Question Number: 18340

Law 10 - Method of Scoring 2/5/2008

RE: Competitive Under 17

Greg of Boise, ID Ada asks...

I don't think this is covered by the Laws, but I'd like your opinion on how I called this play. The keeper grabbed a ball that had trickled past her, that was either on the line or over for a goal. From my angle I couldn't tell if the ball was all the way over the line for a goal, or not, before it was pulled out by the keeper. The crowd reaction and reaction of the attacking players was as if it was a goal. I look over to the young AR, and he shrugs his shoulders, indicating he had no call. Meanwhile, the keeper is coming out with the ball to release it to one of her players, as she should because I had made no signal for a goal. I blew the whistle to stop play so I could figure this out. I go over to the AR, and he says he was screened and didn't have a view. So I decide it was not a goal, since neither me nor the AR could say that all of the ball went all the way over the line. I restart with a drop ball to the keeper. My sense from player and crowd reaction is that it was probably a goal. But because I couldn't tell from my angle, and the AR didn't see it, I called it no goal. Did I make a good call? Was it OK to stop play to give myself a chance to discuss with the AR and figure it out? Thank you.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Neither you nor the AR saw the ball completely over the line, so you can't award the goal.

What the crowd saw is immaterial. First, many of them will believe that on the line or "mostly" in is good enough, which we know is false. Second, they are partisan, and even if the ball isn't completely across the line they might see it as so, just because they want it to be so.

Stopping play to check with your AR makes you look indecisive. The AR has already shrugged, indicating to you that he doesn't know if it was in or not. What more information did you hope to get from him?

Having whistled to stop play, the correct restart is a dropped ball. Dropping it directly to the keeper is good sense - hopefully the opponents will let her have it.

You don't say where the AR made his non-call from. Did he do his very best to get to the end line so he could see the goal? Did you encourage him to do so next time?

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

The referee crew must endeavour to gain a position where they are not blocked on their own field. The assistant must take a position on the goal line so judging this event is not only possible but unassailable. On this match the assistant failed in his duty to inform the referee the ball had crossed a field boundary. In most cases this is a direct result of not being properly positioned. Sometimes the assistant fails to correctly signal the stoppage in play as directed in the Guide to Procedures for Referees, Assistant Referees and Fourth Officials.

Given those circumstances the referee is faced with coming to a decision without necessary information. The information is the whole of the ball crossing the whole of the goal line. If that necessary information is absent there can be no decision! Play must continue. Stopping play just shows all present the referee is incapable of making a decision and this compromises every decision taken from then until the end of the match.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

It sounds as if your AR let you hang on this one. It is imperative in your pregame to remind your ARs to run EVERY ball to the line. Sounds as if he was not in proper position or, possibly, the shot was from so far away he couldn't get there in time. Neither of you saw a goal score so you cannot award one. The dropped ball is the correct restart and dropping it to the keeper was probably correct also. That said, I don't think you should have stopped play. Your AR has already told you he didn't see anything so what did you gain by stopping play? This is a fairly high level of play and you have just announced to everyone there that you cannot decide something. Better to simply get on with the match.

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

Oh no! Stopping play in my opinion only made it worse. No one saw the ball go in so you cannot award a goal here. The AR should have better position to judge this