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- Soccer Referee Questions on Soccer Rules
WELCOME to AskTheRef.com, a Soccer Law/Rules Question & Answer site!
Operating since October 11, 1999, that is 25 years as an independent, FREE, public service site. Dedicated to personally answering your questions regarding any Professional or Grassroots, FIFA, College, High school, or Youth soccer game situation. To ask a question simply click on Ask the Ref in the menu bar, post your question!
Please understand, we are comprised of strictly volunteers, thus lack the time required to review or alter the hundreds of thousands of previous questions & answers. The LOTG /RULES are constantly being tweaked, reevaluated and rewritten each year, often rendering previous answers as incorrect, partially true and/or portions no longer applicable! Our answers can only coincide within the changing LOTG/RULES time/frame of the date a question was asked! We feel it is essential you review & read the latest version of the always changing Laws/Rules of the Game.
The IFAB 2024 - 2025 LOTG Laws of the Game can be viewed here:
https://www.theifab.com/
The USA Highschool rules can be viewed here:
https://nfhs.org/nfhs-for-you/officials/
The NCAA rules can be viewed here:
Soccer Rules of the Game - NCAA.org
Those who have ideas or articles please feel free to contact the editor Richard Dawson at mrref@asktheref.com with suggestions. There are no costs involved to ask or have us respond to a question but we are not upset if you wished to donate or sponsor on the site as in todays world it is difficult to operate independently.
 You Call It!
After two years and many request - You Call It is back! Now it's your turn to test your knowledge in a scenario created by our panel of referees. If your answer is spot on we will publish it on our site! Good luck click here!
Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 2/20/2025Crebs Crem of Zagreb, Croatia asks...Hi,
I would like to ask a question about the recent league match between Heerenveen and Fortuna Sittard.
Before the goal kick of Fortuna Sittard, the number of Fortuna Sittard players became 12 by a mistake. Fortuna Sittard won a throw in and the referee took the extra player off the pitch. Then, Fortuna Sittard won a corner kick, scored a goal and got 1 point in the end of the day. If the extra player had contributed to phase of play which led to goal of his team, would authorities invalidate the match? If yes, would it be a rematch, replay of the minutes after the mistake, or a forfeit (0-3) against Fortuna Sittard? ...
Read The Full Q & A Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 2/17/2025Petr of Prague, Czech Republic Czech Republic asks...Thanks!
So do you see the difference there compared to a throw-in?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYJSMZJMK1Y...
Read The Full Q & A Mechanics 2/17/2025Zluvka of Liberec, Liberec Region Czech Republic asks...Hi, I don't understand one thing. Why did the VAR call the referee to the monitor? Offside is usually reported to the headset.
Situation A (similar): The referee awards a penalty. VAR sees an offside in the attacking phase. VAR also sees reckless contact (the original penalty foul). Will VAR call the referee to the monitor to deal with the yellow card? (I think not.)
Situation B (a bit unlikely, I admit): The referee awards a penalty. VAR calls the referee because it doesn't seem like a penalty. The referee disagrees and upholds the original decision. He also sees on the monitor that the foul is reckless and awards a yellow card. In reality, he didn't notice it.
They are exactly the same fouls. The first tim...
Read The Full Q & A League Specific 2/17/2025RE: Adult gordon woodward of Belbroughton, Worcestershire UK asks...A player was shown his second Yellow and Red card after the final whistle, does that player have to leave the pitch, or can he carry on celebrating? What is the ruling on this?...
Read The Full Q & A Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 2/16/2025Petr of Prague, Czech Republic Czech Republic asks...Hello
Law 13:'However, an opponent who deliberately prevents a free kick being taken quickly must be cautioned for delaying the restart of play.'
S1: The player stands in front of the ball (or at a slightly greater distance). The player does not interfere in any other way. The ball is not in play (the opponent has not yet played). Can the referee show a yellow card just for standing there?
S2: The player interferes. The opponent plays the ball anyway and the action continues normally. Is it then necessary to give the offender a yellow card?
Thank you very much!...
Read The Full Q & A Law 11 - Offside 2/14/2025RE: Adult Ken Hughes of Liverpool, Merseyside United Kingdom asks...Player 1 is standing in an offside position – but this is not an offence
Player 2 is onside heads the ball
Plater 1 comes to an onside position and head the ball to Player 3
Player 3 is onside and scores
Is any player deemed to be Offside?
...
Read The Full Q & A Law 18 - Common Sense 2/12/2025Zluvka of Liberec, Liberec Region Czech Republic asks...Hi, can the referee allow a player to leave the field while the ball is in play?
Then I don't understand this rule.
'free kicks for offences involving a player entering, re-entering or leaving
the field of play without permission are taken from the position of the ball
when play was stopped.'
I believe that free kicks are taken from the place of the infringement, not from the position of the ball. Is there an exception to this? Thank you, Zluvka
...
Read The Full Q & A Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 2/10/2025Zluvka of Liberec, Liberec Region Czech Republic asks...Hi, the attacker runs with the ball at his feet to the last defender. It is about 35 meters from the goal. No one else can intervene.
1A. The attacker moves the ball behind the defender. He is then fouled. (For me, it's clear DOGSO.)
2A. The defender fouls the attacker with the ball at his feet. The attacker does not move the ball anywhere. At the time of the foul, the defender is closer to the goal than the ball. (I don't know here. I suspect SPA, because it is not certain whether the attacker would go at the goalkeeper alone without a foul.)
3A. The defender kicks the ball to safety with his foot. A split second later, he hits the attacker with his other foot. (I am strongly considering SPA. Even if the ba...
Read The Full Q & A Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 2/10/2025RE: Competitive Other Matthew J Plodinec of Gainesville, VA United States asks...All the answers seem to assume that play had
Transgressed for a period of time and the crew is unable to conclusively determine whether the sent off player was involved. What if they can determine he was not involved? Does the definition of involvement match that for offside?
...
Read The Full Q & A Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 2/3/2025RE: Adult AEK Fan Club Of NY of ASTORIA, NY USA asks...Is this a penalty?
https://youtu.be/JSB_laTbqOY?feature=shared&t=238...
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