Soccer Rule Referee Resources
Home
Ask a Question
Articles
Recent Questions
Search

You-Call-It
Previous You-Call-It's

VAR (Video Assistant Referee)

Q&A Quick Search
The Field of Play
The Ball
The Players
The Players Equipment
The Referee
The Other Match Officials
The Duration of the Match
The Start and Restart of Play
The Ball In and Out of Play
Determining the Outcome of a Match
Offside
Fouls and Misconduct
Free Kicks
Penalty kick
Throw In
Goal Kick
Corner Kick


Common Sense
Kicks - Penalty Mark
The Technical Area
The Fourth Official
Pre-Game
Fitness
Mechanics
Attitude and Control
League Specific
High School


Common Acronyms
Meet The Ref
Advertise
Contact AskTheRef
Help Wanted
About AskTheRef


Soccer Rules Changes 1580-2000


Panel Login


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reevaluated and rewritten each year, often rendering previous answers as incorrect, partially true and/or portions no longer applicable!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 2023 - 2024 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!

League Specific 10/15/2024

RE: Rec Adult

Doug Crawford of Folsom, CA United States asks...

At the end of a tournament final game I had a crazy situation. Rules said time is only added in "extraordinary" situations which of course if vague.
90 seconds before the end of the game white commits a foul and I award blue team a direct free kick close to the center circle, over 40 yards from goal. Score is 0-0. Blue player requires help from coach, and takes 120 seconds to leave the field. I allow play to be restarted w DFK 30 seconds after time has elapsed, considering this "extraordinary".
The kick goes in the goal directly! Blue parents, subs, and coaches charge onto the field cheering as they think the game is over and they won. I blow the whistle repeatedly and finally get their attention and clear the field except...

Read The Full Q & A

High School 10/15/2024

RE: School team High School

Benjamin seaton of Paradise, Ca United States of America asks...

An attacking player and a goalkeeper are in a 1 v 1 scenario the attacker takes a long touch and the goal keeper rushes out to collect it the attacker get to the ball first and takes a shot on goal (misses) both the goalkeeper and the player are unable to stop and a large collison happens both players on the ground. Who is at fault what is the ruling and call ( this took place inside the penalty area)...

Read The Full Q & A

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 10/15/2024

RE: Grassroots Under 11

Rory Higgins of Coventry, England asks...

If there is a melee in the box and the defender then gets clear control of the ball and takes a few touches, can the keeper still come out and pick the ball up or does that count as a back pass?...

Read The Full Q & A

Law 11 - Offside 10/15/2024

RE: Competitive High School

Michael Billard of Fairfax, Va United States asks...

Our #9 was in an offside position, centrally located. The ball was played through to the left wing where our #11 ran from an onside position. The ref signaled the play was onside. Our #11 dribbled into the box and shot on goal. The keeper saved the shot, but deflected it to our #9 who scored. The ref then called the play offside, pointing back to midfield and explaining that the man was offside at the start of the play. We play our games on football fields and it was clear by the field markings that our #11 had dribbled ahead of our #9 before shooting. Shouldn't our #11 being in possession of the ball and ahead of our other player put him back onside? It seems to me that once our #11 is in possession of the ball, where the #9 was prior to t...

Read The Full Q & A

Law 5 - The Referee 10/13/2024

RE: College

Mario viteri of Katy, Tx Fort bend asks...

Can a ref play the advantage on a hand ball?...

Read The Full Q & A

Law 7 - The Duration of the Match 10/12/2024

RE: EDP Under 11

ryan n atkin of Eden, MD United States asks...

Was playing in a tournament with 25 minute halves. Play continued after the 25 minute mark with no whistle. After 1 minute, I mentioned to the head ref that we were running over, he let play continue and within seconds we had scored a goal. He then blew the half time whistle. Afterwards, they disallowed the goal stating that halftime happened already.

Was this the correct call? Can a ref just take away a goal because he forgot to blow the whistle for half-time?...

Read The Full Q & A

Law 5 - The Referee 10/10/2024

RE: Rec. Under 12

Larry of Danville, CA United States asks...

I was watching a youth recreational game,
and would be interested in your take of the following: White is throwing the ball in from their attacking half. The trailing AR on that side and the other half of the field, raises their flag for an improper throw-in. The CR does not see the raised flag and allows play to continue. Red immediately controls the throw-in and mounts an attack. The AR drops their flag during the attack. Red scores, within several seconds of the throw-in. The AR calls the CR over and after a discussion the goal is allowed. The White team’s coach was upset and felt that since the ball was not put into play properly the goal should be disallowed, with a restart back at the original position for Red. What do you think...

Read The Full Q & A

High School 10/8/2024

RE: High School

Angel of Glassboro , New jersey US asks...

Can a ref take back a goal if he forgot to blow the whistle to end the game. ...

Read The Full Q & A

Law 7 - The Duration of the Match 10/8/2024

RE: Competitive or Pro Adult

Elly of Melbourne , Victoria Australia asks...

A player goes down injured in the 44th (or 89th) minute. He requires treatment on the pitch, which takes a full minute or two, or perhaps longer. This means that the 45th/90th minute arrives BEFORE play has resumed.

My question is, given that this will result in additional "stoppage time", when should the 4th official announce how many additional minutes will be played?
Should he announce the decision as "usual" (i.e. as soon as the 45th or 90th minute arrives), even though the time to be added on is not yet clear?
OR, should he wait until play is ready to resume (when he now knows exactly how much extra time is to be played) before announcing his decision, even if this is a few minutes AFTER the end of regulation tim...

Read The Full Q & A

Law 5 - The Referee 10/6/2024

RE: U23 Adult

Neil Fryatt of Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk UK asks...

Can a referee issue a red card after the game and off the pitch whilst walking back to the changing rooms and not speaking to or notifying the person what the red card is for? The referee was approximately 10yrds from the person concerned and no communication had or was happening between them at the time of the card being shown....

Read The Full Q & A

AskTheref.com Educating and Amusing The Soccer Referee Since October 11, 1999

<-->
Soccer Referee Extras
Thursday, October 17, 2024

Recent Questions



Click Go to view all recently posted questions

Offside Question?

Offside Explained by Chuck Fleischer & Richard Dawson, Former & Current Editor of AskTheRef

<>

Did you Ask the Ref? Find your answer here.


Enter Question Number

If you received a response regarding a submitted question enter your question number above to find the answer