Question Number: 35137

High School 10/3/2023

RE: High School

Franco of Bloomington , Indiana USA asks...

Wasting time question

We ran a corner kick play that takes about 4-6 seconds to complete. We have ran this play for the last 4 seasons without a single call or warning or complaints by opposing coaches. Its an attacking play designed for us to attack the goal line rather than attacking the mouth of the goal with a header. We use it when we are not superior in the air AND when we want to make sure we use up 4-6 seconds of time. We run this play at the beginning of games and at the end or when we are tied, ahead of behind so we use it in all situations.

In this particular game, we ran it 3 times when we were down 0-2. The ref never said anything about wasting time. In the second half when we scored 3 goals and took the lead 3-2. The ref warned us to speed up our throw ins, I agree that was a good warning. He said nothing about our corner kicks.

Then we ran that corner play again and he immediately gave my player a yellow card for wasting time. at this point in the game we had rand this corner play 4 times prior, 3 times when we were behind and once when we were tied. We have scored multiple goals off this play.

I asked the ref and he said its wasting time because your player is taking more than 6 seconds. I said, you never called this before and we have never had issues before with any other ref and I said, they too are taking more than 6 seconds and he said, its only 6 seconds AFTER the ball is set up.

I then started counting every time they had a restart. The ref gave me a yellow card.

I confirmed my thoughts in our HUDL video, we ran the corner play multiple times without any warning and we ran it more when we were behind. We watched the clock in our video and timed it, it took our player 6.25 seconds once the ball was set up to kick it. And in this 6 seconds our players are moving.

Was this a call supported by the 2023 NFHS rule book and was my yellow card justified. I agree I was being a smart elic and in my 25 years of coaching, this is my first yellow card other than a card for my player having a nose ring in.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Franco
As a referee I always pay attention to how long it takes for certain restarts as I know it may become a factor later in the game.
Delay of the game on restarts such as free kicks, corners, throw-ins are in the judgement of the referee and there is no set time limit that I can see in NFHS. I do not know where this six second rule comes from as it only applies to the goalkeepers possession of the ball and nothing else. Maybe it is a local convention yet it is not supported in the Rules.

Many times referees do not pay attention to how long say a corner takes and then late on what looks like delaying the restart gets punished with a card. I’m sure that if a team is behind it is not going to delay getting the ball back into play promptly.

As to the caution the loud counting of six would be seen as dissent as it was questioning the referees interpretation of the previous restart decision. It was directly challenging the referee in a public way.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Franco ,
back to the ITOOTR scenario again. The discretionary powers to decide if a player is simply wasting time does not guarantee they can determine your deep seated tactical rational.
If there are options to add time versus running out he clock with none, I might proceed differently as well. Referees are a funny lot and who can say at what level they are on the curve of knowledge and rung of experience.

If your team was already warned verbally to get on with it then perhaps not the best time to apply a task, that in effect, is in direct opposition to what he stated?

I often whistle in corners, for the most part as it has become the standard, given the goofiness in the PA as they mill about even if by law a whistled restart is not required. If I had said to "Get on with it!" earlier then actually whistled the start of the corner I might say, "Today guys" or as this ref did cautioned the player for not getting the ball back into play sooner.

There is no 6 second law other than the keepers' possession in active play but even that is rarely enforced to the microsecond. Perhaps it had to do with retrieving the ball setting it up THEN adding this bit more?

As to mimicking or trying to needle the referee by counting out loud. Referees can get as irritated as you and unlike you they has some authority to deal with it. You can of course write a game report outlining your concerns to the authorities but here we just need to agree to disagree and move forward1
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe Manjone

Coach Franco,

NFHS Rule 12-9-1f2 states a player shall be cautioned for unsporting conduct including unnecessary delay (kicking, throwing the ball away on a free kick, etc.)

The calling of unnecessary delay is at the discretion of the referee so the action of giving a caution by the referee was legal.

I have never seen an unnecessary delay caution given for a corner kick. If the referee thinks a delay is occurring, he or she normally tells the kicker to put the ball into play. If the kick is not made, a cautioned is then warranted, but as stated, I have never seen one actually given.

Also, the six seconds for making corner kick is not an NFHS rule. The six second rule is associated with the required time for the the goalkeeper to put the ball into play after gaining control (NFHS Rule 12-8-1).

I see Indiana has already started the 2023 playoffs. Hopefully, you team will be in Indianapolis on October 27th and 28th.