Question Number: 24177

Law 13 - Free Kicks 10/17/2010

RE: Adult

JB of Sydney, NSW Australia asks...

The referee awards an indirect free kick near the goals. The opposition sets their wall the correct distance away.

The attacker taps the ball so a fellow attacker can shoot.

Just moments before the attacker taps the ball the wall beaks and blocks the shot.

The referee blows the whistle and gets the kick taken again and issues verbal warning to several defenders.

The ref blows for the indirect to be retaken, but this time the attacker over the ball fakes to kick. This fools the defenders who momentarily break, but straight away move back.

The referee then blows his whistle and yellow cards several of the defenders for breaking early again.

My question:

Is the attacker not guilty of unsporting behavior? The sole person of faking to kick was to trick the defenders so they would be yellow carded?

Often attackers fake during free kick plays, but that is part of a genuine attempt to score. In the above situation the attacker only had one purpose.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi JB
Feinting is permitted at a free kick. So the attacker was entitled to feint to kick the ball. It is up to defenders to interpet that feint. What should not have happened is the players in the defensive wall moving towards the ball until it was kicked and in play.
Also the referee probably viewed the feinting as an attempt to test that the defenders did not break from the wall. The attackers have no control over the actions of the referee in cautioning and perhaps another referee may have warned again.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Some referees are too quick with the whistle. If the defenders broke early from their wall, but the kick to the second attacker allowed that guy to put the ball in the back of the net or get a good shot on goal because all the defenders were rushing the kicker, the referee who blew too quickly cheated the offense. The goal would punish the defenders who didn't follow the Law.

Now, had this been going on for several attempts by the attacking team previously in the game, the referee may have had enough and dealt with the situation in a manner allowed by the Law and intended to finally get the attention of the encroaching defenders.

But to answer your direct question - no, the attacker is not guilty of any unsporting behavior. Feinting/deception is allowed as a game tactic at free kicks, and that works for both teams. Caveat emptor for the defense.

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 24756