Question Number: 35747

Law 5 - The Referee 10/10/2024

RE: Rec. Under 12

Larry of Danville, CA United States asks...

I was watching a youth recreational game,
and would be interested in your take of the following: White is throwing the ball in from their attacking half. The trailing AR on that side and the other half of the field, raises their flag for an improper throw-in. The CR does not see the raised flag and allows play to continue. Red immediately controls the throw-in and mounts an attack. The AR drops their flag during the attack. Red scores, within several seconds of the throw-in. The AR calls the CR over and after a discussion the goal is allowed. The White team’s coach was upset and felt that since the ball was not put into play properly the goal should be disallowed, with a restart back at the original position for Red. What do you think should have happened? And if you think the goal should have been allowed, does your opinion change if some of the White team players stopped playing due to the temporarily raised flag?
This also made me wonder if advantage can be used for any restart, such as a bad throw-in, or a double touch after a free kick / goal kick? I believe it can by Law, but I don’t think I have ever seen it done.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Larry
Thanks for the question.

Advantage is generally not played on an incorrectly taken throw in or a double touch infringement. Older referees will remember that at time the thinking was that advantage was limited to Law 12 offences.
On a goal kick it is generally a retake on an incorrectly taken kick as advantage is rarely present. Also if the correct procedure is not followed such as a bouncing ball or a kick from well outside the goal area a referee will be expected to not allow that. I doubt advantage would be present anyway
In reality a decision can be made that a restart is okay yet exceptional circumstances can present where advantage is at play. Other times the benefit would be to the team taking the restart so advantage would be mute.


Now in the situation you describe the only question of note is whether there was an incorrectly taken throw in or not? This should be discussed in the Pre Match discussion. The accepted advice is that the AR looks for foot faults while the referee looks after throwing action.
In this case if the referee felt there was nothing wrong with the throw in then nothing needs to happen. The decision hinges on what the AR see and said to the referee.

Finally a fundamental tenet of playing is that players should play to the whistle. A raised flag may result in a whistle yet not necessarily so players should only stop for a whistle.
I have seen adult players stop for a flag yet on an overrule a referee is perfectly entitled to wave the flag down or if unseen to not take an ARs opinion except on a matter of fact such as a ball out of play.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Larry,
a raised flag is NOT a reason for players to stop play, thinking the CR and AR are on the same page, even if we wanted that 100% of the time. The CR who has the final say, could be over riding the flag (usually with a palm wave down) thinking it doubtful/ trifling or as in this case perhaps he simply was unobservant or saw it as fair and did not think there was an issue thus broke eye contact and communication with the AR.
PLAY THE WHISTLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pre-match instructions on throw ins generally the CR watches the method of delivery (for me that includes foot faults and controls the point of entry)

The AR primary is if a ball is in or out along the touchline if it travels up or down the field as well as prepare for offside reevaluation. Foot faults usually only on severe violations if the CR is too distant. If the ball stays in touch or hovers over the 5 inch touchline it remains playable, if it manages to wander completely outside or curve in a way as for this to occur then it is a throw-in for the opposition.

I encourage ARs to rack the flag, wave and say OUT! in such cases and to remember a thrower can stand on the touchlines with part of the feet inside the field of play. Lift a foot if you have eye contact to indicate could be a personal signal but for a simple restart my suggestion is, keep it simple. Grassroots soccer has no radio or buzzers.

We do not use advantage rule for an incorrectly taken restart that has not yet legally put the ball in play! If a ball is actually out of play into touch, then reenters, the FLAG should remain up and every effort to get the referee attention. The INDFK for a second touch or a retake and loss of the throw in, has to do with not following procedures. We can apply advantage to a restart on the correctly taken throw in to the keeper who uses their hands but the ball rebounds to an attacker who scores or directly deflects into the goal under the crossbar between the posts off the hands. Technically illegal use of hands is an INDFK. Yet if the thrower did a weak throw and recovered it chances are we award the INDFK to the opposition even if they immediately challenged and took it away.

Cheers