Question Number: 29230

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 3/6/2015

RE: youth to adult, comp and rec.

Barry Stewart of Chilliwack, BC Canada asks...

This question is a follow up to question 29226

Richard Dawson makes an interesting point about attackers cutting corners of the penalty area, during goal kicks or other defensive free kicks from inside the PA.

I play as well as ref and, as a defender, I sometimes wait outside the edge of the PA to get a short pass from the keeper.

A central attacker will often cut across the box to pressure me, once the ball has been kicked¦ but Richard is saying they are not welcome to enter the box until the ball has left the PA.

I'll 'have a word' with any refs who allow this short-cutting. I need all the help I can get, playing with people who are 1/2 or 1/3 my age!

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Barry
It can prove difficult to determine if the shortcut happened while the ball was inside the area or not. Always a difficult call to watch two points of interest that is the location of the ball crossing the penalty area line and a player crossing say the corner of the penalty area.
The referee has to determine if in fact the shortcut significantly effected the play and sometimes the team don't want play to restart again and they are quite happy to continue.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Barry,
just repeating the LOTG.
all opponents must remain outside the penalty area until the ball is in play

As in recognizing any foul we consider some trifling or doubtful. I will warn if it occurs but does not affect the outlet pass. If I have warned and an early entrance into the PA does affect the pass out I retake there ...could... be a caution, yellow card shown for delaying the restart of play . Usually warnings work usually lol
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

I called it once - and got a little stick that the ball had already been kicked. When I explained that the opponent had to stay outside the penalty area until the ball exited and was in play, I got, 'Oh, I didn't know that.'

It doesn't get called much because many times it makes absolutely no difference in how things work out, so we don't call it because it's trifling. In the game where I called it, the opponent was able to close down on the player receiving the ball, so it did make a difference.