Question Number: 21922

Law 13 - Free Kicks 9/8/2009

RE: select High School

tom mitchell of Lexington, Kentucky USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 21771

An attacking player was fouled just outside the box and a direct free kick was awarded. The 'kicker' asked for ten yards, but did not wait for the second whistle. She shot and scored. What is the appropriate referee's response? This referee awarded a goal kick to the opposing team. I believe it should have been a redo...

Answer provided by Referee Gene Nagy

Tom, we need to know a little more.

If the referee clearly told the players to WAIT FOR THE WHISTLE as she set the wall and the player took the kick before that signal then the ref erred twice. First she should caution and show the yellow card and second, retake the kick.

If the ref left room for doubt as to when the ball should be kicked it is a simple retake because how can a ref blame a player when she shows sloppy control? Bear in mind that just because somebody asks for 10 yards that does not automatically compel the attackers to wait. What does compel them is once the ref issues instructions to WAIT.

The third possibility, though remote is that the ref did nothing when asked for ten yards in which case she should have allowed the goal.

There is no way a goal kick could possibly result from this play. If they put into their own net, at the other end fo the field in gale force winds (you did not say which net the ball went in...) then it would be corner kick, not GK.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

The goal kick could be plausable,
If this foul was an INDFK offence
If the referee had not indicated it was a ceremonial attempt!
If the referee's arm was up signaling an indfk?

When a referee has decided to make a free kick ceremonial he immediately should indicate this to both teams!!!

A request for ten yards is not exactly the same as a complaint that ten yards are not being respected.

UNTIL a referee has ACTUALLY indicated a second whistle restart will occur the defending team needs to be leery. The goal could have counted if the referee did not intend to intervene and was a dfk restart!

IF the referee does indicate the dfk or any free kick and has decided this will be a ceremonial fre kick the attackers have no right to proceed and must wait until the referee is again ready to go using the whistle ! It would indeed be retaken with a possible yellow card caution for the kicker.

If teams are requesting ten yards because the opposition is allowed to linger about the referee needs to address this impropriety in a stronger manner. I always ask the attacking team particularly the ones nearest the restart, 'Do you want me to intervene?' Thus it turns a complaint about the ten yards into one directly involving me in the restart if they answer yes!
I immediately signal to BOTH teams NOTHING happens until I whistle play back in! Thus a retake for an early kick with caution show yellow to the kicker is quite likely.

It is a CAUTIONABLE action for opposition to purposefully fail to withdraw from the restart site once the direction of play is indicated Failure to respect distance or delaying the restart occur much to frequently and create the frustration cry of, TEN yards ref!

If a referee tries to verbally warn defenders to hurry up or get out of there AFTER a request is heard for ten yards it is difficult to justify allowing the restart since it could be perceived you are acting in accordance with the attackers' request and have created a ceremonial situation in the minds of those watching.

I say this as a point of law until a referee has signaled it is a 100% ceremonial restart, defenders best defend!

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Assuming the referee informed all the players to wait for his whistle, the kick must be retaken and, possibly, the kicker cautioned. Even if the referee did give permission the restart cannot be a goal kick, it would be a goal

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

The kick should have been retaken.

As Refs Nagy, Contarino, Dawson note, when the kicker does not wait for the whistle (as instructed by the referee) and kicks the ball into the goal, the result is never a goal kick.

While the attacking team is permitted to use guile and deception on a free kick, it is IMO unsporting behavior for a kicker to deceive the opponents (and the referee) by asking for ten yards and then kicking the ball. I would not allow a goal to be scored under these circumstances.