I was recently pointed to Robert Evans’ excellent blog “For the Integrity of Soccer” where I was reading about an incident in Dallas. While it was often referred to, the video of the incident was never linked to. After doing some digging, I was was able to find it on YouTube - FC Dallas vs. CAP. In the match, the referee was assaulted amid a mass confrontation. Many of the comments at For the Integrity of Soccer about this incident opined that the CR was out of his depth and shouldn’t have accepted the assignment. Since I didn’t see the entire match, I can’t speak to that. But I think many of the comments did get the big picture - while it’s absolutely no excuse for assaulting a referee, the incident was brought on by the action/inaction of the referee himself.
The incident really begins 1:52 into the video when an FC Dallas player is fouled (hard) about 25 yards from goal. A side question I have is why wasn’t the defender cautioned for the foul? It certainly looked reckless to me, if not excessive force. But I digress. We see the referee recognize the hard nature of the foul so he sprints to the spot of the foul and gives his signal (which made me think a card was coming for the challenge). For the next thirty eight seconds of game time we see CAP players standing within 5 yards of the ball, clearly delaying the restart (and failing to respect the distance). We clearly see more than one FCD player motion to the referee to back up the encroaching CAP player (#7) and his buddies. Then, as #7 was finally moving back FCD siezed the moment and then took the free kick. The CAP players went bananas feeling they’d been victimized by unsporting gamesmanship - depsite their 38 seconds of cheating. So what should the referee have done? Well, first. . .he absolutely must make it clear from the first free kick that encroachment and delays will NOT BE TOLERATED. By verbally and/or visually backing up the defender(s) - and cautioning if necessary - he must set the tone early that in the match free kicks would indeed be taken freely. Even without that, he still had a chance to avoid the mass confrontation. As soon as it became clear that FCD would not be utilizing a quick restart (after 2-3 seconds, maybe) it would obviously be a ceremonial restart. At this point, he needed to take control and assert some authority/presence in the free kick by using proper mechanics for backing up a wall - demanding the kicker wait for a whistle, backing up the defenders (with cautions issued, if required), then taking his position and blowing the whistle to restart play. But regardless of the level of the match, to allow defenders to delay the restart for almost FORTY SECONDS is ridiculous and invites problems.
To apply this to refereeing youth soccer. I can’t even count the number of players I’ve encountered who think they only have to respect the required distance on free kicks if the
victimized team asks. Indeed, when I read Law 13 it discusses indirect free kicks, direct free kicks, kick-offs, and penalty kicks and in each instance it says “all opponents are at least 9.15m (10 yards) from the ball until it is in play”. Perhaps I keep getting the abridged version of the LoTG, but I’ve never seen verbage discussing “at the kicker’s request” or “if asked for”. Further, virtually no players (or coaches) seem to understand that there are seven cautionable offenses - and “Delaying the restart of play” & “Fails to respect the required distance when play is restarted with a corner kick or free kick or throw-in” are two of them. The 10-yard myth is so strong, I usually mention in my pregame with players that free kicks are supposed to be free and noone should have to ask for the distance to be respected. I wish I didn’t feel I had to do this, but that’s how strong I’ve seen the myth become. But as the players & coaches have become more educated in the game, why is the myth still so strong? I blame coaches and players for not knowing/understanding the LoTG. But I feel the most blame belongs to referees who don’t enforce the required distance, allowing the problem to grow for other referees. Now, if the victimized team wishes to take a quick restart, then I’m not going to step in. But if it’s obvious that it will be a ceremonial restart then the defender(s) will almost always get a verbal and/or visual indication to move back - at a minimum. Yet despite the pregame warning & despite the verbal/visual instruction to respect the distance I find it amazing how many players are shocked to see the yellow card when they persist.
To go along with all this. . .for you players. . .if you choose to plant yourself 1-2 yards from the ball immediately upon a foul being whistled against your team, expect to see a very quick yellow card from me! Let’s be clear here. As a defender in a free kick situation, there’s nothing you can do standing that close to the ball that isn’t delaying the restart of play. Further, this is tactical misconduct - delaying the restart of play so your teammates can set up their defense for the free kick. So in my mind, the yellow card you see could be for one of three things - delaying the restart, failing to respect the distance, or unsporting behavior (due to the tactical nature of the misconduct).
But seriously. . .this is a fast - and stupid - way to see a yellow card.
June 6th, 2008 at 9:09 am
So here is the one we discussed last week at State Cup here in Idaho. Foul happens and ball is spotted. While your moving the wall back the defense has a player positioned on the opposite side of the ball directing the wall into position with the goal (often you see a keeper do this but this frees up the keeper for a quick restart). Once the wall is in place the player who was directing traffic runs from the far side of the ball right in front of the ball to get into the wall….Gamesmanship and also a breach of the 10 yards specifically after you have set the distance. CARD THEM…..
June 6th, 2008 at 9:55 am
I’ve seen this once - also in a State Cup match. I was doing a U15G match and ball was placed, defending team would send a player to the far side of the ball as you described. In my case, it was so the GK could look at the player on the far side of the wall which was easier to see than the ball. This was so the GK could position the wall. The first time she did this, the player taking the kick whined a bit, but since the defender didn’t interfere with her and promptly faded away when done the kick proceeded as normal. The second time they tried this, they sent a player to the far side of the ball - but this time, she basically stood in the personal space of the player taking the kick. At this point, I blew the whistle and cautioned the defender for delaying the restart.
Of course this was all after I had to send off a member of the defending team in the 19th minute for using the point of her elbow on an opponent. I still remember the coach’s comment at halftime - “You’re going to red card her in a State Cup match for that?” — to which I answered “Using the point of the elbow will get a send off from me every day of the week.” Amazing how some coaches think State Cup is special.
June 13th, 2008 at 1:06 am
I love how the coaches think there should be special circumstances for state cup games. Its the same game no mather what level of competition you play it.
June 13th, 2008 at 9:06 am
If anything, coaches should expect State Cup matches to be officiated even more closely/strictly than regular league play - especially the further you advance in the State Cup tournament.
Several factors here -
1 - The quality of the referees doing the matches should continue to get higher as you go through the tournament. I mean even at U13 boys, by the time you get to round of 8 or semifinals you’re probably not going to see a Grade 8 on those matches. If you do, it’s an extremely experienced Grade 8.
2 - As you go further in the tournament, the referees are watched/assessed more closely. So this means more “by the book” matches.
3 - The stakes are higher - so the intensity level is higher. As a result, if I’d have let that elbow go in that U15G match you can be sure I would have had some significant match control issues later.
Regionals will definitely be interesting.
August 25th, 2008 at 9:02 pm
Great topic and one I deal with in every game. First offense, I warn them that no one has to ask for the 10 yards and I will card them the next time. On a higher level game, I’ll card them immediately if they move toward the ball from anywhere else on the field. If they happen to be there it is one thing, but running up to delay the start is clearly a foul.
Secondly, that player behind the ball directing the wall is committing a foul too. 10 yards is 10 yards all around the ball, not just towards the goal.
Lastly, in the game mentioned, I have always understood the law to be that if the player asks for the 10 yards, verbally or by motioning toward the offending player, the restart would come after a whistle. So when that player restarted without a whistle while the defender was backing up, then the ball should have been blown dead and placed back fora restart on a whistle.
August 25th, 2008 at 9:51 pm
Joe> Thanks for the comments. Normally, I will make this part of my pregame as I check players in. “Now we all know that free kicks are supposed to be free, right? So let’s automatically give up the 10 yards. They shouldn’t have to ask and I shouldn’t have to ask - should just be automatic.” Normally, the first time I’ll back the player up and then that’s pretty much the warning. Obviously, for the younger age groups I cut a little more slack. But if they’re not taught at say, U11s, then when are they going to learn?
As for when I step in. . .once it becomes clear that there will not be a quick restart and the kick is ceremonial, I’ll either verbally instruct the defender to back up or I’ll back a wall up. The closer to goal, the more I step in - instructing the kicker to wait for my whistle and I back the wall up. I NEVER - EVER - step off the 10 yards. I think referees who do this look like idiots - and turning your back to the ball is always inviting disaster. The law says defenders must be AT LEAST 10 yards. So. . .go to a point that is 11 or 12 yards from the ball, hold your hand out, and say “Everyone! Back with me!” Then backpedal to where you need to be for the free kick and blow the whistle. If the players are smart, once they’re backed up 11 or 12 yards a couple of times you’ll be amazed at how much closer to 10 yards they get all by themselves.
In terms of encroaching the kick as it’s being taken, I agree. But here’s a scenario where some common sense needs to come into play. I recently did a bunch of U11 games at a tournament. Purple team was set to take a free kick about 25 yards from goal. White defenders were about 10 yards from the ball once it was placed. Purple team proceeds to get cute and two players run over the ball (without touching it) before a third player actually takes the kick. As this third player appoaches to strike the ball, the defenders have encroached the kick. The kick was taken and resulted in a clean shot on goal. The Purple coach was upset that the defenders had encroached prior to the kick being taken. Now, this is U11s and given the low-grade trickery in taking the kick you’ll have a hard time convincing me to take action. Even if this were U17s, I think you have to take the actions in the context of what’s going on. You can bet that if the free kick I described had scored (it was a DFK) that Purple coach wouldn’t have said a word about it.
And to pick nits. . .you’re right in saying that the 10-yard distance is in all directions. And the player I described in my comments above who stood next to the kick-taker violated this. But. . .she did NOT commit a foul! Remember, a foul cannot be committed while the ball is not in play. She committed _misconduct_ - in this case, failure to respect the required distance - and was cautioned as such. In most games, the distinction between a foul and misconduct is fairly minot - but the older the players and the higher the level, the more important that distinction becomes.