who commit this type of foul are "I was going for the ball," or "I was trying to head the ball."

The video below is an example of a "jumps at an opponent" foul. The referee or assistant referee has to have the right angle of vision to classify this foul in the "jumps at" category or it may be seen as a reckless tackle. Either way, the action needs to be identified as a foul and cautioned for unsporting behavior for committing the foul in a reckless manner.

Here is a list of things to help you determine why blue player #17 committed a foul:

Sped up to gain force just before launching herself through the air.

Jumped from at least six feet away from the ball in a reckless manner.

Made contact with opponent using her leg in a locked-knee position.

Missed the ball and kicked/tackled the opponent's foot (ball did not changed direction).

Knocked the opponent to the ground.

Walked away without showing concern for the opponent.

(See page 32, 109, 115 and 118 in the 2010-11 AYSO Laws of the Game).

January 6, 2011

While I think I understand the mechanics of a legal throw-in, at what point should the ball be released and still be considered a good throw-in?

Answer:

Law 15 describes the throw-in procedure which includes… "At the moment of delivering the ball, the thrower delivers the ball from behind and over his head." This does not mean that the ball must leave the hands from an overhead position, that is, the player may end up bending over significantly including at almost a right angle.

Referees are instructed that the primary function of a throw-in is to get the ball back into play as quickly as possible and therefore, apparent technical infringements should be deemed trifling or doubtful. As long as the team performing the throw-in does not obtain an illegal advantage and the restart occurs with little or no delay, referees should allow play to continue. The referee can quickly provide awareness before the throw-in (or right after a throw-in that had a trifling infringement) to help the players learn to comply with the Law.

With the tradition of New Year resolutions and to put things in perspective, let all of us resolve to pay more attention to fouls which generate more frustration than to throw-ins which mainly generate frustration when the referee stops the game to have them retaken.

(See page 44 in the 2010-11 AYSO Laws of the Game and pages 78 and 79 in the USSF Advice to Referees on the Laws of the Game).

December 16, 2010

Different referees have different opinions as to what it takes to be a good referee. Tom, in your opinion, what does it take to be a good referee?

Answer:

This question always generates different answers, varying from fitness to knowledge of the Laws of the Game, and they are all good ingredients of what I believe is needed to be a good referee.

ACCEPTANCE is the only thing needed to be a good referee, that is, if you are accepted as a good referee, you are a good referee. Consider the following when seeking acceptance from fellow soccer participants:

Acceptance from your peers will help you gain their support.

Once the players accept you, it will inspire them to follow your leadership.

Seek acceptance from coaches – they will team up with you to manage the bench and fans.

Acceptance from administrators is important because they will help you with your career objectives and growth.

Don't forget to get acceptance from spectators! They will help you enjoy the game as they enjoy the game.

Acceptance has two components, the first component being respect. Before people look at you as a referee, they look at you as a person and need to know that you are honest and fair, so you have to earn their respect.

The other component is trust. Once you've earned people's respect, you have to earn their trust in that you can handle the officiating assignment you accepted.

Every game, from a U-8 match to the World Cup final, offers you the same opportunities to earn respect and trust, and therefore accumulate acceptance. Good referees never leave anything to chance and they plan for and use the opportunities in every game to collect acceptance. An opportunity to earn respect can include greeting peers with a smile and a kind word. An example of an opportunity to earn trust is for the referee to set a good game tone from the start. In future editions of Whistle Stop, we will share details for each of the key opportunities for officials to earn acceptance in a game setting. We'll also develop Webinar sessions to present the entire concept of acceptance and becoming a good referee.

December 9, 2010

I started refereeing this season, and some colleagues tell me to ignore coaches and fans as they yell and scream because I should only be concerned with what happens inside the field of play. Others tell me to pay attention to every action that happens outside the field of play. How much attention should a referee pay to what happens outside the field of play while the game is going on?

Answer:

First, let me say thank you to all volunteers who are helping us referee the games for the children in AYSO.

A soccer game can be an overwhelming experience for players, coaches and spectators. The emotions generated by the competition inside the field of play can potentially cause people watching the game to project negative behavior, including yelling and screaming.

Referees should use their positive attitude and their authority to influence spectator's behavior. In AYSO, we have zero tolerance for negative behavior and the referees can assist with the monitoring and management of people's behavior.

We recommend that referees take the following steps at every game to make it easier for them to help ensure a safe, fair and fun environment for all of the people who are involved in AYSO.

Team up with the coach and parents by connecting with them before the game starts. Referees can say "Hi. Thank you for coming out to support the children and for helping us to keep the game safe and fun."

Throughout the game, encourage positive behavior by coaches and spectators. The assistant referees and/or referee can thank the coach or any person who exhibits positive behavior. Example, "Thank you for clapping for the other team's goalkeeper when he made the save."

Deal with negative behavior right away so it will not escalate in magnitude. The referee can provide a "look" and a couple of words as he/she runs by the touch line so that people know that he/she has heard or seen unacceptable behavior.

The referee has the power to stop the game because of outside interference to manage the situation. If negative behavior from a spectator or coach continues, the referee should stop the game, briefly remind the coach about the "Kids Zone" and ask him/her to help stop the negative behavior. Be sure to say "Thank you."

Every now and then a person insists on being negative even after a couple of warnings. In this case, the referee should work with the coach to dismiss the person from the field. If the negative person who needs to be dismissed is the coach, then the referee should work with the assistant coach.

Being aware of people's behavior and taking early steps towards managing issues will provide great games for children.(See page 21 2010-11 AYSO edition of the Laws of the Game and review the AYSO Vision, AYSO Mission, Kids Zone and the Pledges – coach, parent, and referee).

December 2, 2010

With one minute to go in a U-10 boys game, where I was the assistant referee (AR), red player #11 was tripped inside the blue team's penalty area by blue player #3. The referee, who is an inexperienced official, correctly called for a penalty kick. He then checked to make sure the red player was okay and during this process the time ran out.

Suddenly the other AR, an experienced referee who was assigned to mentor the referee, started jumping up and down and pointed to his watch, pulling his finger across his throat. Then he entered the field and told the referee to end the half. At halftime I told the referee that the penalty kick should have been taken. The other AR said we should ignore the penalty kick and that it didn't matter because this was only a U-10 boys' game. Could the referee start the second half with a penalty kick?

Answer:

The referee cannot start the second half with a penalty kick that was awarded at the end of the first half. If time expires before a penalty kick has to be taken or retaken, the referee should notify both teams that the duration of the half will be extended until the penalty kick is completed.

No player other than the goalkeeper can participate in play after the penalty kick is taken. At the taking of a penalty kick in extended time, violations of Law 14 are managed the same as if the kick were not in extended time with the following exception: if the required restart after a violation would be an indirect free kick, the kick in extended time and the period of play are considered over.

If the referee ends the half early, then both teams must be called back onto the field of play and the remaining time must be played as soon as the error is detected. In this case, the referee after realizing the error, should have called both teams onto the field of play and completed the penalty kick prior to the halftime period. This error should be properly documented in the match report.

A critical issue in the scenario is the behavior of the experienced AR who was assigned to assist and mentor the referee. Mentoring should never be challenging and/or stressful to the referee. The mentor should provide encouragement and support. Assistant referees are to assist and not insist as they perform their duties.

One recommendation is for the AR to provide input in a subtle and quiet manner and allow the referee to make the final decision. In future editions of Whistle Stop, we will share concepts and techniques for effective mentoring and review the duties of the AR.(See pages 26 and 40 in the 2010-11 AYSO edition of the Laws of the Game and pages 33 and 74 in the 2010-11 USSF Advice to Referees on the Laws of the Game).

November 24, 2010

I started refereeing U-14 games, and now pushing fouls are not as obvious as they used to be in the U-10 and U-12 games. What is a pushing foul in games with older kids?

Answer:

Pushing fouls can potentially become more frequent and they are more challenging to identify as the players get older because their pushing occurs in different ways. The criteria for a foul remains the same regardless of the age level – an offense becomes a foul when it is committed by a player on the field of play, while the ball is in play, against an opponent, in a manner considered by the referee to be careless, reckless or using excessive force. This video clip provides an example of a pushing foul that can be challenging to identify.

Blue player #14 is chasing the ball towards the touchline with white player #23 chasing him. Just as blue #14 reaches the ball, white #23 makes contact with the blue player's back and pushes him. The referee should be in a position at an angle from both players in order to have a better view of the action and pick up the signs that will help him/her make the correct evaluation. The signs include:

Blue #14 gets into a better position to get control of the ball and slows down before making contact with #23, therefore, it takes less contact to stop his progress and/or make him lose ball possession.

White #23 realizes that blue #14 beat him to the best position with a possibility of controlling the ball and decides to extend his arm at the last second, pushing blue #14's back.

The challenge is occurring near the touchline where the player with the ball will be somewhat trapped. Play along the touchline, or goal line, often becomes scrappy due to this reduced area. The contact is to the back, pushing blue #14 into the ground which is very dangerous. It is important for the referee team to identify this type of foul and manage it in order to prevent injuries, player frustration and possible retaliation. When play is close to the boundary lines the referee and/or assistant referee need to be close by and make sure that players feel their presence by using their voice and/or a stronger whistle, in order to minimize or eliminate this type of foul. With this type of foul, the referee should at least have a quiet word with the guilty player.

(See pages 32 and 109 in the 2009-2010 AYSO edition of the Laws of the Game).

November 18, 2010

Last week in a U-16 boys game, #3 for the blue team was challenging to the referee and out of control. Next week I'm assigned to officiate this player's team, so what should I do to keep him under control?

Answer:

The referee should not judge and/or discipline players based on their behavior in past games. However, the referee should prepare and plan to officiate a game where he/she will influence the player's behavior and direct them towards playing a safe, fair and fun game.

The plan should include assistance from both Assistant Referees (ARs) and, when needed, include the coaches. We recommend that the referee follows a series of steps that will help the player(s) have the awareness of what is expected, feel safe and successful when they play according to the Spirit of the Game and have a clear understanding of consequences if they chose not to behave.

Below is a list of suggested steps which provide a higher level of awareness and if needed,damage control that will help keep the players, including the potential trouble makers, under control and focused on playing the game.

Connect with the players before the game starts. Shake their hands and share a positive statement to help them set up a good objective for their playing time. This allows the referee to send a message to the potential trouble making player without isolating him/her.

Set a good tone for the game in terms of foul recognition. If the players are playing good soccer, let them play and just be close to play so they feel your presence. If the player in question commits a strong foul, be sure to send a message with a strong whistle. Then isolate the player, provide a firm and clear talk to the player and stay very close to play when this player is involved. Make sure the player's coach is aware of the potential problem so he/she can provide assistance.

The ARs can help maintain the game tone and player awareness by talking to them when play is nearby or when the potential trouble maker is out of the view of the referee.

If the players continue to play safely and fairly, the referee should let them know every now and then. And it is okay to let them know at half time to reinforce the positive objectives for the game.

If the player in question decides to commit another strong foul, challenge a referee decision, or take some other negative action the referee should send a strong message and caution or send off the player depending on the nature of the offense. This will prevent other players from being negatively influenced and retaliating.

Managing potential trouble making players becomes less challenging and turns them into positive players when the referee has a plan and teams up with the ARs and the coaches.

November 11, 2010

In a U-12 girls game we went to kicks from the penalty mark to determine the winner of the game. I was the Assistant Referee (AR) assigned to the goal line. For the first kick, the goalkeeper touched the ball but it completely crossed the goal line and then bounced back into the field of play. When the referee looked at me I got stumped and was not sure what signal to give, so I gave him a thumbs-up and nodded. Whatever he thought, he made the correct decision and gave a goal. What is the correct AR signal that I should have given the referee?

Answer:

One of the duties of the Assistant Referee (AR), subject to the decision of the referee, is to indicate whether, at penalty kicks, the goalkeeper moves off the goal line before the ball is kicked, and if the ball crosses the line. It is important for the referee team to make correct decisions, that is – "get it right" so they should discuss and review the process and signals for the "Kicks from the Penalty Mark" before starting the process.

When it is clear that the ball has crossed the line, the AR must make eye contact with the referee without giving any flag signal. If needed or requested by the referee, the AR can verbalize – "Goal." When a goal has been scored, but it is not clear whether the ball has crossed the line, the AR must first raise the flag to attract the referee's attention and then confirm the goal. If needed or requested by the referee, the AR can verbalize – "Goal."

In your scenario you did not provide the correct flag signal but you confirmed the goal when you nodded and the referee provided the correct decision. If the referee misunderstands the communication from the AR, and does not give the goal, the AR should immediately get his attention (verbally if necessary) and let him know to change the decision and "get it right."

(See pages 25, 50, and 82 in the 2010-11 AYSO Laws of the Game).

November 4, 2010

In a U-19 boys game, the goalkeeper picked up the ball and accidentally stepped over the penalty area line just before releasing the ball and kicking it long. People have told me that this infraction requires an indirect free kick and others say that it requires a direct free kick. Which is the correct restart?

Answer:

It is the position of the ball, not the goalkeeper, which determines whether a handling offense has occurred. Outside his own penalty area the goalkeeper has the same restrictions on handling the ball as any other player. That is, when the goalkeeper deliberately handles the ball outside his/her own penalty area the referee should stop play and restart it with a direct free kick for the opponent. However, especially in youth games, it is possible that a goalkeeper unintentionally goes over the penalty area line before releasing the ball, which is not handling the ball in a deliberate manner.

Therefore we recommend that when this happens the first time:

Once the ball goes away, the assistant referee should make the goalkeeper aware in a subtle manner: "Goalkeeper, please be careful not to step over the line. Thank you."

Make sure the goalkeeper acknowledges the assistant referee's request.

If it happens a second time:

If it is very close, inches over the line, the assistant referee may want to warn the goalkeeper a second time, or have the referee warn the goalkeeper at the next stoppage of play.

If the goalkeeper goes over the line in a blatant manner, the assistant referee may signal the foul, handling the ball, and the referee should stop play and restart it with a direct free kick for the opponent. A warning or two will help the goalkeeper make adjustments.

(See pages 32 and 111 in the 2010-11 AYSO Laws of the Game).

October 28, 2010

In a U-19 boys game, red player #9 takes a shot on goal and the ball bounces off the far goalpost to red player #11, who is in an onside position at the moment the shot is taken. The goalkeeper dives to save the shot and is now on the ground near the penalty mark. Red player #11 takes a shot on goal and the ball is rolling towards the goal. Red player #9, who is now in an offside position because he is closer to the opponent's goal line than the ball and all blue players, moves toward the ball. The Assistant Referee (AR), thinking that red player #9 is going to play the ball, raises his flag to signal an offside infraction. Red player #9 doesn't touch the ball and allows it to proceed into the goal without interfering with play or any opponent.

Seeing this, the AR puts his flag down. The center referee runs over to him and quickly discusses what happened, and then signals for a goal. The blue team's coach complains that red player #9 should be penalized for being offside and participating in the play as he moved towards the ball and because the AR had signaled the offside. Since the AR signaled the offside should the referee penalize it?

Answer:

The referee, working with his/her assistant referees, is responsible for decisions as it pertains to the Laws of the Game and their application within the Spirit of the Game. It is not an offense in itself to be in an offside position, and a player in an offside position should only be penalized if he/she is, in the opinion of the referee, involved in active play, by interfering with play, interfering with an opponent or gaining an advantage by being in the offside position.

In this scenario, if in the opinion of the referee red player #9 did not interfere with play and did not interfere with an opponent, then the referee team made the right decision in giving the goal because there was no offside infringement to penalize. Coaches protesting referee decisions is a possible issue during games and this challenge happens more often when the referee team does not use the proper mechanics.

Assistant Referees are trained and asked to have patience and wait a second or so to be sure that a player in an offside position is involved in active play before signaling for the offside. This mechanic helps avoid an incorrect flag signal and the referee having to spend extra time and energy explaining decisions to the coach.

(See pages 21, 31 and 100 in the 2010-11 AYSO Laws of the Game and 32 in the 2010-11 USSF Advice to Referees on The Laws of the Game).

October 21, 2010

In a U-16 girls game, a fight started behind my back between red player #4 and blue player #6. When I turned both players were on the ground. My Assistant Referee told me that blue player #6 pushed red player #4 without any provocation and then both players started fighting. I separated the players and after checking with my ARs I decided to send off both of them. I went over to both benches and told the coaches that I was ejecting the two players but I did not show them the red card. Both players walked away from the field and I finished the game. The next day the coach for the red team challenged my send off decision to the Region administration saying that his player did not start the fight and was upset I did not show the red card to the blue player. Does the coach have a valid request?

Answer:

A player, substitute or substituted player who is cautioned or sent off during the match is shown the yellow or red card, as appropriate. The red card is used to communicate that a player, substitute or substituted player has been sent off. By not showing the players the red card when you send them off you created a challenge for the competition administrators because both coaches could have challenged your report.

Hopefully the administrators held up your decision on the send off of both players, but they probably had to spend time and resources to demonstrate to the coach the facts that justified the send off. In order to help make the job easy for the administrators and to inform everyone during the match, please show the cards, yellow and red as appropriate, when you caution or send off players. (See page 34 in the 2010-11 AYSO Laws of the Game and page 17 in the 2010 AYSO Guidance for Referees and Coaches).

October 14, 2010

The red team is ready to take a free kick and the blue team has set up their "defensive wall" ten yards away. Just as red player #9 is about to kick the ball, red player #4 who was positioned within the blue team's "defensive wall" comes running out crossing in front of the defensive players and passes the ball to red player #9. Did red player #4 unfairly distract the blue team?

Answer:

Players can always use tactics to confuse the opponents as long as their actions do not unfairly interfere with the opponents' ability to play the ball or gain them an unfair advantage. In this free kick scenario, the defending team must remain at least ten yards away until, in the opinion of the referee, the ball is kicked by the red team and it moves.

When red player #4 moved towards the ball, he did not interfere in an unfair manner as he was not impeding the progress of an opponent because the blue team had to remain ten yards away from the ball. If red player #4 was not using unnatural body positions as he was running towards the ball such running with his arms extended upwards, and he was not yelling and screaming, and he was not doing anything else that in the opinion of the referee was considered unfair or dangerous, then the referee should allow play to continue.

If in the opinion of the referee red player #4 was guilty of an offense as he ran towards the ball then he should ask the red team to wait before taking the free kick, take disciplinary action with red player #4 ranging from talking to him to sending him off - depending on the nature of the offense, and then restart the game with the free kick for the red team. As referees become better students of the game they get better at differentiating between cheating tactics and fair playing tactics that contribute to a beautiful game.

(See pages 114, 115 and 123 in the 2010/2011 AYSO edition of the Laws of the Game and pages 50 and 86 in the 2010/2011 USSF Advice to Referees on the Laws of the Game).

October 7, 2010

Is the coach allowed to ask his team to abandon the match because he does not like the referee's performance?

Answer:

The coach can always ask his/her team to leave the field of play but we recommend that he/she and the referee work together to find win-win solutions before looking to remove the team from the game. The match is controlled by the referee who is the only person with the authority to enforce the Laws of the Game.

Per Law 5 this authority is described in terms of several duties and powers which empower the referee to conduct the match towards a Safe, Fair and Fun game and manage negative behavior from players, coaches and spectators. One of the powers the referee has, related to this week's question, is to take action against team officials who fail to conduct themselves in a responsible manner including, if needed, expelling them from the field of play and its surrounding area.

Every now and then a referee has an officiating moment of weakness such as making the wrong decision on a throw in or a foul. However, asking the team to leave the field of play or directing negativity at the official such as yelling or insulting comments will only make things worse and potentially result in the coach being expelled. When a coach believes that the referee's performance is unacceptable we recommend that he/she takes positive actions aimed at connecting with the referee to share his/her observations but he/she needs to know that the referee makes final game decisions, and may not have time to address the coaches questions.

Examples of positive actions include talking to the referee team during a break in a respectful and friendly manner, asking questions about specific referee decisions but respecting and supporting the answers provided by the referee, and talking to the players to keep them focused on playing and helping them maintain a positive attitude.

(See pages 21 and 22 in the 2010-11 AYSO edition of the Laws of the Game).

September 30, 2010

Is the attacking team allowed to place players in front of the opponent's goalkeeper at the restart of play with a free kick?

Answer:

The attacking team can place players in front of the goalkeeper before restarting the game with a free kick because all players have a right to their position on the field of play. Being in the way of an opponent is not the same as moving into the way of an opponent. However, this tactic has the potential to generate trouble, especially in games with older players, and most of the time it ends up with an infringement by the attackers.

Therefore, the referee should closely monitor this situation in order to prevent frustration and/or misconduct. Some examples for managing this type of situation includes providing awareness to players of potential infringements, quickly calling any infringement(s) and if an offense is called the game should be restarted as quickly as possible.

The referee can provide awareness by saying to the attacker(s) in front of the goalkeeper, also making sure that the keeper hears the message, "Don't interfere with the keeper when he/she positions himself or when he/she plays the ball after the kick is taken. Thank you." This will help the attacker(s) know that the referee is watching everything so he/she will be less likely to commit an infringement. The referee's presence will help the keeper feel safe, focus on positioning and prepare for the free kick.

Examples of an attacker's actions which may be considered infringements include the player following the keeper and impeding his/her progress as he/she moves around to position himself/herself, gesticulating to try and block the keeper's vision, playing the keeper instead of the ball and verbalizing to distract the keeper. If an infringement occurs before the ball is put in place the referee may decide to caution and/or send off a player depending on the nature of the infringement.

(See page 21 and 114 in the 2010-11 AYSO edition of the Laws of the Game).

September 23, 2010

In a U-16 girls game, the attacking team decided to take a quick free kick. The ball hit a defender who was about five yards away and went to another defender. Should the free kick be retaken?

Answer:

Since the ball hit the defender who was less than ten yards away from the ball when play was restarted, the referee has to consider taking one of two possible actions. Option one- if in the opinion of the referee the defender moved towards the ball to control it then yes, the free kick should be retaken because the defender failed to respect the required distance on a free kick. In addition the referee may consider cautioning the defender for misconduct- failure to respect the required distance when play is restarted with a free kick.

If no caution is given the referee should verbally warn the defender, which will also send a message to everyone else that such action is not allowed. The referee's action will be most effective if it is done the first time a player tries to disrespect the required distance. The referee's action is part of a concept known as "setting the tone" which helps players and others know how the referee will manage the game. In future editions of Whistle Stop we will share more techniques for "setting the tone."

Option two - if in the opinion of the referee the ball simply hit the defender where she stood and the defender did not move to play the ball, there is no offense and the referee should let play continue. This scenario may cause the attacking player to feel embarrassed and the defender to think that it is okay to be close to the ball during a restart. We recommend that the referee say something as he/she is running by to the attacker, "Take your time and you'll do better." To the defender, "Ten yards next time. Thank you." (See page 34 in the 2010-11 AYSO edition of the Laws of the Game).

September 16, 2010

In a U-14 boys game, inside the penalty area close to the 18 yard line, the goalkeeper is picking up the ball from a shot taken at him as an attacking player runs by very close without touching him. The goalkeeper does not like the attacker's action so he showed his clenched fist at him and said something negative. Should the referee do something?

Answer:

The goalkeeper's behavior, threatening with the fist and words, should be considered negative behavior. We recommend that the referee not ignore such behavior because it can lead to a more serious incident such as retaliation by the attacker or a more serious action by the goalkeeper.

Depending on the nature of the incident per the opinion of the referee, there are several disciplinary actions to consider. If the referee considers the action to be a minor incident then he/she may just provide a verbal warning to the goalkeeper and let play continue. The referee can say "Keeper, the attacker made an effort to avoid touching you because he knew you had control of the ball. Stop threatening players. Thank you."

If the referee considers the action to be unsporting behavior, which is very likely, then he/she should stop play, show the yellow card to the goalkeeper, ask him to stop such behavior and restart the game with an indirect free kick for the attacking team. If the referee considers the action to be violent conduct where the goalkeeper attempted to strike the attacker, or the referee hears the goalkeeper using offensive language, then he/she should stop the game, show the red card to the goalkeeper, send him off the field of play and restart the game with an indirect kick for the attacking team.

(See page 33, 34 and 35 in the 2010-11 AYSO edition of the Laws of the Game).

September 2, 2010

I know that if the goalkeeper touches the ball with his hand after it is directly thrown to him by a teammate from a throw-in, I will give an indirect free kick. What if the goalkeeper deflects the ball with his hand and it goes over the crossbar? Or it goes into the goal? Should I call an indirect free kick in both cases?

Answer:

The ball is in play when it enters the field of play from a throw-in. And per Law 12 – Fouls and Misconducts, you're right that if the goalkeeper touches the ball with his/her hands after he/she has received it directly from a throw-in taken by a teammate, you should award an indirect free kick to the opponent. However, the referee may invoke the advantage clause whenever an infringement of Law 12 occurs if there is a possibility of a goal being scored. In the scenarios you presented there is an opportunity for a goal to be scored, therefore the referee should consider waiting to see if the ball goes into the net. If the ball goes into the net, the referee should stop play and restart the game with a kick-off for the defending team. If the ball goes over the crossbar, the referee should stop play and restart the game with a corner kick for the opponent.

(See pages 21, 33, 44 and 66 in the 2010-11 AYSO edition of the Laws of the Game).

August 26, 2010

I'm a U-8 certified referee. May I take the Intermediate Referee course?

Answer:

We want referees to participate in as much training as possible in order to keep learning about the game, the content of the Laws of the Game, the application of the Laws as well as the Spirit of the Laws and the Game. However, one must learn to walk before one can run so referees should follow a logical training path. The list of referee courses offered by AYSO is on page 19 in the 2010 edition of the AYSO National Referee Program manual.

The content of each course is presented with the expectation that the students have completed the previous course, in this case either the Basic Referee Course or the U-8 Official-to-Basic Referee upgrade course. If the student skips a level they will not be able to keep up with the instruction and will end up being confused and frustrated. We are constantly looking for new and improved ways to help our volunteers achieve higher levels of referee certification and the referee staff in your Region, Area and Section are always available to help you find the right course to take.

August 19, 2010

In U-6 and U-8 games, when should I stop play because of fouls?

Answer:

Referees should always aim to keep the games Safe and Fair so they can be a Fun experience for the players. When a player potentially fouls an opponent, the referee should consider if the action causes the opponent to lose control of the ball and/or creates danger to any of the participants- both results which make the game less fun. It is critical that at this age level that playing should always be a fun experience so referees should provide minimum interruptions and as much flexibility as possible. In other words, to keep the game fun, it is more important for the referee to focus on safety and fairness than applying the technical aspect of the Law.

There are few, if any, deliberate fouls in U-6 and U-8 games and it is more likely that the referee may have to stop the game to refocus the kids after they stop playing because of a distraction off the field of play. In U-6 and U-8 games referees should have fun explaining and teaching aspects of the game.

(See pages 15, 33 and 35 in the AYSO Guidance for Referees and Coaches 2010 Edition).

August 12, 2010

When I was checking players in preparation for a U-10 girls game, one of the kids told me that she had just recovered from a broken leg. I asked her if she felt safe and comfortable playing and she said yes so I allowed her to play. I kept looking at her play and I noticed that she was hobbling and players were giving her a lot of space as if they were afraid to hurt her. I decided that she should not play anymore because it was not safe for her and others so at the end of the "first quarter" I asked her to stop playing. She said no so, then I asked her coach who also said that there was no problem and she should be allowed to play. Fearing for her safety I did not let her continue playing. Was I correct in not allowing her to continue playing?

Answer:

Thank you for caring; referees need to make the safety of players their top priority. Asking the player if she was okay to play and bringing awareness to the coach was the right thing to do. However, referees do not have the authority to tell players that they cannot play without a justified reason. If the referee has evidence that the player is seriously injured he/she may stop play and ask the coach to have the player examined and then removed from the field of play. Once the coach has the player examined, they decide, hopefully conferring with the player's parent, if it is okay for the child to continue playing. The coach has the responsibility to obtain a Participation Release Form before allowing a player to participate in games following a known serious injury which required professional medical attention.

(See pages 21 and 67 in the 2009-10 AYSO edition of the Laws of the Game and page 69 in the AYSO Guidance for Referees and Coaches, 2009 edition).

August 5, 2010

What are the factors or elements known as the "Four Ds" that referees should consider when evaluating a situation where a player possibly denied an obvious goal scoring opportunity by committing an offense punishable by a free kick or penalty kick?

Answer:

Law 12 states that a player guilty of denying a goal scoring opportunity should be shown the red card and sent off. This situation does not happen often especially in youth games and it is challenging to evaluate. This is why four elements have been identified to help the referee team make good evaluations of possible denying of a goal scoring opportunity.

Below are the "Four Ds" and a couple of additional points that are critical to understand in order to correctly determine these situations.

Distance to goal – there is no specific distance but the closer the foul is to the goal, the greater the possibility of having an obvious goal scoring opportunity. The higher the skill (physical and technical) level of the player, the better they can move towards the goal.

Distance to the ball – the attacker must have been close enough to the ball at the time of the foul to continue playing the ball.

Direction of play – the attacker must have been moving directly toward the goal at the time the foul was committed.

Number of Defenders – not more than one defender between the foul and the goal, not including the defender who committed the foul. Typically the one defender is the goalkeeper but it can be a different player especially when the goalkeeper commits the offense. The referee must be certain that additional defenders would have been beaten or could not reasonably have had a chance to defend against the scoring opportunity.

All four elements must be present for the referee to consider that a situation is present. If one or more elements are missing then there is no denying of an obvious goal scoring opportunity to be punished.

If the offense is serious foul play (SFP), which is more serious than denying of an obvious goal scoring opportunity , then the player must be send off regardless of whether all of the "Four D's" are present or not.

(See pages 35 and 122 in the 2009-10 AYSO edition of the Laws of the Game and page 63 in the USSF Advice to the Referees on the Laws of the Game, 2009-10 edition).

July 29, 2010

Blue player #5 has control of the ball approximately 15 yards outside his own penalty area when an opponent pressures him. The blue player decides to kick the ball hard towards his own goal. The blue team's goalkeeper who is outside his own penalty area sees that the ball is heading towards his goal and decides to dive and catch it with his hands. The goalkeeper was the last defender between the ball and the blue team's goal. Is this action considered denying a goal scoring opportunity?

Answer:

When the goalkeeper is outside his/her penalty area he/she becomes a regular player and is not allowed to deliberately handle the ball. In the question presented the goalkeeper was outside of his penalty area and deliberately handled the ball which should be penalized with a direct free kick. The other concept in this question is denying an opponent an obvious goal scoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball. A player can also deny an opponent a goal scoring opportunity by committing an offense punishable by a free kick or a penalty kick and this concept will be addressed in future editions of Whistle Stop including the four factors or elements known to referees as the "Four Ds" that must be considered before determining that an obvious goal scoring opportunity existed.

In the scenario presented, if in the opinion of the referee the ball was heading towards the goal and there were no other defenders that could have stopped the ball from going into the goal then the goalkeeper is guilty of denying a goal scoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball. Therefore the referee should stop play, show the red card to the blue team goalkeeper, send him off and restart the game with a direct free kick for the red team.

(See pages 35 and 111 in the 2009-10 AYSO edition of the Laws of the Game and page 63 in the USSF Advice to the Referees on the Laws of the Game, 2009-10 edition).

July 22, 2010

Why do we have referees who are not physically fit assigned to our U-19 games?

Answer:

The number of kids and adults playing amateur soccer increases tremendously every week; this is the good news. The number of referees who are prepared to effectively officiate these games increases very slowly, especially in the volunteer world. This is the opportunity for all of us who are involved in developing referees. Referee assignors/schedulers make their best effort to assign referees to games that match their experience and fitness levels, but we're always short of referees with the proper experience and fitness required to cover the high level games. There are referee assigning tactics and concepts that we can use to help alleviate the challenge of not having enough referees and we'll share these through our referee management training. We continuously review our program and continue to identify additional ways to help with this issue. Below we will focus on key things that referees can do to deal with their own fitness challenges.

Officiating may have negative impacts to personal health if the referee is not fit. Referees should consider checking their health and fitness level with their doctors before the start of the season, and at least once during the season in order to determine the level of activity in which physical participation will be safe.

Referees should have a personal training program in place that will improve fitness and maintain the level necessary to effectively officiate games (meaning the ability to keep up and catch up with older players).

In AYSO we don't have annual requirements for re-certification, but referees do have the opportunity to lead by example and can set their own fitness expectations and standards. We have a minimum distance of 4.5 to 5.5 laps (depending on age) to be covered by National Referees during the 12 minute endurance run when they first certify. But officials who want to improve their ability to referee U-19 games might set their own standard, such as completing at least 6.5 laps in 12 minutes on a regular basis. This fitness level and a good understanding of how to "read" the game will allow the referee to be close to play most of the time and therefore use his/her presence to manage the game - a valuable tool for control.

Referees should always do self-evaluation of their skills, including fitness level. If you start finding it difficult to stay close to play, finding yourself 25 yards or more away from play most of the time, then you should either increase your fitness training or identify a level of games with lower fitness requirements in which you can effectively match your physical abilities to the players' activity.

July 15, 2010

What can be done to guarantee correct refereeing decisions at the World Cup games?

Answer:

This is a simple but extremely challenging question. Today nothing can guarantee 100 percent of correct decisions at any games, including in the World Cup and in AYSO. However referees can prepare to maximize their ability to provide good decisions in a consistent manner within each game. There are a lot of ways to prepare to be an effective official and here are a few that will provide an AYSO referee and/or assistant referee with good skills and tools to deliver good decisions:

Participate as often as possible in referee training courses and continuing education clinics and sessions sanctioned by AYSO.

Become a student of the game – learn the content and the application of the FIFA Laws of the Game, and the AYSO and USSF referee related publications; watch more experienced referees in order to learn good officiating techniques; invest 90 minutes per month (or more) reading material related to player management, interacting with children in team sports and/or effective communications and teamwork with peers.

Improve personal fitness – train to referee. Implement a fitness training program that will allow you to maintain and improve your fitness level. Accept game assignments that match your fitness level so that you can keep up and when needed catch up, with players and the play. This will allow you to be a successful and happy referee.

Get mentored – schedule two to three mentoring or assessing sessions within each season so you can identify and continue to use your strengths and improve on your weaknesses. The top level referees, from AYSO to FIFA, always keep learning and improving their abilities and skills.

July 8, 2010

How do World Cup referees stay in shape while at the World Cup?

Answer:

FIFA supports and monitors World Cup referees' fitness through various intense and specialized training programs. Referees with potential for World Cup assignment get identified two years early and immediately are asked to participate in the FIFA fitness programs which continue through the duration of the World Cup.

The referees who get selected for the final World Cup team take on a fitness program with a reduced focus on intensive training and more of an emphasis on maintaining top level fitness and staying healthy through a lot of stretching and other forms of exercising. The goal is to keep all World Cup referees physically and mentally healthy as the assignments will bring additional stress challenges.

This concept is very similar to what AYSO referees should do when they participate in tournaments where a lot of games are played within a few days. You should not try to increase your fitness in the middle of a tournament by performing intense training as it creates a high risk of injury. The potential injury can come from the combination of tired muscles from the various assignments, often as many as four to five everyday, and the additional stress put on the muscles through intense training. The ideal fitness training approach during tournaments is one which includes good nutrition and hydration, 5-10 minutes of jogging in between assignments to get rid of the toxic accumulation around the joints and stretching sessions before the start of the game, at halftime, after the end of the game and as often as possible throughout the day. In summary, during tournaments drink a lot of water, eat well and stretch a lot to stay healthy and happy.

July 1, 2010

How do World Cup referees recover when they make mistakes?

Answer:

Referee mistakes, which have an impact on the outcome of a game, are more critical in World Cup matches because there is more at stake. However, the impact from making a mistake can have the same repercussions on the referee for the rest of the match for all games, including World Cup and amateur games, such as AYSO. The official's objective after making a mistake should be to get back in the mind set that will help him/her deliver officiating which provides a safe, fair and fun environment for the players. There are different ways to quickly recover from a mistake.

At all levels of the game, including World Cup matches there are ways to overcome the challenge. One way involves a self-questioning technique where the official quickly asks questions related to key factors in officiating to get the mind focused back on refereeing: 1) What is the game score; 2) Which team is dominating; 3) Are there any players with the potential for a caution or send off because of frustration; 4) Are the teams playing the offside trap?

This process allows the official to refocus on officiating and forget the mistake. If needed, questions can be added and/or changed and the process should be repeated to keep the official's mind focused on the game.

Every now and then, all referees make mistakes but what is very important is to not let them overwhelm you. Two wrong decisions don't make a right one.

June 24, 2010

World Cup referees are making critical mistakes like the call that took away the USA's third goal. Are these referees ready for these games?

Answer:

World Cup games involve players and teams with the highest level of technical and physical skills. World Cup referees were selected because they have the highest level of training, game knowledge and experience. One factor remains the same with all referees at all levels of the game; they are human and therefore capable of making mistakes. Given the number of games, which are all challenging, the number of mistakes have been small. Yes, there have been a couple of critical mistakes, but overall the referees have provided acceptable or better officiating based on key parameters.

One of the key parameters is the incorrect decisions which impact the outcome of a game and there has been one, maybe two, so far. Another key parameter is the number of injuries due to poor foul recognition which generates frustration, then retaliation and ultimately possible injuries. There have been no significant foul recognition issues and therefore no injuries due to this problem. And one final parameter is the number of send offs due to violent conduct. I have not checked all of the games but I believe there have been none or one at most. Not bad when 34+ games have been played. Yes, referee decisions have generated a lot of misdirected passion because fans get 100 percent behind their teams, but overall the referees are doing a good job at the World Cup.

As it pertains to the referee for the game between our team and Slovenia; yes from everyone's perspective, the referee made an incorrect call on our team's third goal. There were blue shirts being pulled by the defenders, at least one of our players was being strongly hugged, and not necessarily out of love. It would have been easy and accepted by Slovenia and the whole world to let the goal stand. However, in the referee's opinion he saw a foul committed and he decided to call it which he seemed to do before the ball was kicked into the net. Therefore I give him the benefit of the doubt, and even if he made a mistake, he remains human.

June 18, 2010

In a boys U-19 match, red player #8 is dribbling the ball towards the blue team's penalty area. Before red #8 enters the penalty area, blue player #2 trips red player #8. As red #8 is falling he manages to pass the ball forward to red player #12. Red #12 controls the ball so the referee signals and verbalizes advantage as red #12 scores. The referee looks at the leading assistant referee (AR) to get confirmation that it is a good goal but the AR is signaling for offside. Should the referee penalize the offside or the foul?

Answer:

The referee has the power to signal and apply advantage upon seeing a foul or misconduct. The referee may also return to, and penalize the original foul if the advantage does not develop as anticipated after a short time. In this situation the referee determined that when red #12 received the ball he could apply advantage. However because red #12 was in offside position the referee cannot let play continue as it would break Law 11 and therefore the advantage did not materialize. In other words, passing the ball to a team-mate who is in an offside position does not constitute an advantage. In this situation the referee should stop the game and restart it with a direct free kick (DFK) for the red team. This is a decision that may generate confusion among players and others. We recommend that the referee inform the players of the reason for restarting with the direct free kick. The referee can say something similar to… "Advantage was not possible because red #12 was in an offside position so I have to penalize the tripping foul to red #8."

(See page 66 in the 2009-10 AYSO edition of the Laws of the Game.)

June 10, 2010

Do World Cup referees use different rules than AYSO to officiate?

Answer:

AYSO referees use the same FIFA Laws of the Game, with minor modifications, which World Cup referee use to officiate and manage soccer games. The modifications to the FIFA Laws of the Game are made to facilitate management of games at the level of youth's technical, physical and mental skills. These modifications include size of the field of play; width between the goalposts and height of the crossbar from the ground; weight, size and material of the ball, substitutions and duration of the periods of play. One important and critical aspect of soccer which is common with both AYSO and FIFA players is that they want to feel safe and have fair competition so they can have fun and enjoy the game. One beautiful thing about the FIFA Laws of the Game is that they are simple and with some modifications, referees have used them to provide a Safe, Fair and Fun environment for players of all ages for over one hundred years

(See page 3 in the 2009-10 AYSO edition of the Laws of the Game).

June 3, 2010

What should AYSO referees look for during World Cup games?

Answer:

First things first, enjoy the World Cup games and send good vibes to our National Team so they end up in the final! There are obvious differences between professional and AYSO soccer players including technical, physical and mental skills. However there are a lot of similarities, individual and team, in how both AYSO and World Cup players play the game. They also project similar behavior traits in how they respond to pressure under frustrating or happy conditions. This is why World Cup referees apply the same officiating concepts that AYSO referees apply with our kids.

Let's focus on two concepts which are critical to all games from AYSO to World Cup levels, safe and fair. Players need to feel from the start that they will be safe and have a fair game. Learning how World Cup referees use every opportunity in each game to project safety and fairness will help you improve your officiating skills. There are a lot of tools and skills that World Cup referees use to officiate a match so here are a few critical ones to look for when you watch the World Cup games.

Body language. It has to be very positive from start to end in order to connect with people. A friendly, firm and compassionate referee makes players feel comfortable (safe).

Setting a good tone. In the first minutes of the game, the referee will let the players know by his actions if they are playing within the spirit of the game. There may be a few extra whistles if the game starts out choppy; or may be a few smiles if the players are providing beautiful soccer.

Foul recognition. Throughout the game the referee will look for opportunities to let the game flow if the play is fair, players are respectful of opponents and embracing the opportunity to play through some physical contact. The best referees identify simpler, key fouls early and throughout the game to help the players feel safe and remain under control. Example: fouls close to the benches.

Offside. The objective is to give the benefit of the doubt to the attacking game. If two or more players are involved in the attack, assistant referees will wait longer than before to provide the player(s) not in offside position with the best possible chance of playing the ball.

Teamwork with assistant referees. More than ever before, the referee will rely on the ARs and fourth official to get the call right! The referee has the primary responsibility for decisions, but with play being faster and more technical, he will need a lot of assistance from his peers. The referee team will be more effective at using the communication device and if needed, they will not hesitate to have a brief conference to check the facts and make the right decision.

So enjoy the games, take notes on what you like from the referees, wear your USA jersey and let your passion come out in support of our team!

May 27, 2010

When should I apply advantage in a foul situation?

Answer:

Per Law Five, referees have the power to apply and signal the advantage upon seeing a foul or misconduct committed if at that moment, allowing play to continue will benefit the team against which the foul has been committed. The referee may return to, and penalize the original foul, if the advantage situation does not develop as anticipated after a short while (guideline: two to three seconds). The referee should consider the following factors when deciding to apply advantage:

Severity of the offense – if the infringement warrants a send off, the referee must stop play to send off the guilty player unless there is clear opportunity to score a goal.

Match atmosphere - if the game is not under control the referee should stop play to avoid additional and stronger frustration.

Ball possession - active and credible ball control by the player who was fouled or a teammate.

Potential - the likelihood of continuing an immediate and dangerous attack on the opponent's goal.

Personnel involved - the number and skills of the attackers relative to the number and skills of the defenders within two to three seconds of the offense.

Proximity - the distance to the opponents' goal; the less the distance, the greater the potential for a goal to be scored.

Check out the following example.

In this video white player #15 fouls blue player #6 but the referee effectively applies advantage and a goal is scored.

Additional points about applying the advantage:

Regardless of the outcome of the advantage decision, the referee should deal with the infringement

If the offense warrants a caution, it must be issued at the next stoppage of play. However, unless there is a clear opportunity for scoring a goal, it is recommended that the referee stops play and cautions the player.

If the guilty player simply needs awareness, the referee should have a word with the player at the next opportunity.

Referees should note that the advantage is not defined solely in terms of scoring a goal.

The referee should not apply advantage for these two actions:

Trifling infractions – while an offense it has no significant impact upon play.

Doubtful offense – one which neither the referee nor assistant referees can attest to.

(See pages 21 and 66 in the 2009-10 AYSO edition of the Laws of the Game and pages 23 and 24 in the Advice to Referees on the Laws of the Game).

May 20, 2010

In our game, our best attacker took a shot on goal and the goalkeeper trapped the ball and brought it under his control. Then right after trapping the ball, while he was inside his penalty area, the goalkeeper made an attempt to grab one of our kids, # 9, when he was close by but he missed. If the goalkeeper would have grabbed our player, would it be a foul?

Answer:

There is not an "attempting to grab an opponent" foul but if the goalkeeper had grabbed the opponent, it would have been a holding foul. Since the holding foul would have happened inside the goalkeeper's penalty area, the restart would have been a penalty kick for the attacking team.

The goalkeeper's attempt to grab the opponent could be a sign of a potentially bigger issue, including frustration and possible retaliation. The referee should

Go by the goalkeeper and quickly and briefly talk to him

Tell the goalkeeper not to try grabbing opponents anymore

If the goalkeeper shares the reason for doing it such as… "Number 9 kicked me when his team took the last corner kick." then say… "I'll take care of it but stop trying to grab opponents or you will be in trouble"

Go by # 9 and ask him to be careful with his playing as you will be watching the action more closely.

The referee needs to be able to pick up signals and apply preventive referee mechanics in order to identify potential issues and steer the player's behavior in the right direction.

(See pages 32 and 110 in the 2009-10 AYSO edition of the Laws of the Game.)

May 13, 2010

I was the assistant referee in a game where in the second half the referee called handling of the ball outside the penalty area, raised his arm and awarded an indirect free kick. A person wearing a referee uniform came close to me and yelled at me that handling should be penalized with a direct free kick. Before the game was over, the referee called another handling of the ball and awarded another indirect free kick. The person in the referee uniform shouted at me and told me that he was the referee manager and could have me removed if I did not correct the referee. I asked him to be quiet and leave me alone or I would file a complaint. What is the right thing to do when a referee interferes with the referee team?

Answer:

It is very unfortunate to find fellow referees who exhibit behavior which is not in line with the referee's code of ethics and the AYSO Philosophy of Good Sportsmanship. Assuming that the referee called handling of the ball then yes, the referee was applying the Laws of the Game incorrectly and it should be penalized with a direct free kick. However, the referee decisions, right or wrong, do not give any person the right to interfere with the referee or the assistant referees. For similar incidents where a person continues to interfere with the referee team, consider the following recommendations: 1) At the next stoppage of play, identify the culprit and inform the coach that the person needs to stop interfering or he/she will be asked to leave the field; 2) Ask the referee if he called handling of the ball and if he/she says yes, remind him/her that the correct restart is a direct free kick; 3) Report the person's behavior to the proper authorities.

(See pages 32 and 111 in the 2009-10 AYSO edition of the Laws of the Game.)

May 6, 2010

In a U-16 girls game, red player #8 is in an offside position when her teammate passes the ball towards her. As the ball is moving, blue player #2 decides to intentionally deflect the ball with her hand towards red player #8 so she can be penalized for being offside. Red player #8 plays the ball. What should the referee call - offside or handling of the ball?

Answer:

The possible offside infringement happened first when the red player passed the ball towards her teammate, red player #8, who was in an offside position. The handling of the ball happened second, as it was done after the ball was moving towards the red player. If in the opinion of the referee, the blue player #2 would have stopped the ball and gained possession (controlled the ball) without handling the ball, there would be no infringement and play would have continued. However, the ball was deflected by the blue player. Any deflection, deliberate or not, by the opponent cannot change the referee's decision to penalize the offside infringement. Therefore the referee should penalize the offside, caution blue player #2 for unsporting behavior, show the yellow card to her, and restart with an indirect free kick for the blue team to be taken from the position of the offending player (red #8) when the ball was last played to her by her teammate.

(See pages 31 and 101 in the 2009-10 AYSO edition of the Laws of the Game.)

April 29, 2010

When the assistant referees signal offside, should they wait until the referee sees the flag? Or should they give the referee a few seconds, say three, and then drop the flag in order to get back in position?

Answer:

When the referee misses the assistant referee's flag signal for offside, the assistant referee should stand at attention with the flag raised, until the referee acknowledges the signal, the defending team gains clear possession of the ball or a goal kick or throw-in is awarded to the defending team. Recommendation for avoiding this situation: on every attacking pass in the attacking half of the field, the referee should automatically take a look at the assistant referee. This situation and recommendations should be covered in the referee pregame discussion.

(See page 92 in the 2009/2010 AYSO edition of the Laws of the Game and, page 31, Section 6.4 in the USSF Advice to Referees 2009-10.)

April 22, 2010

In a game I was watching, the referee had cautioned red #7 for dissent in the first half. In the second half, the same player (red #7) was assigned to be the goalkeeper. One minute before the end of the game, red #7 earned a caution but the referee did not caution him. When I asked the referee why, he said, "He deserved the second caution but if I would have cautioned him, he would have been sent off and would have to sit out a game. His team really needs him and I don't want to impact the team." Was the referee's action correct?

Answer:

The referee has the duty to enforce the Laws of the Game in order to conduct and manage a game that is played in a safe, fair and fun manner by both teams. When the referee provides good officiating, it generates enjoyment for players, coaches, parents and referees. Cautioning and sending off players is a challenging thing for referees to do, and it makes them feel bad, especially for less experienced officials. There are different reasons why we sometimes experience a guilty feeling when we caution and/or send off a player. We don't want to make kids feel bad, impact the outcome of the game, leave a team short, etc. However, by correctly applying disciplinary action when the players have earned the caution or send off, we actually provide positive impact to the players and the game. Players who get cautioned or sent off and receive an explanation from the referee learn to change their behavior for future games. Referees do not give yellow and red cards…players earn the caution or send off and therefore need to be warned (cautioned) or lose the privilege to participate (sent off) in the game. Cautioning and sending off players should never become an enjoyable action for referees, but we need to learn to accept it as one of our duties so we can maintain the best environment for games.

(See page 21 in the 2009-10 AYSO edition of the Laws of the Game.)

April 15, 2010

I asked three different referees what was the best position to take in a corner kick and I got three different answers. In your opinion, which is the best position?

Answer:

The best or optimal position is one that is intelligent and flexible so you can be at the right place, at the right time, to make the right decision. Positioning is intelligent when you keep the play between you and the assistant referee,do not interfere with play by getting hit with the ball and do not interfere with players by occupying space that they need. The referee can read the likely course of play and move quickly as play develops. Positioning is flexible when you're able to move inside if play requires it to project a stronger presence or, move outside if play requires it to get out of the way. Below are the recommended starting positions for the referee for the two corner kick possibilities with the referee represented by the letter "R". Feel free to pick different starting positions in order to accommodate the age of the players and to see as much of the action between players as you can. Remember to vary your position as things change so you can achieve the optimal position.

April 8, 2010

The blue team has effectively used the offside trap, stepping forward just before a red attacker passes the ball to a teammate, to leave the opponents in an offside position. In order to defeat the blue team's tactic, the red team starts placing a player in an offside position as a decoy. At the next attack by the red team, the red player with the ball pretends to pass the ball to the teammate in offside position. This causes the blue team to use the offside trap and move forward. However, the red player with the ball does not pass it to the teammate in offside position and instead, dribbles the ball pass the blue defensive line who was expecting an offside call to be made. Is the use of the decoy considered active participation and therefore offside should be called? Without the decoy the blue team would not have moved forward and gotten caught moving in the wrong direction.

Answer:

There is an old soccer saying: "Live by the trap…die by the trap!" For offside to be penalized, a player has to be in an offside position and then become involved in active play. The decoy player was in an offside position but did not become involved in active play because the teammate never passed the ball to him/her. Therefore in this scenario there is no offside to be penalized. In youth games, players are still learning about the game so the referee can help by verbalizing as she/he lets the play continue and points to the player in the offside position…"Keep playing. He/she is not involved." In every game, both teams have the opportunity to use smart and creative legal tactics to attack and defend. This is part of what makes for an enjoyable game for all players and spectators.

(See page 31 in the 2009-10 AYSO edition of the Laws of the Game.)

March 25, 2010

Some young children have little or no control of their bodies when they play soccer and therefore there are many accidental falls, trips, etc. How should proper foul recognition be done in these games?

Answer:

The referee enforces the Laws of the Game which means he/she has the discretion to determine what a foul is regardless of the level of play. Per Law 12, for an offense to be considered a foul it must be committed by a player, it must occur on the field of play, and occur while the ball is in play. Referees need to remember that intent is not an issue in deciding what is or is not a foul, regardless of age. An offense at the youngest age levels might still be considered a foul if it is determined to be careless. Making calls against fouls committed by young players can be a good learning experience to demonstrate intolerance for careless play. In youth games the referee should aim to keep the experience FUN, SAFE and focused on the children. Soccer games for young children are a significant educational experience, therefore, referees should help teach players what they can and cannot do, in a positive manner. It is recommended that when the referee stops play for a foul or other reason, he/she will need to explain to the players the reason for stopping the game, the expected change in behavior and, the consequence of not changing behavior.

Please keep reading Whistle Stop where we offer techniques, recommendations and tips which help referees manage games involving youth players. Also, be sure to attend all of the referee training sessions offered near you.

(See pages 21, 32 and 109 in the 2009-10 AYSO edition of the Laws of the Game.)

March 18, 2010

At a training session, the following discussion took place in regards to dropped ball and offside. The instructor said that a player may receive the ball and be in an offside position when the ball has been played to him from a teammate who received it from a dropped ball.

Situation Given: Blue player #10 and red player #5 are in place for a dropped ball. The referee drops the ball, the ball touches the ground, and red player #5 receives the ball and passes it to his teammate, red player #2, who was in an offside position when the ball was played to him. The instructor said that red player #2 is NOT offside since the ball was played to him by his teammate, red player #5, from a dropped ball. Was the instructor correct?

Answer:

Sometimes when we're instructing we share so much information that we end up providing some wrong information. I know because it has happened to me. Your instructor probably got confused when he was explaining the issue.

In a dropped ball situation, play restarts when the ball touches the ground. If the player who "wins" a dropped ball is in an offside position when he wins it, there is no offside no matter who last touched or played the ball just before the referee stopped play. However, this exemption applies only to that one player when he receives the ball directly after it is dropped; any subsequent playing of the ball to a teammate could result in an offside decision being made by the referee. That is, once he touches the dropped ball and every time a different player touches the ball, the referee team starts a new "snap-shot" for potential offside decisions. Therefore, in the scenario you described, the referee should call offside against red player #2 because he interfered with play by touching the ball passed by a teammate, and restart with an indirect free kick for the blue team.

(See pages 28, 31 and 100 in the 2009-10 AYSO edition of the Laws of the Game.)

March 4, 2010

In a U-16 game where I was the assistant referee, both a blue and a red player end up outside the field of play, behind the goal. The red player fouled the blue player by kicking him in retaliation for a previous foul. The referee gave a red card to the red player and restarted the game with a direct kick for the blue team. I thought the restart should be a goal kick since it was misconduct off the pitch.

What is the correct restart?

Answer:

Per Law 12, for an offense to be considered a foul, it must occur on the field of play. Therefore, an infringement of Law 12 that occurs off the field of play may be considered misconduct. In this case the red player kicked the blue player when he was not contesting for the ball which makes this a violent conduct offense so the referee was correct in showing the red card to the red player and sending him off. If the referee stopped play due to this misconduct, and in the referee's opinion the red player was off the field when he decided to commit the offense, then the play should have been restarted with a dropped ball from the position of the ball when play was stopped. If instead, the referee believed that the red player left the field of play in order to commit the offense, then play should have been restarted with an indirect free kick for the blue team, from the position of the ball when play was stopped.

For both restarts, dropped ball or indirect free kick, if play was stopped inside the goal area, the restart should be done on the goal area line parallel to the goal line at the point nearest to where the ball was located when play was stopped.

(See pages 35 and 109 in the 2009-10 AYSO edition of the Laws of the Game and pages 30, 48 and 61 in the USSF Advice to Referees on the Laws of the Game 2009-10 edition.)

February 25, 2010

When I referee, I start lining up players five minutes before the game starts for pregame instructions, checkups and all. Last Saturday I walked in the middle of the field at 10:12 for a game scheduled to start at 10:15 and called the teams for the pregame process. One of the coaches charged to the field and accused me of doing my pregame too early, but mind you it was almost 10:15 at that time. I told him what I was doing and he got mad, said I have an attitude and that his team would not play. Parents got upset at me and after some time, the coach came back and told me that he wanted to play the game but he still insisted that I was wrong.

To make a long story short, I told him that I respect him as a coach, he should respect me as a referee, that I'm in charge, and he should not interfere or complain about any of my decisions. The whole game he never complained or said any negative things. I called a good match and it was a very exciting game. His team won and at the end he gave me a big hug and thanked me for doing an excellent job. He said he wished I could referee all his games. He apologized for what happened earlier, so it ended on a good note. But did I do the right thing or not by lining up five minutes before the game started? Please let me know.

Answer:

It is beneficial to check players early enough to confirm the right number of players and to check that their equipment is safe and appropriate. However, per your description of the situation, there is a bigger, more important issue to discuss. Coaches and referees must work together to set up and maintain an environment which reflects the AYSO philosophies and supports the Kids Zone concept. Referees can help and benefit by connecting with the coaches, players and fans before the game starts so that it will be easier to effectively manage and officiate the game. Connecting is as much about "what we do" as well as about "how we do it." I believe you ended up connecting with the coach, and that when you officiate his future games, whether he loses or wins, he will still respect and value your officiating. Here is my recommendation for connecting with coaches and parents:

As soon as you get to the field, go over and introduce your referee team to both coaches and teams.

Smile and present a very positive attitude.

Remind them of the process you will follow to check the teams in and get the game started.

Ask if there is anything you can do to help them get ready (e.g. carry a small, practical ball pump and offer to help inflate the balls if needed).

Briefly stop by and say good morning or good afternoon to the parents.

About 15 minutes before the start of the game, conduct a brief check of both teams.

Ask if they will be ready to start on time.

Ask if there is anything they may need from you.

With 3-5 minutes before the start of the game, call both teams for the final check.

Sometimes it is challenging for coaches and parents to have all the kids on time and ready to play. Coaches get very focused on their plan, even to the minute, with their schedule of tasks. Anything that takes away from their plan or makes them change at the last minute might frustrate them. Therefore, connect with them as early as possible.
(See page 16, 18 and 63 in the 2009-10 AYSO edition of the Laws of the Game and pages 10 and 11 in the Guidance for Referees and Coaches - 2009 Edition.)

February 18, 2010

In my girls' game, one of the players on the other team tried to hit our defender with her elbow but was not successful. Since the contact was not made, the referee did not call anything. Is this right? The girls are 15 years old and they can get physical.

Answer:

As spectators, we should remember that the referee is often closer to play and typically has a better view then we do, so what may look like a foul to us, might not to the referee. Now let's look at what should help referees make correct decisions in situations similar to the one you described. Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct states that striking or attempting to strike an opponent in a manner considered by the referee to be careless, reckless or using excessive force is a foul punishable with a direct free kick. Therefore if in the opinion of the referee the girl in your game tried to elbow an opponent, the referee should have stopped the game and awarded a direct free kick to your team. If the referee judged the attempted strike to be reckless, then the player should be cautioned for unsporting behavior; if the attempted strike involved excessive force then the player should have been sent off for serious foul play. Sometimes it is challenging for the referee to get into a proper position to judge foul situations. Please take a look at the attached picture which shows a situation similar to your question.

The blue player's action is not safe and fair. Her left hand is a closed fist, her face is tensed (look at her lips), and her arm is locked in a position to use the elbow to make contact with the opponent. This action happens very fast so the referee has to have the right angle where he can see at least the elbow action. Often this action, sometimes retaliation, happens after at least one other, perhaps minor, incident happened before and the referee did not catch it. The referee needs to be aware of the players' emotions and manage minor incidents from the start to prevent this type of action, and if needed, position himself properly to see the foul.

(See page 32, 34, 109, 115 and 118 in the 2009-10 AYSO edition of the Laws of the Game.)

February 11, 2010

Is slide tackling allowed in AYSO?

Answer:

Yes, slide tackling is allowed in AYSO. Slide tackling is a sideways slide that attempts to knock the ball away from the opponent's feet. The referee must judge whether the tackle of an opponent is fair or whether it is careless, reckless, or involves the use of excessive force. For example, if the player making the slide tackle subsequently lifts his or her leg with the intent to cause the opponent to fall, then he/she is committing a foul. A player guilty of committing a foul while attempting to slide tackle should be penalized with a direct free kick or penalty kick if the offense is committed by a defender inside his/her penalty area. In U-12 or older games, a player who tackles an opponent in a manner that endangers the safety of the opponent, must be sent off for serious foul play.

Recommendation: Referees can look for the following player actions when evaluating a fair slide tackle:

Committed to the slide, looking at the ball and not the opponent;

Sliding on one of side of their body;

Leading with one leg, if sliding on their left side, leading with the right leg, extending the foot toward the ball, while the left leg is bent at approximately 90-degree angle;

Leaning partway down on the side of the leg as sliding in a more upright position will allow the player to spring up after the slide;

Making contact with the ball first;

Knocking the ball far out of reach away from their goal or tapping it more gently if they are attempting to gain possession; and

Using their left arm and left leg to quickly get up from the ground and get on their way.

In addition, the video below has an example of a correct slide tackle. The points below are related to the video clip.

Watch Video

This is a fair, sliding tackle and no foul should be called.

There is no unfair contact by white #2 with black #7 in this tackle.

Black #7 falls over white #2's leg after the ball has been cleared.

Players' awareness of one another.

Black #7 knows that white #2 is near and close to reach the ball.

White #2 commits himself to the tackle, looking at the ball.

Black #7 is expecting this tackle and his foot is not on the ball as white #2 makes contact with the ball.

Other players' reactions - no one even looks the referee's way for a call.

Everyone knows/senses that this has been a fair challenge.

In games with older or more experienced kids, referees should be expecting defenders to tackle in a situation similar to this one.

Referees should read play and get into a proper position to judge the intent and fairness of a tackle similar to this one.

(See pages 15, 16 and 72 in the AYSO Guidance for Referees and Coaches - 2009; page 12 in the AYSO National Referee Program - 2009 and; AYSO Basic Soccer Rules 2009; and page 48 in the USSF Advice to Referees on the Laws of the Game 2009-10.)

February 4, 2010

In a U-19 girls game during a free kick for the red team in the blue team's half of the field, the blue team defenders formed a wall 10 yards from the ball. Only the blue team goalkeeper was behind the blue team players. Red player #9 took a position in line with the blue team's defensive wall being careful to stand just slightly in an onside position. As her teammate runs to take the free kick, red #9 leaned forward so her head was behind the line of defensive players at the moment the ball was kicked into the empty space behind the wall. Red #9 was the first player to get to the ball and she scored. Was she offside?

Answer:

A player is in an offside position if she/he is nearer to her/his opponents' goal line than both the ball and the second-to-last opponent. This means that any part of the player's head, body or feet are nearer to the opponents' goal line, and the arms are not included in this definition. Since red #9 had her head closer to the opponents' goal, she was in offside position. And since she touched the ball which was passed or touched by a teammate, she was involved in active play by interfering with play. Therefore, the referee should disallow the goal and restart it with an indirect free kick for the blue team from the place where the infringement occurred.

(See pages 31 and 100 in the AYSO Guidance for Referees and Coaches, 2009 and page 40, section 11.1 in the USSF Advice to Referees on the Laws of the Game 2009-10.)

January 28, 2010

For our kid's game, the referee recruited fathers from the opposing team to be club linesmen. The club linesmen called offside against our team a few times in each half. Several parents expressed their unhappiness with the decisions because they believed this was not legal since the linesmen were fathers from the other team. Is this true? We lost a great goal and the game due to offside calls against our team.

Answer:

If qualified assistant referees are not available, which seemed to be the case in your kid's game, the referee should select Club Linesmen from volunteers present at the game who often are supporters of one of the clubs or teams playing in the game, thus the derivation of the name "Club Linesmen." This is a great opportunity for parents to get involved and be recruited as referee candidates. Because of their lack of official training, Club Linesmen should have limited responsibility. To encourage effective cooperation from Club Linesmen we recommend for the referee to follow this procedure:

Recruit the Club Linesmen before the start of the game with plenty of time to provide them with clear, specific and simple instructions that will help avoid confusion.

Make every effort to recruit one person from each team.

Thank them for volunteering and make them feel comfortable in accepting the responsibility.

Inform the Club Linesmen that their work is to signal only when the ball is entirely over the touchline or goal line subject always to the final decision of the referee.

Inform them that they will not signal offside and fouls.

This will put them at ease as they will know they only have one thing to signal.

Inform them that, regardless of their personal opinion, the referee's decision is final and must not be questioned.

The Club Linesmen must, for their part, fully appreciate the referee's authority and accept the referee's ruling without question should there be any difference of opinion among them. They must be supportive and never contradict the referee's decisions. They are to assist, not insist.

(See pages 11, 36 and 72 in the AYSO Guidance for Referees and Coaches - 2009, and page 32 in the USSF Advice to Referees on the Laws of the Game - 2009-10.)

January 21, 2010

I was coaching a U-12 boys game and my team had only seven players to start the game. A few minutes later the game was stopped for a throw-in for the opposing team who was playing with a full team of nine players. At this time I asked the referee to allow one of my players who showed up late, to enter the game. I was told that my player could not go into the game until my team had possession of the ball. I was not substituting but only wanted to add a player because we were playing short and play was stopped. Was this right?

Answer:

When a team is playing shorthanded for any reason other than having had one of its players sent off, that team may request to add a player at any stoppage. In the spirit of the game, the referee team should make every effort to help players enter the field of play as soon as possible for a team that is playing short. The assistant referee can help by inspecting the player's equipment and ensuring that paperwork is correct. Once the player has been properly checked-in then he/she should be allowed to enter the field of play at the next ball out play situation.

(See page 29 in the 2009-10 AYSO edition of the Laws of the Game.)

January 14, 2010

Answer:

When a team is playing shorthanded for any reason other than having had one of its players sent off, that team may request to add a player at any stoppage. In the spirit of the game, the referee team should make every effort to help players enter the field of play as soon as possible for a team that is playing short. The assistant referee can help by inspecting the player's equipment and ensuring that paperwork is correct. Once the player has been properly checked-in then he/she should be allowed to enter the field of play at the next ball out play situation.

(See page 29 in the 2009-10 AYSO edition of the Laws of the Game.)

January 7, 2010

In a U-16 boys game, red player #5 receives a caution in the 12th minute and another one in the 33rd minute. The referee team doesn't realize the same player was cautioned twice and allows red player #5 to play the entire first half. Can red player #5 participate in the second half since he did not receive a red card?

Answer:

A player who receives a second caution in the same game must be sent off. Since red player #5 was cautioned twice, he cannot participate in the second half and his team must play one man short. Before starting the second half, the referee should notify the player that he has been sent off because of the second caution. He should also briefly explain to the player and his coach that the referee team missed the fact that he was cautioned twice and therefore mistakenly allowed him to continue in the game until the halftime break.

If the referee notifies red player #5 while he is on the field before starting the second half, then he must show the player the red card. Normally after showing the second yellow card to a player, the referee shows him the red card. In this case because a long time has passed since the second yellow card was given to red player #5, it is OK to just show the red card. If the referee notifies red player #5 while he is away from the field, near the team bench area for example, there is no need to show him the red card. Finally, the referee must include details of this incident in the referee's game report.

(See page 35 in the 2009-10 AYSO edition of the Laws of the Game.)

December 17, 2009

I was told that it was wrong for a player to move the ball after it had been placed on the ground for the taking of a goal kick as it is a delaying tactic and it should not be allowed. Kids do this sometimes and I don't see this as a delay tactic. It usually takes a few seconds for a player to move the ball from one corner of the goal area to the other corner and kick it. This is a tactical move to open up one side of the field for the defending team and not a delay tactic. What's your thought regarding this?

Answer:

Moving the ball is, as you suggest, a tactic that players use and is typically allowed. Although we suggest that this tactic not be allowed to happen more than once per goal kick. In addition, referees need to be aware of delaying tactics especially when one team is winning and it is close to the end of the game. If the referee determines that there may be an attempt to delay the game, he should get close to the player taking the goal kick and verbally encourage the player to put the ball into play..."Please play the ball. Thank you."

Very often inexperienced players, especially the young ones, are learning about the game so they don't do this on purpose. In this case the referee can teach the player using a similar verbal technique and briefly explaining why..."Please put the ball down inside the goal area (as you point to a place in the goal area) and play it so we won't waste time. Thank you."

November 12, 2009

I was refereeing a U-10 game this weekend when the blue team had a breakaway. Just before kicking the ball, a blue player was pushed hard from behind inside the penalty area. He stumbled and then regained control of the ball. The blue player kicked the ball into the goal. When the player was pushed I immediately blew the whistle and then got the ball out of the net and set it up for a penalty kick. As I looked to my assistant referee she was talking with the coach of the blue team and calling me over with her hand. The blue team coach told me that the advantage was not taken away from the blue player and that the goal should be counted. I discussed this with my assistant referee and she agreed with the blue team coach. I awarded the goal to the blue team, forgetting the penalty kick altogether. Was this the right call?

Answer:

Play stops when the referee makes the decision to stop play and the whistle announces this decision to everyone else. In this case, when the whistle was blown, play was stopped just before the blue player kicked the ball. Unfortunately, the ball went into the goal and this is why in similar scenarios referees should consider applying advantage. That is, show the proper advantage signal, verbalize "play on" to indicate that you have seen the foul and allow play to continue when the team against which an offense has been committed will benefit from such an advantage. Since you stopped play before the goal was scored, you should have restarted the game with the penalty kick in favor of the blue team.

For future games consider waiting a couple of seconds for the fouled player to recover if the foul is not very severe and the position of the foul is close to the opponent's goal where there may be an opportunity to score a goal. The referee can penalize the original offense, within a few seconds, if the advantage does not develop as anticipated.

(See page 21, 66 and 75 in the 2009-10 AYSO edition of the Laws of the Game; section 9.1 in the AYSO Guidance for Referees and Coaches - 2009 edition).

November 5, 2009

My daughter plays in U-10. Her team was awarded a penalty kick and the other team decided to change goalkeepers prior to the taking of the penalty kick. I understand that in games that play under full FIFA rules, you may change a goalkeeper at any stoppage provided that you have the referee's consent, but this is U-10 and they play under modified rules (i.e. substitutions at quarter breaks).

It seems to me that the change should not have been allowed considering that our Region's rules state that positions should be played for a full quarter, and in this instance the two players shared the goalkeeper responsibilities during the quarter without either one playing the entire quarter. It just happened that their star player was the person that they placed in goal for the penalty kick. Please advise.

Answer:

Changing a player is different than substituting a player.

Changing the goalkeeper with any of the other players on the field of play is allowed provided that the referee is informed before the change is made, and the change is made during a stoppage in the match. Therefore, if the goalkeeper was changed with another player on the field (not substituted) and the referee was notified of the change before it was made, there were no infringement to the Laws of the Game.

As you stated, in AYSO substitutions are allowed only during "quarters" or right after an injury. Substitutions are managed by the referee during a stoppage of play approximately midway into the first and second halves, "quarters." If the team substituted the goalkeeper with a player who was not on the field of play and it was not a "quarter" break, then the goalkeeper was incorrectly allowed to leave her position.

(See page 16 in the 2009-10 AYSO edition of the Laws of the Game; pages 7 and 8 in the AYSO Guidance for Referees and Coaches, 2009-10 edition.)

October 29, 2009

Several people asked us about the incident with the beach ball at the game Sunderland vs. Liverpool. A beach ball came out of the stands and onto the field of play while play was going on. The Sunderland player kicked the soccer ball toward the goal. It hit the beach ball and then deflected into the goal. The referee allowed the goal to count. Should the goal count?

Answer:

The referee should be careful in dealing with objects thrown onto the field during a game. In professional games, often items such as confetti or other paper products are harmless celebration and can be ignored. Usually stadium personnel remove these items when the play is away from the objects. However, other objects, such as bottles, sharp objects or fireworks, are inherently dangerous for players, officials or persons in the technical areas, and play must be stopped as quickly as possible and a decision made as to whether the match must be terminated or if play may be safely resumed.

There are situations where objects thrown onto the field may not be dangerous, such as a beach ball, but have the possibility of interfering with play. Such was the case with the beach ball in this game, where an unfair goal was scored by the Sunderland team as the soccer ball was deflected by the beach ball.

In all games, professional and amateur, the referee should decide what action to take by considering: (a) whether the foreign object(s) are sufficiently numerous to make the playing surface unsafe if stepped on, (b) whether the foreign object(s) will cause confusion on the part of players (e.g., a ball or similar object), and (c) whether the potentially unsafe or unfair conditions are limited to one end of the field and hence might disadvantage one team over another.

In this game, the referee should have stopped the game, disallowed the goal because the beach ball interfered with the game, and restart with a dropped ball where the ball was when it was deflected by the beach ball.

(See page 28 in the 2009-10 AYSO edition of the Laws of the Game and page 23 in the USSF Advice to the Referees on the Laws of the Game, 2009-10 edition.)

October 22, 2009

Two opposing players are challenging for the ball. Their momentum carries them off the field, just outside the penalty area, behind the goal line. With the ball still in play in the penalty area, both players are still off the field of play when the red team attacker starts heading for the ball. The blue team defender holds him outside the field of play so he can't go for the ball.

What, if any, infraction occurred? What, if any, misconduct occurred?

If play is stopped, what is the restart?

Answer:

No foul has occurred since the infraction occurred off the field of play. The referee has two options to consider.

Option 1: Stop the game and, depending on the age of the players, show the yellow card to the blue team defender and caution him/her for unsporting behavior (preventing the opponent from getting to the ball). In a U-10 or younger level game, it is recommended that the referee not use cards and instead manage such situations by verbally admonishing the players and teaching them about appropriate behavior. Because the incident takes place off the field of play, restart with a dropped ball where the ball was when play was stopped.

Option 2: The referee may decide to wait and see what happens. The referee may apply advantage and allow play to continue if the red team attacker breaks free, gets back into the field of play and ends up controlling the ball, especially if there is an opportunity to score. In this scenario, the referee should verbally admonish the blue team defender at the first opportunity to make it clear that holding is not an acceptable action.

(See pages 34 and 115 in the 2009-10 AYSO edition of the Laws of the Game.)

October 15, 2009

In a boys U-19 game, I blew the whistle to indicate that defender #4 impeded the progress of attacker #14. As I'm pointing in the direction of the defender's goal, the attacker pushed the defender to the ground. The pushing seemed more serious to me than the foul committed by the attacker so I gave a direct free kick in favor of the defender's team. I had several parents complain but I proceeded with the direct kick.

Was I right?

Answer:

The moment you decided that defender #4 committed the offense of impeding the progress of an opponent (attacker #14), the ball was out of play and you stopped the game. You confirmed your decision and made the players aware of it by blowing the whistle. Since you stopped the game for the impeding offense, the restart should have been an indirect free kick in favor of the attacking team. Attacking player #14 committed the pushing offense when the ball was out play; therefore, the restart should have remained the same. In addition, attacking player #14 committed a cautionable offense, which was pushing the opponent when the ball is out of play. For this reason, you should have shown the yellow card to attacking player #14 and cautioned him for unsporting behavior (pushing the player to the ground).

In a U-19 game, showing the yellow card and cautioning is acceptable as the players are older and most likely have higher levels of technical and physical skills. In a U-12 or younger game, it is recommended to the referee not to use cards and instead manage similar situations by verbally admonishing the players and teaching them about appropriate behavior.

(See pages 29, 33, 34 and 109 in the 2009-10 AYSO edition of the Laws of the Game, and pages 41, 43 and 45 in the AYSO National Referee Program-2009 Edition.)

October 8, 2009

I had a player tell me that he needed to wear a sweatband on his head because he sweats a lot and the sweat makes his eyes so irritable that he cannot see or play well. Should I allow the use of sweatbands? I have never considered these items as necessary or part of standard equipment, and I ask players to remove them.

Answer:

The referee should check and decide if the sweatband is dangerous to the player wearing it or another player. While sweatbands are not part of the basic equipment, they are generally accepted as supplementary player equipment. Referees should use the following guideline when evaluating the safety of sweatbands: If the band is elastic, flexible and soft, it should be allowed. The referee should also consider other guidance which may be provided by local competition authorities.

(See pages 18, and 63 in the 2009-10 AYSO edition of the Laws of the Game, pages 66 and 68 in the AYSO Guidance for Referees and Coaches publication and the USSF Position Paper, Hair Control Devices , dated 06/08/09.)

October 1, 2009

I'm refereeing for the first time and so far the referees have talked to me about my responsibilities during the pregame. Do assistant referees need another talk at half-time or just in the pregame discussion?

What's the right call?

Answer:

First, thank you for volunteering to referee as we're happy to welcome everyone who wants to join the AYSO referee team. We're glad that your peers are sharing information with you during the pregame discussions. This helps the referee team develop and share a plan to officiate the game which can be reviewed and modified during the halftime discussion. At the end of the first half, referees are somewhat tired and mentally overwhelmed as they have just completed the first half. Often, this situation gets in the way of having a good halftime game discussion, and therefore we miss a great opportunity to evaluate our plan and modify it as needed to successfully referee the second half. The halftime period should be used by the referee team to prepare physically and mentally to officiate the second half which always offers more challenges as players are more tired and frustration is more likely to show up. This can be done by taking care of basic physical needs and evaluating and re-planning what the referees need to do in the second half.

Referees should consider the following actions for the halftime period:

Leave the field walking together to project teamwork.

Stay healthy actions:

Drink water to rehydrate and maintain good health.

If really hungry, take a small portion of food, preferably fruit.

If needed, use the bathroom.

Do stretching exercises to relax the muscles.

Share information useful for evaluating and planning.

Have a discussion while you are stretching, drinking water, etc.

Check game score and update game record.

Check cautions and/or send-offs and update game record.

Identify players with potential frustration:

Consider talking to them before starting the second half.

Keep a close watch on them.

Have there been a lot of fouls?

Get ready to manage frustration.

Do you have players with multiple fouls, persistent infringements?

Consider talking to them before starting the second half.

Is play getting careless, reckless or using excessive force?

Consider tightening the game with a few more fouls recognitions.

Consider talking to players throughout the second half.

Are you calling too many fouls and frustrating players?

Consider loosening up your foul recognition.

Is one team getting significantly more tired than the other team?

Watch out for increasing, careless or reckless contact.

Manage potential frustration by talking to players.

Is one team significantly dominating the game more?

Watch out for increasing, careless or reckless contact.

Manage potential frustration by talking to players.

Is the score significantly lopsided?

Watch out for increasing, careless or reckless contact.

Manage potential frustration by talking to players.

September 24, 2009

During my daughter's match this weekend, her opponent's attacker kicked the ball into the penalty area and one of our defenders raised her arms over her head to protect herself but still created a foul resulting in a penalty kick. The ball, however, deflected off her arms and went into the goal. I thought the referee should have awarded the goal but perhaps he whistled to stop play.

What's the right call?

Answer:

The way you describe the scenario, it seems like the referee could have waited, allowed the ball to go in for a score and award the goal to the opponent. However, there are times when even the most experienced referees "jump the gun" and blow the whistle a bit too soon.

Law 5 - The referee, provides a clause that allows referees to apply and signal "advantage," that is, allows play to continue when the team against which an offense has been committed will benefit from such advantage and penalizes the original offense if the anticipated advantage does not ensue at that time.

Referees should consider the following when deciding to apply advantage:

The attacking team has a good chance of scoring a goal or, maintaining or regaining control of the ball with a good chance for generating a scoring possibility.

The referee should penalize the original infraction if the advantage does not develop quickly (2-3 seconds).

Advantage does not require that a goal be scored.

If the ball goes out of play across a boundary line, the referee may still penalize the original infraction.

Advantage can only be applied to infringements of Law 12.

Advantage cannot be applied to other offenses under the Laws of the Game (ex: violation of Law 15 - Throw-in, Law 11 - Offside, player touching the ball a second time after a restart, etc.).

Play should be stop if the safety of a player(s) is at risk or a misconduct generates a high possibility for player retaliation.

Advantage is applied more at games with players that have higher levels of technical and physical skills.

(See page 21 and 45 in the 2009-10 AYSO edition of the Laws of the Game).

September 17, 2009

We had a goalkeeper receive the ball with his feet from the attacking team, and then dribble the ball to corner of the penalty area near the goal line, kneel down next to the ball and wait for the attacking team to come and pressure the ball. The center ref gave him a verbal warning for delaying the game. The goalkeeper said he was not doing anything wrong technically speaking because he had not picked up the ball. I think he was in a way taunting the other players by getting down on his knees next to the ball and should have been cautioned.

What do you think?

Answer:

Technically, the goalkeeper did not break the Laws of the Game by dribbling the ball to the corner of the penalty area and waiting until the opponent was close to pick up the ball. Experienced and knowledgeable goalkeepers do this when they are winning a game. However, depending on the age of the players, their skill level and the level of frustration, there is a risk that the attacking player may get to the ball faster and with additional strength than the goalkeeper can safely pick it up, creating a situation for potential injury.

The referee was correct to provide awareness to the goalkeeper, but delaying the game is not the correct reason to site. Instead, a better approach is to get close to the goalkeeper and verbally communicate: "Play the ball to your teammates so we can keep the game fun and safe. Thank you." This provides a chance for the goalkeeper to pick up the ball or just kick it to a teammate in a safe environment.

(See section 12.20 and its related note in the USSF Advice to the Referees.)

September 10, 2009

In our game, the assistant referee waived his flag after the other team fouled our player barely inside the penalty area. The referee whistled the foul, and I saw the assistant referee run to the corner flag so we thought our team would get a penalty kick. The referee jogged to a point just outside the penalty area and indicated a direct free kick.

Did the assistant referee give the wrong signal for a penalty kick?

Answer:

The scenario/question you shared is very challenging as it is about perception in the opinion of the referee. The assistant referee (AR) has the duty, subject to the decision of the referee, to indicate when an offense has been committed whenever the AR has a better view than the referee, including offenses committed in the penalty area.

In this case, provided the AR saw a direct free kick foul inside the penalty area, he used the proper signal to indicate the foul, signaled with a flag straight up and a slight wave after the referee made eye contact. Before jogging to the corner flag, the assistant referee probably held the flag across his lower body, which completed the signal and then, went to the corner flag to indicate that the foul was inside the penalty area.

However, the referee has the responsibility to make the final decision as he uses the information provided by the assistant referees. In this case, the referee thought the foul was committed just outside the penalty area and indicated the direct free kick on the spot where he believed the foul occurred. It is very likely that the referees discussed this decision after the game and looked for ways to be more synchronized as a team in order to correctly identify all fouls and misconducts.

(See pages 25, 93 and 94 in the 2009-10 AYSO edition of the Laws of the Game, and the USSF memo, dated May 8, 2009 which modified page 37 of the Guide to Procedures for Referees, Assistant Referees and 4th Officials, located here.)

September 3, 2009

We have a coach who, as his player is ready to take a corner kick to put the ball in play, he yells to a different player to take the kick instead. As the second player gets close to the corner, the first player passes the ball to him and he turns, dribbles and shoots on goal or makes a pass into the penalty area. In the U-10 games, this creates confusion and I feel it is a form of trickery which is aimed at circumventing the laws.

Am I correct? Is the coach guilty of unsporting behavior?

Answer:

Per Law 12: Fouls and Misconduct, the term unsporting behavior applies only to players and not coaches.

When a coach misbehaves, his actions are identified and documented in the game report as coach acted in an irresponsible manner.

The Laws of the Game allow a coach to provide tactical instructions to his players as long as he does it from the designated technical area.

Therefore, in the scenario described in this question, as long as the coach was within his designated technical area, he was not guilty of acting in an irresponsible manner.

Other examples of fair deception are:

When a player does a "dummy run."

An attacking player who intentionally positions himself in an offside position but, does not participate in the play and allows a teammate in good position to go after the ball.

Recommendation: Our coaching and refereeing members need to always remember our philosophy, Positive Coaching, and the Spirit of the Law.

(See pages 29, 34 and 52 in the 2009-10 AYSO edition of the Laws of the Game.)

August 27, 2009

The Laws of the Game, page 33, state within the last bullet, "commits any other offense, not previously mentioned in Law 12, for which play is stopped to caution or send off a player."

My question is what other offense is being referred to, which is not previously mentioned in Law 12?

Answer:

The Laws of the Game can not include every possible example of offenses and/or misconducts that can happen within a game, as it would take a lot of paper and it would probably still miss a few.

However, with the last bullet on page 33, the Laws of the Game empower the referee to identify, in his opinion, other incidents where the game must be stop to caution or send off a player and restart the game with an indirect free kick.

Examples of indirect free kicks are when a player:

Attempts to deceive the referee by feigning injury.

Attempts to deceive the referee by pretending to have been fouled (simulation).

Acts in a manner that shows lack of respect for the game.

Plays the ball when he is walking off the field of play after being granted permission to leave the field of play.

Verbally distracts an opponent during play.

Uses a deliberate trick while the ball is in play to pass the ball to his own goalkeeper with his head, chest, knees, etc. in order to circumvent the law, irrespective of whether the goalkeeper touches the ball with his hands or not.

(See page 115 the current AYSO edition of the Laws of the Game.)

August 20, 2009

The blue team has control of the ball in the red team's penalty area.

A red player away from the ball screams, "I am hurt!" at the referee.

The player is still standing and is not involved in the play, and no officials have signaled a foul.

In this case, the official stopped play, had the injured red player substituted (walked off unassisted) and restarted with a dropped ball where the ball was when the game was stopped.

Was this OK?

Answer:

Referees have a responsibility to facilitate a game which is fun, fair and safe for everyone involved.

At the same time, within the spirit of the game, the referee may allow play to continue until the ball is out of play, if in his opinion a player is only slightly injured.

In the scenario presented above, the referee believed the player was injured enough to stop play.

Applying the spirit of the game, the referee could have asked the red team to kick the ball back to the blue team, who had control at the time he stopped the game.

Recommendation: When in doubt about an injury, stop play and request assistance for the injured player.

(See page 21 the 2009/2010 AYSO edition of the Laws of the Game and page 71 of the current AYSO Guidance for Referees and Coaches.)

August 13, 2009

The referee asked a player to leave the field because he had blood on his shirt. The player left the field and changed his shirt. Then he went back into the game while the ball was in play, without letting the referees know.

Is this OK? Should the referee do something?

Answer:

The referee has to show the player the yellow card and caution him for re-entering the field of play without the referee's permission.

(See page 34 the current AYSO edition of the Laws of the Game.)

Good Refereeing:

Referees have to help players understand/know the laws of the game.

After asking the player to leave the field to change his shirt, the referee can say:

"Please let the assistant referee (AR) know when you have changed your shirt and he/she will let you know when you can return to the game. Thank you."

In the pregame instructions, the referee must discuss this situation with the ARs so it can be managed properly in order to help players avoid a caution for re-entering the field without the referee's permission.

August 6, 2009

If a corner kick is taken by the red team, and the ball glances off the back of a blue team's defender and goes to a different red team player in an offside position, should offside be called?

Answer:

Offside should not be called.

A corner kick which is not "controlled" by a defender but simply glances off the defender to an attacker does not negate the exception from offside provided to the first player to receive the ball from a corner kick.

A corner kick which is "controlled" by a defender and then inadvertently goes directly to an attacker in an offside position is also not offside because the ball was not last played by a teammate.

(See page 31 the current AYSO edition of the Laws of the Game.)

July 30, 2009

The referee team ended the first half of a U-16 game after only 35 minutes had been played.

The referee team didn't realize this until the second half had already started.

According to the Laws of the Game, what should be done?

Answer:

The referee cannot add the missing five minutes from the first half. Play 40 minutes in the second half plus any time allowance for time lost.

Document in the game report that the game was short five minutes in the first half.

Recommendation: Always confirm the duration of the match during the pre-game discussion with peers.

(See pages 26 and 95 in the AYSO edition of the Laws of the Game.)

July 23, 2009

What should the referee do when he gets to the field and one of the assistant referees (ARs) has not shown up (Missing Assistant Referee)?

What should the ARs do when the referee has not shown up (Missing Referee)?

Answers:

Missing Assistant Referee(s):

The referee should check with both teams and request volunteer(s) to act as club linesmen. Club linesmen assist the referee by raising the flag straight up into the air when the ball is entirely over the goal line or the touch line. This is the only assistance club linesmen are asked to provide. The referee remains responsible for all other decisions, including those that would otherwise be made by neutral assistant referees.

The referee should provide a demonstration for the club linesmen, with patience and encouragement, on how to signal with the flag when the ball is out of play.

(See 6.6 of USSF Advice to Referees on the Laws of the Game.)

Missing Referee:

The ARs discuss who has the appropriate experience to officiate the match and determine who will be the referee between the two of them. Then, they should recruit a club linesman, per the guidance above, to have a three-referee team.

When neither of the ARs feels confident enough to officiate the match, if at all possible they should attempt to reach the competition organizers to inform them of the situation and to see if another referee can be quickly assigned. Otherwise, if there is no currently registered, trained and certified AYSO referee present, the ARs should notify both teams that the game must be canceled and make the appropriate report.

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