Sending Off and Cautionable Offenses

Date: May 2, 2008

The attached memorandums (English and Spanish) have been updated to reflect recent Law Interpretations. These are intended to guide referees in identifying correctly the reasons for taking action against misconduct.

7+7 Memo 2008 (English) (pdf file, 76kb)
7+7 Memo 2008 (Spanish) (pdf file, 80kb)

Advantage Application

From MLS Week in Review - Week 5 ending April 27

The ability to apply the advantage is a hallmark of a top-class referee and AR. Application comes from a "feel" for the game and the ability to have patience in the application of the laws. A great advantage is a sight to behold and enhances the beauty of the game. This season, our referee teams have been on the winning end of four advantages that have resulted in goals. However, referees are still playing it "safe" with some decisions that are clearly candidates for holding the whistle and seeing if an effective attack materializes. Remember, you can always come back after applying a "wait and see" mentality. As you watch the 3 clips below, consider the "4 P Principle" of Advantage Application:

• Possession of ball: control by team or player.
• Potential for attack: ability to continue a credible and dangerous attack.
• Personnel: skill of attackers, numerical advantage.
• Proximity to opponent's goal: closeness to goal.

Note: This principle will be further introduced at the Mid-Season Pro Seminar.

Clinic Announcements

Just a reminder on June 28th (see STSR website) there will be an Advanced Referee Clinic in Houston. The clinic will count for recertification for Grade 8 referees as well as all but the PT portions of the grade 7 recertification and state referee recertification aside from the PTs and assessments; for those of you who cannot make the November recertification clinics. It is planned to make the written tests available during the clinic.

On the 29th of June will be the combined Instructor/Assessor In-Service.

Bob Mohler, SDI

(Ed. Note: There will also be a Grade 8 Recrtification in Webster May 24.)

Allowance for Time Lost

Date: April 22, 2008

Allowance is made in any period of play (including extra time) for time lost through substitutions, assessment of injuries, removal of players from the field of play for treatment, time wasting and any other cause. The specific amount of the allowance is at the discretion of the referee, although the International Football Association Board (IFAB) has advised that the full time lost due to injuries should be allowed. By tradition, the primary focus of this provision in Law 7 is on delays in the restart of play which are excessively prolonged. Among examples of "other cause" would be the need for the officiating team to confer regarding the identity of players committing misconduct; confrontations with officials; the removal of streamers, debris or other objects thrown on to the field which interrupts the game; pitch incursions by spectator(s); and so forth.

In order to standardize the procedures by which "additional time" is being allowed in a period of play, the following guidelines are adopted:

• During the two minutes before the expiration of each period of play the Referee must inform the Fourth Official, either visually or verbally, of the amount of time allowed. This time shall be stated to the closest lower minute (i.e., 1 minute, 30 seconds will be expressed as 1 minute).
• The Fourth Official will be responsible for displaying this time at but not before the close of the affected period of play. Number panels or an electronic substitution board would be most commonly used for this purpose and the display of the remaining time should be prominent.
• Other Fourth Official duties (e.g., managing substitutions) must take precedence over the display of time remaining.
• In the absence of a Fourth Official, the referee will follow the above guidelines in all respects but will convey the remaining time to the assistant referee closer to the teams who will then so inform both coaches.

This minimum time does not indicate the exact amount of time left in the match nor does it preclude more time being added to the allowance for any subsequent injuries or additional delays (including time wasting). However, no further communication with or by the Fourth Official will be necessary.

Once the indication of the minimum time allowed has been given by the Fourth Official, this time cannot be reduced. It is the minimum expected by everyone involved in the game. Referees are therefore to ensure that a period of play is not ended prior to the expiration of the announced remaining time.

Clubs are reminded that the Public Address Announcer should announce: "There will be a minimum of _____ minutes allowance for time lost. Official time is being kept on the field by the referee."

Allowance for Time Lost.pdf

Advantage in the Penalty Area

Date: April 11, 2008

Special circumstances govern the application of advantage for offenses committed by defenders inside their own penalty area. Although the basic concept of advantage remains the same, the specific decision by the referee must be governed by both the close proximity to the goal and the likelihood of scoring from the penalty kick restart if play is stopped instead of applying advantage.

The basic elements of the decision are straightforward:

• Advantage is a team concept and thus the referee must be aware not only of the fouled player's ability to continue his or her attack but also of the ability of any of the player's teammates to continue the attack themselves.
• Advantage has been applied when the decision is made, not when the advantage signal is given. The signal itself may often be delayed for 2-3 seconds while the referee evaluates the advantage situation to determine if it will continue.
• Where it does not continue, the Laws of the Game provide for the referee to stop play for the original foul.
• If the original foul involved violence, the referee is advised not to apply advantage unless there is an immediate chance of scoring a goal.

Inside the penalty area, the competitive tension is much greater and the referee is called upon to make quicker decisions. The time during which the referee looks for advantage to continue becomes defined by the probability of scoring a goal directly following the foul or from the subsequent play.

In the attached clip of an incident occurring in the 27th minute of a match on April 9 between New England and Kansas City. NE defender #31 (Nyassi) fouls KC attacker #11 (Morsink) near the top of the penalty area. Just as Morsink is fouled, however, he passes the ball to his teammate #19 (Sealy).

The referee properly recognized the advantage but then whistled for the foul against Morsink after he decided that a goal would not be scored by Sealy. In fact, Sealy made a shot on goal just as the whistle sounded and the ball failed to enter the net.

• In the absence of a whistle stopping play and if the ball had entered the net, the advantage would clearly have continued and the goal would be counted.
• If, in this case, the ball had entered the goal after the whistle had sounded, the goal could not be counted.
• Ideally, the referee in this incident should have delayed stopping play for the original foul until he saw more concretely what Sealy would have been able to do with the ball.

In this incident, the penalty kick for the original foul was successful.

Advantage And The Penalty Area.pdf

Match Reports Involving Discipline

Date: April 7, 2008

A Circular (No. 1137) recently received from FIFA's General Secretary emphasized the importance of referee match reports in properly evaluating acts of misconduct for any further response by FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee. The issues raised by the Circular are equally important for the professional leagues, high level youth and amateur leagues, and major tournaments in this country. The same concerns are also felt in the regional and state associations.

Although all aspects of the referee's match report must meet high standards of clarity, accuracy, brevity, and pertinence, those sections involving misconduct require special attention, and reporting on acts of misconduct leading to a send off merit the highest concern. The need for effective match reporting starts at the lowest competitive level and becomes ever more critical as the competitive level of the match increases. State Referee Administrators and State Directors of Instruction are strongly urged to ensure that effective match reporting is incorporated in their training of senior referees.

In order for Disciplinary Committees to evaluate serious misconduct, match reports must start with:

• The name of (and additional identifying information for) the player who was sent off
• The time of the send off
• The specific reason in the Laws of the Game for the send off (Law 12)

In addition, however, the referee must supply sufficient detail regarding the circumstances of the misconduct to aid in evaluating its level of seriousness. Among the factors that should be addressed, where relevant, are:

• Whether the action occurred during a challenge for the ball
• Whether the misconduct occurred at a stoppage of play or during play
• If anyone was injured as a consequence of the misconduct
• Whether there was any prior incident that may have led to the player’s actions
• The demeanor of the player during the send off (including any difficulties in implementing the player’s removal from the field)
• The location of the action in relation to the goal line and penalty area being attacked at the time
• The subsequent intrusion of any other players (teammates or opponents) during the time the referee is managing the send off
• The specific words or gestures which were determined to be insulting, offensive, or abusive
• The identity of the opponent or official toward whom the misconduct was directed
• A summary of the prior misconduct (or a reference to the section of the report which detailed the prior caution) preceding the second caution for which the player was sent off
• The identity of the assistant referee, fourth official, or reserve assistant referee who provided independently observed facts to the referee regarding the misconduct
• All other details of the action which materially shaped the decision to send the player off

Any other facts which a Disciplinary Committee might decide it needs as a result of its review of the match report can be supplied by the referee on request of the Committee, but the most useful information will come from a properly completed, accurate, detailed, and clear match report. Match reports provided independently by assistant referees, fourth officials, or reserve assistant referees should follow these guidelines as well.

Match Reports And Discipline.pdf

Objects on the Field

Date: April 3, 2008

Soccer matches are exciting events, attended by partisan fans who celebrate the successes and bemoan the reverses of their favorite team. They wave flags, blare trumpets, beat drums, swirl scarves, and, sometimes, they throw things onto the field. Usually, what is thrown onto the field (confetti and streamers) is inconsequential, at most a momentary distraction.

At times, however, what is thrown onto the field constitutes a serious interference in the match, either because of the specific nature of the object (e.g., bottles or lit fireworks) or because of the volume of the material covering the field and making the surface dangerously unstable. In such cases, the referee must suspend play, preferably at a stoppage called for some other reason but otherwise without delay if the issue is the safety of the players, the officials, or team personnel in the technical areas. Before play can be resumed, it is the responsibility of the home club (the organization sponsoring the match) to resolve the problem without undue delay. Under certain circumstances, the referee may consider removing players from the field for their safety during this time.

A more difficult case is presented when what is thrown onto the field is not intrinsically dangerous but carries the threat of interfering with play in some significant way. Referees are, of course, alert to such interference when a ball enters the field and comes close enough to play to be mistaken for the match ball. Another example that might be cited is an EPL match (Sheffield United v. Manchester City) in which, about 10 minutes into the first half, the ball was played into the attacking third of the field at a time when more than a dozen balloons were also in the area (it may be important to note that the balloons were generally similar to the match ball in size and color).

On a shot across the face of the goal, the ball hit a balloon, causing the former to be redirected slightly and the latter to be knocked toward the goal. Further play resulted in other balloons moving and bouncing in front of the goalkeeper. A goal was scored during what may have been a very confusing few seconds.

In these "gray area" situations, the referee must evaluate a number of factors in order to determine if and when play should be suspended until the problem is resolved.

• What is the likelihood that the foreign object(s) might interfere with the safe movement of the players?
• What is the likelihood that the foreign object(s) might confuse players and/or disrupt the flow of play?
• Is the problem with foreign object(s) primarily at one end of the field and therefore more likely to disadvantage one team over another?

Play should not be suspended for inconsequential reasons and the referee must remain vigilant to the possibilities of the match being disrupted by the sudden appearance of unwanted objects on the field. Match officials must be sensitive to things which interfere unduly with the beauty of the sport and make a mockery of skilled play.

Objects On The Field.pdf

Padded Goal Structures

Date: March 14, 2008

An issue has recently arisen regarding whether, under the Laws of the Game, the goalposts and/or the crossbar may be padded. The suggestion has been made that this could be considered a safety issue, that such padding is commercially available, and that it could be applied in such a way that the dimensions of the goal structure remain within the requirements of Law 1.

Despite these understandable concerns and good intentions, U.S. Soccer cannot approve the use of padding on goalposts or crossbars in affiliated matches for the following reasons:

• The Laws of the Game do not include padding of the goalposts and/or the crossbar as part of the equipment used on a field.
• The Laws of the Game already provide for the referee's obligation to not permit a game to be played if, in the opinion of the referee, the goal is dangerous in any way.
• An unpadded goal structure is not inherently dangerous.
• Padding could hide defects or dangerous goal conditions and interfere with the referee's evaluation of the safety of the goal.
• Padding on the goal structure could interfere in unpredictable ways with the play of the ball.

U.S. Soccer takes note of the fact that some matches might be played on fields controlled by public authorities which themselves require the padding of goal structures as a condition for using their facilities.

Padded Goal Structures.pdf

Offside Myths

Date: October 17, 2007

In response to the suggestion that there is "widespread confusion" regarding Law 11 (Offside), the allegation that referees are being inconsistent in applying the requirements of this Law, and the increasing use of phrases like "passive offside," we would like to offer the following brief explanation to assist in understanding the meaning and application of Law 11.

There is no such thing as "active offside" or "passive offside" despite the common use of these terms, particularly by commentators. They are, at best, merely shorthand phrases coined for easy reference to the two central concepts in Law 11. Unfortunately, as with so many shorthand phrases, they often confuse rather than clarify what needs to be understood. In general, "passive offside" is used to identify an attacker who is in an offside position but not involved in active play, whereas "active offside" is intended to identify an attacker who has become actively involved in play while in an offside position.

Law 11 has two core threads- these are position and offence. The offside position, has a well-established meaning and its concept is clear:

• A player is in an offside position if he is nearer his opponent's goal line than both the ball and the second last opponent
• A player is not in an offside position if:
  • He is in his own half of the field of play.
  • He is level with the second last opponent.
  • He is level with the last two opponents
• The judgment as to the offside position is determined at the moment the ball is played by a member of the player’s team.

Offside position is factual based on the relative positions of an attacker, the ball, the halfway line, and the second last opponent.

The offside offence is, by contrast, a matter of interpretation by the officiating team and, while the concepts are equally clear, some clarification as to how the officials reach their decision is offered:

• Being in an offside position is not an offence in itself.
• A player in an offside position is only penalized if, at the moment the ball is played or touched by a teammate, he is involved in the active play by interfering with the play, interfering with an opponent or gaining an advantage by being in that position.
• A player who receives the ball directly from a goal kick, throw in or a corner kick has not committed an offside offence.
• A player’s offside or onside position at the time the ball is touched or played by a teammate cannot be changed by any subsequent movement of the player, the opponents or the ball, so long as there has been no intervening play of the ball by an opponent. An offside or onside position is based on where the player is when the player's teammate touches or plays the ball, not where the player becomes actively involved in play.

There must be a clear understanding that an offside position is decided based on a moment in time – when the ball is touched or played by a teammate – whereas the offside offence is judged from that moment onward. In other words, having in effect taken a snapshot of player positions and frozen their onside or offside positions at that moment, the officials must then judge whether players in offside positions become involved in active play. This involves weighing the direction and speed of the ball, the direction and speed of the player in an offside position, the direction and speed of any teammates coming from onside positions and the position and movement of any opponents relative to players in offside positions.

Although this sounds very complex and perhaps beyond the abilities of mortal men and women, in reality the decision-making process of a properly trained official is smooth and calculated to reach a correct interpretation of each situation. What is important to remember is that match officials take into consideration the whole playing scenario across the entire field from where the play started, factoring in the elapsed time, whereas many observers often only focus on a few players, over a short period of time, based on the direction of play and where it ends up.

How is the determination of "active involvement" made leading to a decision to penalize for offside?

"Interfering with play" means touching or playing the ball last touched or played by a teammate. In this context, touching and playing the ball are considered equivalent actions by the player. At a meeting of the International Football Association Board (IFAB) on 11 August 2005, this point was clarified as follows: "A player in an offside position may be penalized before playing or touching the ball if, in the opinion of the referee, no other teammate in an onside position has the opportunity to play the ball." This clarification means that the player could be penalized immediately rather than having to wait for a physical touch of the ball if, in the opinion of the referee, there was no teammate in an onside position who could compete for the ball. It follows that, if there were a teammate coming from an onside position who could play the ball legally, it would be necessary to wait to see which player actually got to the ball first.

"Interfering with an opponent" means preventing an opponent from playing or being able to play the ball by clearly obstructing the opponent’s line of vision or movement, or by a gesture or movement which in the opinion of the referee deceives or distracts an opponent. We also have to remember that:

• Attackers clearly behind a defender do not interfere with them.
• Merely knowing that an opponent is in offside position does not justify a defender claiming that he was interfered with.
• An attacker raising his hand to signify no involvement does not, by itself, constitute an action which “deceives or distracts.” Indeed, in this context, there is no need for an attacker to signal “no involvement” as his involvement can be objectively determined by what he does, not by what he fails to do.

"Gaining an advantage by being in that position" means playing a ball that rebounds to him off a goalpost, crossbar, or an opponent, having been in an offside position when that phase of play began. In effect, this particular element is an extension of interfering with play, compounded by the rebound of the ball. In cases where this aspect of law is invoked, confusion sometimes arises from the fact that the attacker in an offside position would not have been penalized for offside if the ball had not rebound to him or her in this passage of play.

The approach taken by most match officials is to wait and see. In these circumstances it may appear that the official is late or slow in signaling the offence, but in reality he or she has taken all the evidence presented to him or her, applied the knowledge and understanding of the criteria and come to a balanced decision. This may have included the fact that the player was not initially involved in active play and therefore no signal was given. It is almost universally accepted that, if there is any doubt, then the balance of doubt is given to the attacker.

We have addressed the specific instances in separate correspondence. The purpose of this communication is solely to provide an extended discussion of the elements from Law 11 that we have applied in responding to requests for "rulings" regarding specific offside incidents. We also hope that you actively (rather than "passively") discourage the use of the phrases "passive offside" and "active offside" as they are not part of the Law and only lead to confusion. If you have any points or queries you wish to raise on this paper, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Offside Issues

Date: October 16, 2007

During a match between FC Dallas and the Columbus Crew on October 6, 2007, a sequence of play occurred which resulted in the scoring of a goal by Columbus player #12 (Eddie Gaven). At the time, Columbus player #26 (Andy Herron) was indisputably in an offside position and some analysts of the play have suggested that the goal should have been canceled because Herron had committed an offside infraction.

Being in an offside position is not an offense. 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, or
• Interfering with an opponent, or
• Gaining an advantage by being in that position.

Below, using the guidance provided by FIFA, we examine whether Herron should have been penalized for being in an offside position.

Although Herron is seen sticking his leg out as the ball passes him, there is no contact with the ball and therefore Herron cannot be considered to have interfered with play. This is a fact.

The camera angles on the several replays of the event on the attached clip (link to clip) do not provide us with a clear line of sight from the perspective of the Dallas goalkeeper #30 (Ray Burse) so we must draw our conclusions from what can be seen. First, Herron is about 12 yards from the Dallas goalkeeper when the play was initiated by Columbus. Accordingly, Herron occupied only a small portion of the goalkeeper's field of view and it is therefore inconclusive that Herron interfered with the goalkeeper by blocking Burse's view of the path of the ball. Second, there is no video evidence that Herron's actions deceived or distracted the goalkeeper (much less any other defender). The goalkeeper's position to defend against this shot on goal appears to be set by the trajectory of the ball as it left Gaven's foot, not by any action taken by Herron. The evidence thus supports a decision that Herron did not interfere with an opponent.

Gaining an advantage while in an offside position is not an issue here since there was no deflection from the goalposts, crossbar, or a defender. This also is a fact.

As a consequence, none of the elements of involvement in active play while in an offside position were present and the referee's decision not to penalize Herron for his position must be supported.

Offside Issues.pdf

Handling Injuries

Date: October 12, 2007

An incident at the first U.S. Soccer Development Academy Fall Showcase tournament led to extensive discussions regarding the correct referee actions to be taken when a goalkeeper and opponent are injured. The lack of a single clear answer among the many experienced observers gathered there is the reason for this position paper.

Injuries pose numerous difficult decisions for the referee. On the one hand, soccer is a game of continuous action in which stoppages are and should be infrequent. On the other hand, player safety is an obvious matter of concern. Since stopping play may be beneficial for one team, an added issue is the possibility of a player simulating an injury or its degree of severity in an effort to gain that benefit.

Law 5 establishes several basic principles regarding player injuries:

• If, in the opinion of the referee, the injury is serious, play must be stopped.
• If, in the opinion of the referee, the injury is not serious, treatment of the injury is delayed until play is stopped for some other reason.
• If the referee stops play for an injury, the injured player must leave the field and cannot return until play is restarted and the referee gives permission.

The International Football Association Board (IFAB), in its Additional Instructions and Guidelines (AIG) which accompany the Laws of the Game, has clarified certain issues:

• An injured player may not receive treatment on the field unless the injury is "severe" (immediate medical attention is needed).
• An injured goalkeeper is not required to leave the field and may receive treatment while on the field.
• The refusal of an injured player to leave the field despite being required to do so is a cautionable offense (unsporting behavior).
• The removal of an injured player must be swift but safe.
• The referee may signal permission for medical personnel (including stretcher-bearers) to enter the field to assist in the player’s removal from the field (or to provide emergency first aid).

Referees should keep in mind the following additional guidelines regarding the handling of player injuries:

• A player may seek assistance and treatment off the field during play if given permission by the referee to do so (permission is also needed to return to the field, which may occur during play).
• A player who is injured may leave the field for treatment and return to the field before play resumes if the stoppage was not solely for that player’s injury and if medical personnel were not called onto the field by the referee to aid the player’s removal.
• “Medical personnel” for purposes of these guidelines includes any team official who has responsibility for the player in the absence of available trained medical staff.
• If a goalkeeper is seriously injured as a result of a collision with a teammate or opponent and the teammate or opponent is also injured, all players injured in the collision may be treated on the field and are not required to leave the field.
• A player for whom the referee has requested medical personnel to enter the field at a stoppage is required to leave the field and may return with the referee’s permission only after play has resumed even if the stoppage was not expressly for the injury.

Evaluating and balancing these factors must be done quickly and fairly, with appropriate regard for the age and skill of the players. In all cases of doubt, the safety of the player must be the referee’s primary concern.

The Opinion of the Referee and Obvious Goal Scoring Opportunities

Date: September 25, 2007

Included is a link to a clip from a match played September 16 between Chivas USA and Colorado Rapids (at Colorado). The clip presents a series of issues which, among other things, focuses our attention on the critical role of the referee’s judgment in grey areas and on staying current as to interpretations of the Laws of the Game.

The simple facts are that Chivas player # 10 (Merlin) was attacking the Colorado goal and was fouled in the 11th minute by Colorado # 3 (Erpen). As a result, Erpen was given a red card and Chivas were given a penalty kick.

The first core issue is where the foul by Erpen happened. Fouls are complex events and require both time and space to occur. They cannot be easily pinpointed at a given spot on the field and a given second on the clock. Recognizing this, FIFA made it clear last year that a foul may begin outside the penalty area and conclude inside the penalty area – in which case, the referee should award a penalty kick.

That was clearly the case here. Initial contact with Merlin was outside the Colorado penalty area but the nature and consequences of that contact did not become evident for several more steps and seconds of play, by which time the event itself had continued into the penalty area. The penalty kick was a correct decision.

The second core issue is whether the offense met the requirements of an obvious goal scoring opportunity (the "4 Ds"). Here, the clip is less revealing. Each of the requirements involves judgment, some more than others, but three of the "Ds" would appear to be present based on the evidence - distance to goal, distance to the ball, and direction of play.

At the time of the foul (measured by when the referee decided the foul had occurred), Colorado player #29 (Sanneh) was definitely in the area of the offense. Based on the referee’s distance and angle, Sanneh could have been judged either not between the foul and the opposing goal (making the Colorado goalkeeper Coundoul the only defender) or not able to add materially to Colorado’s defense had Merlin not been fouled. Either decision would result in the 4th D (number of defenders) also being met.

This latter element confirms once again that, even with an apparently objective and factual issue such as "number of defenders," there remain critical decisions which are and always will be based on "in the opinion of the referee."

Advice for New Referees

US Soccer has published a new document, Advice for New Referees, for use with entry level referee courses, recertification courses for young referees and/or referees taking the Bridge Course to move from Grade 9 to Grade 8.

The information in this document is general knowledge that referees learn over the first few years as a referee. It is put together in one document for assisting individuals in their early careers as a soccer referee to get a head start on some of the learning that happens over the first few years.

Advice for New Referees can be downloaded and copied for distribution. This document is available on the US Soccer website at http://www.ussoccer.com/referees/index.jsp.html. When the page opens, you will see the box for accessing this document at the very top of the page. You may also download directly through http://images.ussoccer.com/Documents/cms/ussf/Advice%20for%20New%20Referees.pdf. The document is in pdf format so that it cannot be changed, however, you will see there is a page where referees can fill in local information.

US Soccer is interested in feedback on this document. If there is something missing or not clearly explained, please send your suggestions to Julie Ilacqua at jilacqua(at)ussoccer.org.

Violations of Law 14 (The Penalty Kick)

Date: August 1, 2007

A series of incidents over the last three years, most recently on July 27 in a match during the National Championship Series U.S. Youth Soccer (Frisco, Texas), indicate that some referees remain confused about the correct way to handle violations of Law 14 (The Penalty Kick). Players are restricted in where they can be and what they can do during the taking of a penalty kick. If there are violations of these restrictions, the referee must decide what to do.

Law 14 was modified in 2005 -- an indirect free kick is now the required restart when the kicker or a teammate of the kicker infringes Law 14 and the ball does not go into the net. In 2006, the location of the indirect free kick was confirmed to be where the offense occurred.

Consequences of an Infringement of Law 14

Who infringed Law 14?	What was the outcome of the kick?
	Ball goes into goal	Ball does not go into goal
Attacker (including the kicker)	RETAKE PENALTY KICK	INDIRECT FREE KICK*
Defender (including the goalkeeper)	GOAL (KICK-OFF)	RETAKE PENALTY KICK
Both attacker and defender	RETAKE PENALTY KICK	RETAKE PENALTY KICK
*From where the infringement occurred

The following points must be kept in mind when applying the above decisions:

• "Ball does not go into goal" includes any result of the penalty kick other than the ball being kicked into the net (e.g., ball deflected over the goal line by the goalkeeper, ball kicked over the crossbar).
• The violations at issue include: the goalkeeper moving off the goal line; the kicker engaging in unfair tactics while taking the kick; and any player other than the goalkeeper and the kicker entering the penalty area, entering the penalty arc, or moving closer to the goal line than the ball (i.e., failing to remain at least 12 yards from the goal line).
• It is not required for the same player to perform a penalty kick which the referee has ordered retaken.

The exceptions to the above chart of decisions are:

• If an attacker other than the identified kicker takes the penalty kick, play is restarted with an indirect free kick for the opposing team where the attacker illegally entered the penalty arc or penalty area, regardless of the outcome of any kick that may have been performed by this attacker.
• If the kicker plays the ball backward (any direction other than forward), play is restarted with an indirect free kick for the opposing team at the penalty mark, regardless of any further play that may result from the kicker's action.

Referees must take care to identify who violated Law 14 and the outcome of the kick. The chart above summarizes the correct restart based on these two factors. Given the importance of penalty kick situations, referees must take particular care to get these decisions right.

Offside and Interfering with Play

Date: July 26, 2007

A situation occurred regarding an offside decision in a match between the U.S. Women’s national team and Brazil played on June 23 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. (watch here) Early in the match, the U.S. team (Lopez) took a corner kick which was played into the top of Brazil’s goal area. A Brazilian player headed the ball out but it was returned by Lori Chalupny toward her teammate, Cat Whitehill (#4).

Whitehill, while on the run, neatly flipped the ball above an opponent and ran forward, in effect passing the ball to herself as she then retook control of the ball past the second to last Brazilian opponent, with only the goalkeeper to beat. When Whitehill flipped the ball up, a teammate (Heather O’Reilly) was arguably in an offside position (the camera angle makes an independent decision unclear).

However, O’Reilly was flagged for an offside violation even though she did not touch the ball and her teammate, Whitehill, was running hard from an onside position to retake control of the ball. The only action O’Reilly took was to wait for her teammate to control the ball and then to run alongside her as Whitehill dribbled to the goal, kicked, and put the ball into the net.

The assistant referee should have withheld the flag until it was clear which of the two attackers, one (O’Reilly) in an offside position and one (Whitehill) running hard from an onside position to collect her own pass, would get to the ball first. O’Reilly neither interfered with play nor with an opponent.

The goal should have been allowed.

Egyptian FIFA Referee Visits

BASRA Treasurer and STSR Dictrict 1 South Representative Magdy Kotb has been pursuing the possibility of a "referee exchange program" with Egypt for the past couple of years. This year, Magdy presented the idea to Esse Baharmast, who immediately expressed interest in the idea. As a result, Egyptian FIFA Referee Samir Osman came to the US in July and worked the SuperLiga Dynamo v Club America match at Robertson Stadium on July 25.

The day before the match, Magdy hosted a dinner for Samir at his restaurant. Anthony Amore was there and took a few pictures. (Click the thumbnail for the larger photo.)

Elo, Samir, Magdy, Bobby

Elo, Samir, Magdy

Anthony "shepherds" the referees working games at Robertson. He has lots of pictures from the July 25 match, and several others, at http://www.rftg.net/pictures.

USSF will be sending a full crew - Referee and two Assistants - to Egypt later this year to work a match between club arch-rivals. In October, Gamal El Ghandour (Egyptian FIFA Referee) and Esse are planning to visit the Houston area.

U.S. Soccer Referee Department now has a YouTube page.

To view videos related to Position Papers and Memoranda, log onto ussoccer.com's YouTube page and go to "Playlists" and then to "Playlist Name: U.S. Soccer Referee Department" or click one of the links below. This recent addition to the ussoccer.com's YouTube page is the place to get caught up on all of U.S. Soccer's rule interpretations.

* ussoccer.com YouTube Page (front page)
* U.S. Soccer Referee Department Playlist (all referee videos)

Quick Kick

Date: June 22, 2007

In the MLS game between Columbus and New England on June 16, 2007, Columbus player #6, Marcos Gonzalez, is fouled in the 13th minute of the game and chooses to take a “quick kick.” New England player, #27, Wells Thompson, is only 2 yards off the ball when the quick kick is taken. Thompson raises his leg to the ball and blocks the kick. The ball goes off his foot directly to teammate, #7, Adam Cristman, who breaks to goal and scores.

Referees are advised in the most current edition of Advice to Referees on the Laws of the Game, under Law 13 in Section 13.3, of the following:

"An attacking team which chooses to take a free kick with an opponent closer than the minimum distance may not thereafter claim infringement of the distance requirement, even when the ball is kicked to the infringing opponent, who thereby is able to control the ball without moving toward it. In such a case, the referee cannot caution the opponent who has not remained at the required distance from the ball."

The key phrase to remember when viewing the attached clip is, "able to control the ball without moving toward it."

It is the consensus of the U.S. Soccer technical staff, that in this particular clip, New England’s Wells Thompson did move toward the ball by thrusting his leg forward to block the kick. The free kick should have been retaken and set up as a ceremonial free kick with the required distance from the ball attained.

A Classic Offside Scenario

Offside is often the subject of spirited debates among players, team officials, referees, and spectators. This has been particularly the case in the last few years following the publication of several definitions from FIFA clarifying what it means to be interfering with play, interfering with an opponent, and gaining an advantage in violation of Law 11 (Offside). In support of these definitions, USSF has distributed several detailed memoranda (August 24, 2005, and April 18, 2007).

In a match played in Los Angeles on April 28, 2007, between the LA Galaxy and Chivas USA, an incident took place which is a classic example of one of the most contentious issues in the offside decision – two attackers pursuing the ball, one coming from an offside position and one coming from an onside position. The incident also emphasizes the vital need for officials to avoid hasty decisions and to wait to see how the play develops.

In the 86th minute, Galaxy #24 (Sturgis) played the ball forward into space. At the time, Galaxy #11 (Jaqua) was in an offside position near the center of the field and his teammate, Galaxy #10 (Donovan), was onside well behind the second to last defender to Jaqua's right. Both attackers reacted almost immediately and began sprinting hard to the ball. Although Donovan started about three yards behind his teammate, he had pulled level with him within the next few strides. There is no indication that Jaqua interfered with any opponent.

In situations where an attacker is coming from an onside position and another attacker coming from an offside position, each with an equally credible chance of getting to the ball, it is imperative that officials withhold a decision until either it becomes clear which attacker will get to the ball first (even if this means having to wait until one or the other player actually touches the ball) or the action of the attacker coming from the offside position causes one or more opponents to be deceived or distracted.

Alfred Kleinaitis
Manager of Referee Development and Education

The video for A Classic Offside Scenario is available on YouTube.

When Fouls Continue!

Prompted by several recent situations in professional league play, a discussion has developed regarding the proper action to take when a foul continues over a distance on the field. Many fouls occur with the participants in motion, both the player committing the foul and the opponent being fouled, and it is not unusual for the offense to end far away from where the initial contact occurred.

Usually, the only problem this creates for the referee is the need to decide the proper location for the restart. Occasionally, however, an additional issue is created when the distance covered results in an entirely different area of the field becoming involved. A foul which starts outside the penalty area, for example, might continue into and finally end inside the offending player's penalty area. Or a foul might start inside the field but, due to momentum, end off the field. In these cases, the decision about where the foul occurred also affects what the correct restart must be.

In general, the referee should determine the location of the foul based on what gives the greater benefit to the player who was fouled. FIFA has specifically endorsed this principle in one of its "Questions and Answers on the Laws of the Game" (12.31) which states that a penalty kick is the correct restart if a player begins holding an opponent outside the player's penalty area and continues this action inside his penalty area.

Alfred Kleinaitis
Manager of Referee Development and Education

An Offside Issue - Is Touching the Ball a Requirement?

In a match on April 15, 2007, between the New York Red Bulls and FC Dallas, Red Bulls player #19 (Richards) shoots on goal. The ball is stopped and deflected by Dallas goalkeeper #1 (Hislop) but it goes to Red Bulls player #11 (van den Bergh) who takes another shot on goal.

When van den Bergh strikes the ball, his teammate, Mathis (#13) is in an offside position - indeed, Mathis is just barely above the goal line on the right hand side of the goal - and the ball is moving directly toward him. Mathis jumps up and the ball passes under him into the net for a score.

The following issues and concerns are raised by the previous scenario:
* The only action Mathis took was to avoid contact with the ball.
* In so doing, he did not block an opponent's movement or vision or deceive or distract an opponent.
* Mathis did not commit an offside violation because he was not actively involved in play by interfering with play, interfering with an opponent, or gaining an advantage.

On August 24, 2006, USSF issued a memorandum based on the developing interpretation and application of Law 11 which specifically laid out the proposition that "interfering with play" requires either touching the ball or making a credible move to play the ball. Acting to avoid contact (if successful) does not meet either of these criteria. An attacker in an offside position must act (touch the ball, move to the ball, interfere with an opponent, block an opponent, distract or deceive an opponent) to be declared offside. Action to avoid involvement (if successful) must be excluded.

Referees should remember that a scenario such as this one, which might have been called differently in years past, must now meet more stringent standards for an offside violation. Although the basic requirements for an offside violation under Law 11 remain the same, our understanding of how to implement these requirements has been evolving to match the modern game.

Alfred Kleinaitis
Manager of Referee Development and Education

The video for An Offside Issue - Is Touching the Ball a Requirement? is available on YouTube.

2007 Instructions for Referees and Resolutions Affecting Team Coaches and Players

The attached document is based on FIFA's "Additional Instructions for Referees, Assistant Referees and Fourth Officials." This document is to be presented to referees and coaches at the pre-tournament meetings so the information given to referees and coaches is uniform.

Alfred Kleinaitis
Manager of Referee Training and Development

Resolutions_2007.doc (196kb)

Note: While this document is aimed at Referees doing Regional and National Cups, the information will be useful to all referees.

Quick Free Kicks versus Ceremonial Restarts

In a professional match last weekend (DC United at Colorado Rapids, April 7, 2007), a foul was committed by Colorado player #12 (Petke) against DC United #10 (Gomez). The referee stopped play and, although clearly holding a yellow card in his hand to display to Petke for what was obviously a reckless tackle, he nevertheless allowed play to restart without actually recording the misconduct or displaying the card.

This is contrary to consistent guidelines from FIFA and USSF, publicized as long ago as a 2002 USSF memorandum "Ceremonial Restarts After Misconduct" (November 22) and emphasized as recently as the 2006 Advice to Referees 12.26 and 13.3. Once the referee has decided to issue a card, whether to caution or send off a player from either team, the restart must be delayed to give the card. This is particularly necessary when, as in this incident, the referee has made the card visible and created an expectation that the restart will not occur until allowed by the referee.

In such a situation, the referee's first action must be to announce clearly, by voice and, if necessary, by the commonly understood action of holding the whistle up in the air and pointing to it, that play may not restart until another signal is given. If such an indication is not immediately given and play restarts quickly or if the referee signals appropriately to hold up play but the ball is kicked anyway, the referee must call the play back so that the proper procedure is followed.

Alfred Kleinaitis
Manager of Referee Development and Education

The video for Quick Free Kicks versus Ceremonial Restarts is available on YouTube.

Soccer Videos on YouTube

For those unfamiliar, YouTube posts lots of videos submitted by lots of folks about lots of things. So it's no surprise that some of them are soccer related. Like, for instance...
Montage about World Cup referees
Fair Play to the Extreme
"Here ya go, Ref!"
The Dancing Referee
It's not easy being a ref.

"Angle of View" Available for Download
Bob Evans' "Angle of View" software is an excellent learning tool for referees of all experience levels. With it, the various views of an on the field incident can be seen to demonstrate how different angles can change the perception of an event. It is available for download through Josef Zeevi's website.

Learn About Referee Decisions with You Make the Call
Referees, players, coaches and soccer aficionados alike can test their referee skills on ussoccer.com's new interactive video site, You Make the Call. The interactive presentation allows young referees to reinforce their knowledge of The Laws of the Game, while allowing players, coaches and fans to put themselves in the referee's place and learn more about the reasoning behind decisions that officials make.

"It's exciting to be able to use interactive technology as a way to help inform and educate those visiting the You Make the Call section of our website," said Julie Ilacqua, U.S. Soccer Managing Director of Referee Programs. "We look forward to providing game clips and scenarios that will be of interest to all who visit ussoccer.com."

To access You Make the Call, simply visit http://www.ussoccer.com/polls/youmakethecall.asp. Once there, participants will view a video clip and read a short explanation of what has occurred. Then, they will choose what they believe is the correct decision by the referee from a list of options. (Note: You may need to click on the Change Preferences bar on the far right side of the page to choose your connection speed and media player.)

Upon submitting an answer, players will get a summary of the results, the reason for the decision according to The Laws of the Game, and a short explanation of the correct answer, as well as explanations of why the other answers are not correct.

You Make the Call is an excellent learning tool for young referees who are still becoming familiar with The Laws of the Game. It not only allows young referees to see the foul in real time, as well as replays, it explains the correct decision, as well as why the other options are not correct, specifically citing The Laws of the Game.

The new game is also a great venue for players, coaches and fans, because it gives insight into the application of The Laws of the Game.

Participants also have the option of signing up to receive e-mail alerts when a new video is posted.

U.S. Soccer Introduces New FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Page
New referees can now find answers to their questions more easily than ever by logging on to the Frequently Asked Questions for New Referees page in the Referee section of ussoccer.com.

The FAQs for New Referees section is designed for new and inexperienced referees who have basic questions about specific game situations. It also allows new officials to browse through different questions and learn about other game situations before they encounter them. The page can be viewed here and will be updated on a regular basis.

"The new page has been designed help new referees face real game situations the first time they come up," said Julie Ilacqua, U.S. Soccer's Managing Director of Federation Services. "We won't be able to cover everything because new and different things happen all the time, but it will provide insight based on the kinds of questions we receive from new referees."

The new section is an extension of ussoccer.com's current Ask a Soccer Referee section, where officials can seek in-depth answers to any question they may have regarding the Laws of the Game via email. If new referees have questions other than those listed on FAQs for New Referees page, they can email askareferee@ussoccer.org and receive a personalized answer. The question may also be later included as a Frequently Asked Question.

Ilacqua describes the new page as a tool to develop the referees at every grade level and for every level of competition to better service the game.

"I'm excited whenever we add a new tool or concept for referee development," Ilacqua said. "Different people respond to different training tools so the more variety we can offer, the better we can develop all of our U.S. Soccer referees."

Cleats
Finally! A comic strip devoted to soccer... the players, the coaches, the referees, the parents. If you don't recognize someone (maybe yourself) you need to pay more attention at the fields. It's carried Monday through Sunday in the Houston Chronicle and can be found at http://www.chron.com/content/chronicle/comics/archive/showComics.hts. Enjoy!

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Meeting Schedule

BASRA meets regularly at Webster Presbyterian Church, 201 W. NASA Road 1 (Click for Map). Coming meetings are:

[ May 8 | June 12 | July 10 | August 14 | September 11 ]

Business Meetings start at 7:00pm, and are over by about 8:30pm.

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