Question Number: 12812

Law 8 - Start and Restart of Play 5/15/2006

RE: competive Professional

daniel nunez of santo domingo, dominican republic dominican republic asks...

This question is a follow up to question 928

is a final game and the offensive player fools the last man and the goal keeper and shoots to the goal the ball is going in the correct direction and a fans comes in the field and kicks it out right before it goes in the goal! what happens what call is to be mayed is it a goal our is it a pk?

Answer provided by Referee Nathan Lacy

The fan is considered an "outside influence" and a dropped-ball is awarded at the location of the ball when the event occurred. Even though it may have appeared to have been going into the goal you cannot award a goal (since it did not go in) nor can you award a PK because a penal foul did not occur inside the PA. All the best,

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

The only possible restart is a drop ball. A goal cannot be awarded since the ball did not go past the goal line and under and between the posts. Drop ball at the location where the fan touched ball unless it was in goal area. If the fan touched ball in goal area, drop bakll occurs at the top of goal area parallel to the point in which the ball was touched. As Always,

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Daniel,
my colleagues state the correct restart action to be taken by the referee, in law a drop ball is the only restart possible. As for the fan hopefully security will remove the goomba from the field area as there is likely to be some hostile reactions that COULD escalate by having the players get into trouble as they try to beat him into a dirt pile.

There should NOT be fans or spectators or anyone allowed near the goals in behind where they can easily step into the field

The team denied the goal by the unsporting antics of the spectator COULD be given a lesson in ethics if the team that was about to be scored on stepped aside and did not contest the dropball.
Who can say how fairplay may eventually assert itself?
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Assuming no one shoots the fan, you immediately stop play and restart with a dropped ball. Then you have security take this idiot away. If he's been shot, wait until the mess is cleared before you restart with a dropped ball. Too messy.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

The referee needs to stop things. Somehow the innocent spectator is going to find himself in another part of the world, in what condition matters not to the participants if the match. The restart of play is going to be a dropped ball. From there who knows.

I tend to side with Ref Dawson, an eternal optimist...

Regards,