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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reevaluated and rewritten each year, often rendering previous answers as incorrect, partially true and/or portions no longer applicable!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 14 - The Penalty kick 4/23/2025RE: Competitive Under 12 Soccer Mom of Saratoga Springs, UT United States asks...Team 2 was awarded a penalty due to a foul in the box. Everyone was set up for the penalty. After the whistle a girl from Team 2 ran up to take the penalty then ran over the bill without touching it. Another play on the team then ran up to take the penalty and she scored.
Team 1 keeper started to dive with the first runner, and the second player scored in the opposite direction.
The ref called the penalty illegal and had them retake it. Goalie saved the second attempt.
Was the illegal penalty the right call? Should they have gotten a re-try?...
Read The Full Q & A Law 11 - Offside 4/23/2025RE: Comp. Under 19 Larry of Danville, CA United States asks...Im having a minor debate with a fellow referee and am interested in your insight. Does an attempt to play a ball that should be easily controlled by a defender, but who doesn't actually touch the ball, reset offside? The actual play was as follows: There is a long pass from an attacker towards a player in an offside position. A defender has time and space to intercept the pass but simply takes a swing at it and misses completely. The ball continues to the player in an offside position, who then becomes involved in play....
Read The Full Q & A Law 17 - The Corner Kick 4/16/2025RE: Rec Adult Andrew Bower of Worksop, Nottinghamshire United Kingdom asks...For a corner tha law states the ball should be in the corner area. If in modern play the ball is only touching or bisecting the line isn't that out of the area in the same way as a ball not wholly in the goal( not OVER the line) is not a goal because it is not in the area designated as the goal....
Read The Full Q & A Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 4/15/2025RE: 5 Adult Dima of Saanich, B.C. Canada asks...The attacker with the ball tries to take the ball to his left being the right of the defender opposite him . He loses or passes around me the ball to the right and the defender's momentum also went to that direction but he fell into a split with left foot to his side. The opponent meanwhile went or shifted to his right , the opposite side from the ball and trips on the defender's left foot. at that point the ball is not in possession of the attacker according to the 3ft rule. Is that still a foul by the defender according to law 12?
It was not an intentional trip, as the defenders momentum and body position were directed toward the side of the ball. The attacker had shifted to the opposite side, away from the ball, and made c...
Read The Full Q & A Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 4/13/2025RE: Competitive Under 16 Matt of Portland , OR US asks...Hello. I really need your insight into whether this constituted a foul. It ended up costing us a game last night. Heres the scenario. Attacking forward has a clear line to goal and is running 100% and is now in the penalty box. Defender is running full speed at an angle to block or make a tackle. Forward is in the process of taking a shot when defender lunges in front of the ball and gets his foot planted (not contact yet with the ball). The ball ricocheted off defenders foot but also ends up tripping the shooter and causing also a severe body collision. Shooter had to come off due to injury.
Thank you for your wisdom!...
Read The Full Q & A Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 4/6/2025RE: Competiive Under 13 Axim of Albuquerque, NM USA asks...The goalkeeper for our team does an unorthodox control is maintained when a goalie bounces the ball and then is distributing via the drop kick, any challenging or impeding the distribution should be a violation. Is there a reason why this approach for a dropkick would allow the opposing team to challenge the goalie? ...
Read The Full Q & A Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 3/30/2025RE: Rec Adult Mario Viteri of Katy, Tx USA asks...If a defender passes the ball to the goalie who is outside the penalty box, then the goalie dribbles the ball inside the penalty box and then picks it up, is that legal?...
Read The Full Q & A Law 8 - The Start and Restart of Play 3/30/2025RE: Rec Adult Tony Thomas of London , United Kingdom asks...If the referee awards a penalty and VAR overturns it, why does the game restart with a drop ball for the goal keeper?
...
Read The Full Q & A Law 5 - The Referee 3/30/2025RE: Competetive Under 14 Daniel Robinson of Derby, UK asks...If I was to give advantage for a clip on a player outside the box and that player has then taken 3 further players on and then fouled in the box for a clear penalty.
Do I revert back to the initial foul or give a penalty?...
Read The Full Q & A Law 3 - The Players 3/25/2025RE: completive Adult Peter of Melbourne , Australia asks...Thank you for responding to my questions.
However, I am still not fully convinced by this situation.
My understanding is that if the referee is not informed, a field player who changes positions with the goalkeeper is still considered a field player in the eyes of the referee. If that player subsequently touches the ball and prevents it from entering the goal, they would be committing a DOGSO offense.
According to Law 12: "Where a player denies the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by committing a deliberate handball offense, the player is sent off, regardless of where the offense occurs (except for a goalkeeper within their own penalty area)."
Could you please provide fu...
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