Question Number: 18025

Law 5 - The Referee 11/28/2007

RE: Pro Adult

Aaron of Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 17955

I understand the balance between dealing with trifling offenses and more serious ones. However, I have to cringe every time I see a kickoff where the kicking team is standing on the defending half of the field, sometimes by over a yard. I first noticed it at the pro level but have seen it trickling down into my adult and even higher level youth games. I wish I could say it is just American soccer, however, I have seen it in European leagues as well. Is my dislike of this practice ungrounded or are there other officials out there who correct this on their fields as well?

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

There are two usual reasons for players to stand across the line at a kickoff.

First, if the ball is going to be passed backward, it's easier. That could be considered trifling, if it's only a few inches. I suspect that some time in the future we may see a Law change that allows the kickoff to go backward, and then this problem would go away.

The other reason is if a player wants a head start on a run downfield, which in my opinion usually is not trifling.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Many referees don't want to "use management points" in dealing with things like this or failing to respect the required distance or head butts.

Many times in the European leagues the player is asked to return to his own half before the kick-off. The ones you see are just those televised. Continue to enforce the Laws of the Game as your first duty, just like Law 5 requires. If you and I do not see to this referees in ten years will wonder why Law 8 says to be in your own half if no one enforces it...

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

If you see this in your games, blow the whistle. I know most referees also find the requirement that at a kick-off the ball must be kicked and moved FORWARD, but I blow the whistle everytime it doesn't happen as written in Law.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

No need to cringe. Simply tweet and point, and scowl or grin, whichever works better for you, and they catch on fast. And as a friend of mine is fond of saying, if they complain, ask them which other Laws you should ignore, and should you also ignore them for the other team? Such attention to detail, assuming one isn't a martinet, tells the teams you care about the game and about them - they will possibly grumble but usually actually like to have you do their games. Score one for the game!

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Funny how such a small thing leads out into the overall grandiose versions game management respect and a general dismissive oh well how important is it.

It stems from an invalid PERCEPTION that only a tetchy referee will make this an issue to stamp his authority on a match in an unnecessary fashion.

It is a point of contention that need not be and could display attitude and character in how the matter is resolved.

It speaks of how will the rest of the match conditions unfold from this start?

Will we watch for the incorrect throws and gotcha infractions for debatable indfks but fail to recognize serious fouls and fail to take action against blatant misconduct?

All referees will face the learning curve of how to approach the mundane but not push the issue into one of contention and in as much as we decide how to interpret fair play and enforce the laws we are also being evaluated by the players as to whether we measure up to their expectations.

A few simple words before the whistle to start or at the coin flip
?Gentlemen, all players within their own half please. Thank you!?
Cheers