Question Number: 22124

Law 8 - Start and Restart of Play 10/1/2009

RE: Rec Under 15

Stan of Lowell, MA Essex asks...

On a kickoff must all of the offensive players be completely behind the center line (can one of the two center players be straddling the line facing inward toward the first passer, making a one touch back to midfielder easier)? When I watch professional soccer it seems as though the recieving player is straddling the line at the start facing the first passer so he can one touch the ball back to midfielder without even moving his feet. My rec players keep mis-kicking the pass back because they have to move forward, stop, recieve ball, then pass back to midfielder.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

To me, it totally depends on the age and skill level of the players. The Law requires that the ball be kicked forwards to be in play and that all members of each team are to remain in their own half of the field. At the MLS level, this trifling. At U12 rec, I'm blowing the whistle until the kick is properly taken

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

The laws of the game require that the players be in their own half at a kickoff.

What you observe in most matches is the notion that any infringment by the teammate straddling the halfway line is trifling. Because it makes no difference to the match, it should be ignored.

A few referees believe that strict compliance with the requirement adds to match control because if players note that the referee will let them 'get away' with this at the very beginning of the match, the players will continue to test what else the referee will allow.

I'm usually in the trifling camp. But, how the referee treats the kickoff can gives clues to the players: (a) whether the referee played the game; and/or (b) whether the referee will be calling the match tightly.

YMMV.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Stan
The law states that all players must be in their own half of the field of play at kick off. However where a player is straddling the half way line the referee may decide that this is trifling and may simply allow play to continue. In games that I officiate on if one player is straddling the center line at the ball I'm not going to call the kick off back nor would I ask for a retake where the receiver moves ever so slightly forward just before the ball is kicked. Also the forward pass can just be slightly forward of the line.
Referees have a different tolerance level to this and really the only way is to test that. The worst that can happen is a retake

As a previous coach I might suggest the problem here is that the takers are playing the ball too far forward at the kick off. When the ball is tipped forward say 6 inches it is in play so there should be no control issue. Also if the receiver has moved forward ever so slightly from a side on position facing across the field of play, he will be able to move the ball backwards with little difficulty.

I hope that helps