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reevaluated and rewritten each year, often rendering previous answers as incorrect, partially true and/or portions no longer applicable!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

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 11/4/2024

RE: Rec Adult

Richard of Seattle, WA USA asks...

In the last minutes of a hotly contested match, two substitutes enter the field of play without referee permission and get in to a verbal altercation and pushing match with opponents. Both received red cards. Does the offending team continue play with a full side, or should they have continued play down two players?...

Read The Full Q & A

Law 4 - The Players Equipment 11/2/2024

RE: PREMIER ASSESSOR Adult

ISHIAKU IBRAHIM of Lokoja, Kogi Nigeria asks...

Good day sir.
A player goes to the touch line when The ball was not in play to receive a phone call or to reply a message sent to him on his phone and continues the game after receiving his call or responding to the message. During all this, the ball was not in play and the said player was still inside the field play. WHAT SHOULD BE THE REFEREE DECISION IN SITUATION LIKE THIS. THANK YOU. ...

Read The Full Q & A

High School 10/31/2024

RE: High School

DAVID LOVETT of Royal Palm Beach, FL United States asks...

I have a NFHS question. The throw in rules for high school say it has to be thrown in, in on continuous movement. So, I think this could be interpreted a couple of different ways. One is, what if the player starts the throw and decides his teammate is covered so he stops and turns in a different direction and makes the throw then? To me that would be illegal because the thrower stopped. But another interpretation could be that you can stop and change direction but the final delivered throw had to be one continuous motion. So at what point is the NFHS rules considering a "stop"? Is it actually during the delivery of the throw or from the moment you choose the direction you going. I hope this makes some kind of sense and thank you for your in...

Read The Full Q & A

High School 10/31/2024

RE: High School

R. Banks of New York, New York USA asks...

The attacker has control of the ball and is tripped from behind by the last defender at the 18. The keeper is at the penalty spot at the time of the occurrence. Is criteria four met even if the keeper is 6 yards away from the attacking player?

103983...

Read The Full Q & A

High School 10/30/2024

RE: High school Under 17

Stacey Curley of Voorheesville , NY USA asks...

Can a coach contest a goal?
I have 2 videos from a game. Ref waved off a goal that clearly was a clean goal.
Another goal was considered a goal but did not cross the line per video.

Any assistance is appreciated.

Kindly,
Stacey Curley ...

Read The Full Q & A

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 10/28/2024

RE: Adult

JM Stalin of Secunderabad, Telangana India asks...

Coaches kindly note during the game????? All verbal offences are Penalised with an Inderct free kick...

Read The Full Q & A

Law 4 - The Players Equipment 10/28/2024

RE: AYSO 14 - 19 Other

Paul Lauer of Palmdale, CA USA asks...

Laws of the Game 2024/25 | Law 4 | The Players’ Equipment
2. Compulsory equipment
Shin Guards – these must be made of a suitable material and be of an appropriate size to provide reasonable protection and be covered by the socks. Players are responsible for the size and suitability of their shin guards

How much authority does the referee have in Enforcing this Law?...

Read The Full Q & A

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 10/28/2024

RE: Rec Adult

Buzz Bee of Bracknell, Not Specified United Kingdom asks...

Is kicking the ball away a bookable offense?

My view (Happy to be corrected) is that kicking the ball away isn't actually an offense, but an action sometimes taken that commits an offense.

For example, a very high profile situation in this season's English Premier League saw Declan Rice of Arsenal sent off, when he kicked the ball away as his oponent was about to take a quick free kick. In my view, the offense he was booked for was not kicking the ball away, but delaying the re-start. Kicking the ball away was just HOW he prevented it

Likewise, you can be booked for kicking the ball away in anger at a refereeing decision, but the offense is dissent, not kicking the ball away. Kicking the ball away is just th...

Read The Full Q & A

Mechanics 10/28/2024

RE: Adult

Martin WAIN of Bradford, West Yorkshire United Kingdom asks...

Hi,

I suspect the controversy of VAR in football will never be solved.Looking at the latest incident in the West Ham v Man Utd game on Oct 27th.

The onfield referee clearly saw the coming together of the 2 players in the penalty area & waived both arms to confirm this & that he did not deem it to be a penalty. The VAR official (Oliver) should have accepted this & not intervened as it was not a clear & obvious error.

My question is: When the onfield referee is called to the pitch side monitor is he allowed to view the footage & make his own mind up of his own accord, or, as all officials are "miked up" is the VAR official giving him further guidance through his earpiece as to why he thinks it may be a penalt...

Read The Full Q & A

Character, Attitude and Control 10/27/2024

RE: rec Adult

Andrew Simpson of hereford, HEREFORDSHIRE United Kingdom asks...

Hi I was wondering if you could answer a question I have from the Norwich vs Middlesbrough game on 27-10-24. The Norwich captain Mclean was sent off in the 87th minute. He walked off with the armband still on his shirt as seen on Sky Sports+ coverage. Can a team be punished for this, and if so how? Or is it down to the referee to notice this?...

Read The Full Q & A

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

<-->
Soccer Referee Extras
Wednesday, November 6, 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