Question Number: 26798

Law 8 - Start and Restart of Play 9/18/2012

RE: Rec Under 13

matt milburn of marion, ia USA asks...

AYSO League here in the US U12 Girls league. start of play on a kickoff- player kicks it backwards on the initial kick- play is stopped and reset- player told ball must proceed forward and they are allowed to rekick (coaching)- player again kicks ball backwards - play is stopped and the kick off is turned over to the opposing team.

Originial kicking teams coach claims ball is never put into play so should be allowed to rekick again and start play- also heard should be an indirect kick if turned over to the opposing team.
Thoughts- thank you!

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Matt
The kick off cannot be turned over for an infringement. The referee can award an IDFK for a double touch infringement but that is about it.
The only possible sanction here was a caution for USB and the kick off is retaken by the original team.
I suspect that the referee here used his own method in resolving this problem. The method is widely used in rugby football. Use the restart properly or the ball gets turned over. Not in the Laws of the Game though.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

The referee made a mistake.

If the referee notes that the ball was not kicked forward on a kickoff, the kick must be retaken. Same result if players are not on their own half of the field. Or the kick occurs before a whistle. It is NOT coaching, IMO, to tell a player what they did wrong.

The only infringement on a kickoff that results in a free kick to the other team is a double touch violation (kicker touches the ball a second time before any other player). Every thing else is a retake of the kickoff.

The referee is not powerless when a player or team repeatedly infringes the laws of the game, notwithstanding a warning. The player may be cautioned. This does not change the restart, however. It remains a kickoff.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

This referee may have been similar to one in a game my daughter's team played years ago. One of their players took forever to execute a throw-in. After a few tries at getting her to go, he took the ball and gave it to the opponents. After the game he said that he just wasn't going to give a card to a young player for that, and so he got creative. Absolutely incorrect in Law, but creative. I suspect the same thing here.