Question Number: 35757

Law 13 - Free Kicks 10/17/2024

Petr of Prague, Czech Republic Czech Republic asks...

Hello,

I found this presentation.

https://dt5602vnjxv0c.cloudfront.net/portals/1864/docs/d3s9%20-%20free%20kick%20management.pdf

On page 15 is this:

Referee should interfere/manage when:
- Kicking team asks for 10 yards
- Encroachment is severe
- “Quick” restart is not taken

I'm interested in the last part about the quick kick. ("quick" restart is not taken).

Situation:

A10 is fouled in the front third of the field. A5 places the ball in the correct place. A5 does not play immediately. The referee comes to the ball. A5 passes the ball to a teammate. There is a delay of several seconds after the ball is placed.

Q1: How do you personally assess it? Do you let it play or not?

Q2: How do professional referees deal with it? Let's say referees at the level of the highest leagues and international matches.

My solution:
I probably wouldn't let him play in the danger zone. Only maybe if he kicks the ball immediately. I'm just not sure yet. :-)

Thank you very much!

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Petr
Thanks for the question.

I personally would let play continue as I have not *interfered* with the kick even if there is a slight delay.

Have a look at this one
https://youtu.be/kUpEzjPjuWE?si=OgX0J13i4rBGyWfP

I would pay no heed to the commentator. There is no requirement to allow the opponents to set up to defend.
For me the referee is in front of the ball and in my opinion he has imposed himself on the play. If he was behind the ball and simply arrived from behind I would see no reason to hold up the kick.

This was a La Liga game and the referee was highly experienced. Obviously the conceding team did not take kindly to the goal yet in Law there was nothing *incorrect* in allowing the kick. It shows how the *ceremonial* restart has become so common place that team expect it.

Each situation will be different and it is up to a referee to manage each restart appropriately should it require managing.
Now I know some referees who make every restart ceremonial even away from the attacking zone. Why give the offending team a *benefit* when the offended against team wants to get on with play which can include a shot at goal.
The bigger challenge for referees is preventing the defending team for acting contrary to the Law at the restart such as delaying the restart, not respecting the distance.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Petr,
the ONLY thing a referee actually needs to do, assuming no cards being shown or verbal warnings is initially stay out of the way and watch to see if there is a need to do anything?
I do not believe the referee intended to create a perception that he was going to go ceremonial, but given as -MOST- free kicks in this particular area of the field generally are, the defenders became, dare a I say it, complacent! A deadly vile trait of a general assumption Defenders relying on generalities like ceremonial free kicks can backfire. Unless the referee signals otherwise, play continues without a whistle.

The best way to approach this is as a coach.
The thinking footballer uses skills, technique, athleticism, but if he switches off the tactical mind set he becomes just a nobody on the Field of play.

Inform your players that when you defend you bloody well DEFEND even & especially if the match is stopped, where as if we attack, we continue to ATTACK & BATTLE until we are forced t0 stop.

My colleague's great example CLEARLY illustrates that point.

FANTASTIC proactive thinking by the attacker
USELESS switched off defending by the defenders!
Expectations and perceptions are not circumstances to pin your hopes on!
Unless the referee has indicated with 100% certainty, play is NOT continuing without his whistle, you remain vigilant on defence!

Love the announcers whining about what is fair given the defenders created the situation. There is no need for the referee to give the nod or signal at all to restart after a DFK foul! Total myth, the attackers can restart by kicking it into play as long as the ball is not rolling and in the opinion of the referee, stationary at the correct spot! Given that position is where the ball rolled to after the foul the referee must of decided close was good enough.

Next let us be very clear, defenders have ZERO rights on free kicks except to follow the LOTG mandate they withdraw ASAP to the required distance and not delay the restart. They fouled, they stopped that attack, now they wish to defend against the restart by delaying the attack once again?

The proactive referee is well aware of the baiting attitudes and actions initiated during the defenders' "retreat" constantly flirting with danger by obvious or subtle hampering of the attacker abilities to take their rightful free kick quickly and easily as such these actions are often adjudged as cautionable USB action, show the yellow card

Although the referee HAS given no direct indication he is holding up play by stating or showing to everyone that we are waiting for his whistle Indirectly by his position and body language it seemed to infer that he was at least considering intervening, leading to confusion. It appeared to me in the clip the referee was somewhat caught off guard at the restart as were the defenders except he rationalized that he had not truly interfered or done anything to stop it thus he permitted the goal to count determining the DFK was taken within the LOTG!

The referee's position in the clip, is, in my opinion, poor, because he is at the dead center of things rather than just off to the side and observing. I can see the rational to ensure the player down is ok and there is no retaliation being displayed but I think a better observational position would be further left and outside the PA bracketing the free kick in between the AR and CR. Referee's role is to stay out of the way unless intervention is necessary. The referee's positioning and actions should avoid creating perceptions of a ceremonial restart. The referee's body language can mislead players.

So while it was poor defending the referee rubbed some salt into it inadvertently by his chosen position rather than anything said or signaled and to a certain extent the restart position was several yards back and to the right of the actual spot of the foul.

The restart location is extremely important, this is in a prime scoring area in the attacking third. This is a chance to score not just continue the attack, a blade of grass restart is certainly under consideration, while other zones can be more forgiving because the opportunity to score easily is not there. The referee should ensure the ball is stationary at the correct spot, but close is often good enough.
Cheers

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 35761