Question Number: 32764

Law 5 - The Referee 10/1/2018

RE: Adult

Mika Lehtonen of Helsinki, Finland asks...

This happened some 6 years ago...

Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X96zEboj_-o

Attacking team takes a throw-in. A few moments later second ball is thrown-in by the attacking (near midfield).

Is it a good goal?

Or should ref stop the play when second ball is thrown?

I think that at that time the rule was written:

'...an extra ball, other object or animal enters the field of play during the match, the referee must stop play only if it interferes with play'


Does it interfere with the play?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Mika
I believe we were asked about this when it happened yet I just cannot find the question
Anyway the decision rests on the opinion of the referee as to whether a 2nd ball interferes with play and if the throw in was taken from the correct location.
My opinion is that the 2nd ball did not interfere with play in that it involved 4 players who were not involved in play.
The throw in was taken from the correct location and those that were involved in play were not interfered with as normal play continues with one defender getting in a challenge and certainly those in the goalmouth were not interfered with in any way.
So I would say that the referee was 100% correct.
I recall before the Law was changed on this that there were times when teams deliberately kicked on a second ball so that play had to be stopped or a ball came from an adjacent pitch. The former was a patent abuse of the Law so now the ball has to in the opinion of the referee interfere in play for the game to be stopped.
The conceding team makes a big deal about two players that were attracted to the 2nd ball along with two opponents. Neither of those four had any involvement in play nor were they interfered with in play of the correct ball.
In any match situation the referee will see the throw in be taken from the correct location, the defenders accepted that getting on with play and the second ball situation would have happened way behind play unseen by the referee or for that matter any player that it mattered to. It is an attempt to use the law to get a goal chalked off.
As a point of interest the the Law has been upgraded since that incident where it now states that where the ball is going into the goal and the interference by a second ball does not prevent a defending player playing the ball, the goal is awarded if the ball enters the goal (even if contact was made with the ball). That is to prevent situations where the ball has entered the goal and an attempt was made to stop the goal with an extra ball has failed in which case the goal is awarded and the offender cautioned for USB.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Mika,
the defender pounded the ball down the FOP so technically the correct spot to take the throw in is where the ball completely exited the FOP. Now at the top end they have extra balls all over and the is no delay or very short in getting a ball to throw in as opposed to retrieval like in recreation play. The referee accepted the lower position throw in thus was focused on play with that ball . The 2nd ball is simply confusion based on the 4 or so players that followed the ball kicked out instead of the restart accepted earlier. The AR could have stopped the over eager ball boy & thrower NEXT To him given the throw in was immediately taken down the line nearer where the ball actually exited the FOP. For me a good goal as the extra ball played no part in the initial correct restart.
Cheers
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Mika,
As you have correctly indicated, the decision here rests on whether the extra ball interfered with play or not. It's a referee's judgement call and so a referee could call it either way and not be technically wrong but I would agree with my colleagues that there is not quite enough here to justify disallowing the goal.