Question Number: 21691

Law 5 - The Referee 7/25/2009

RE: Select Under 18

Erik of Arlington, TX USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 21641

In my situation, the referee not only awarded a free kick after play had been restarted (and stopped again after the goal was scored), it was also for an offsides violation, not violent conduct.

If this was a normal league play game, would this be something that is protestable? I don't see this as being a judgement call. He just flat out failed to follow the rules.

I know if the call was originally called correctly, it would be offsides. I took advantage of the situation after the referee signaled the foul against the defense and restarted just about 4 seconds later. Though, its not my job as a player to help the referee out. If he is going to give me a free kick that I don't deserve, I'm going to take it as quickly as possible before the assistant can correct him.


Luckily, the goal the referee stole away did not affect the outcome of the tournament game. Though, if he called it correctly, I wouldn't have yelled at him, and would have been able to play in the championship final instead of being suspended.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Even after the game has been restarted the referee may act on information from the AR. If the AR is still standing there with his flag in the air and the referee finally notices it and accepts the information then we have offside and play had stopped at that moment.

Perhaps you will learn to temper your remarks in the future

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

Erik:

Each league sets its guidelines for what, if anything, allows a protest.

But, if the league allows protests on these kinds of decisions, your team was guilty of an offside violation, and the assistant referee informed (and the referee accepted) that fact. If the goal had been allowed, it would have been the other team that protested.

Sorry. But, the laws provide no sympathy when players who are sent off for their own use of offensive language.