Question Number: 25349

Law 13 - Free Kicks 8/22/2011

RE: Adult

Dino of Toronto, On Canada asks...

This question is a follow up to question 24349

What if the referee certainly blew the whistle and the offense team set the ball just 5 yards outside the box (they didn't ask for 10 yards and didn't play a quick kick). While the referee was walking down to the inner box, he causally asked us (the wall) to back up about 2 more yards. He didn't measure the distance by walking down our way. He was about another 10 yards on our right side when he talked to us. While we were moving back, the opponent team shoot the ball and went wide.

In this situation, does the referee need to blow the whistle to restart the game? When I asked the referee the same question, he answered to me that since the request of moving the wall back is initiated by him, not from the offense team, they can start the play anytime without blowing a whistle. Is that true?

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

No, this is certainly NOT true. The team that committed the foul has very few 'rights' but one of them (perhaps the ONLY one) is not to be confused by the referee. Once the referee tells you to back up 2 more yards, he has made the kick ceremonial and the ONLY way play may be restarted is with his whistle.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Dino
A casual request to move the wall back a few more yards could be deemed not to have any effect on play and therefore not a huge issue in terms of game managment.
However the referees interpretation though is incorrect as once the referee distracts the goalkeeper, defenders and starts moving the wall back then that makes the free kick ceremonial and it is on the whistle, no matter who requested the 10 yards.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

The defense has only one right on a free kick: not to be misled by something the referee says or does. Once the referee begins enforcing the distance in this situation, the defenders have every right to expect that in return for watching and obeying the referee, they do not need to watch the ball and the attacking team until there is a whistle.

The referee should have ordered the kick retaken since the referee's action made the kick ceremonial. The referee also should have been clear - - telling the kicker to wait for the whistle, showing the whistle as a signal to wait, and then moving players back. It sounds, however, like the referee chose to use rough 'justice' rather than follow the law. Since a goal was not scored, the referee probably thought that the defense has not been put at a disadvantage by the referee's distraction and the kicking team had its chance. The law, however, requires that a kick be retaken, regardless of the result.

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

See Question: 25524