Question Number: 35785

High School 10/30/2024

RE: High school Under 17

Stacey Curley of Voorheesville , NY USA asks...

Can a coach contest a goal?
I have 2 videos from a game. Ref waved off a goal that clearly was a clean goal.
Another goal was considered a goal but did not cross the line per video.

Any assistance is appreciated.

Kindly,
Stacey Curley

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Stacey
In a FIFA game it is not possible to protest judgement errors by a referee. It is possible to protest an error in Law such as awarding an indirect free kick instead of a penalty kick retake.
So once play restarts there is no going back to change any judgement decision or to protest same.

The game has countless judgement errors by referee through missing something or opining incorrectly. Many have been shown by video in the past. Its part of human nature. How many mistakes did both teams make in the game? At the highest level it was the reason for the introduction of VAR - Video Assistant Referee and GLT - Goal Line Technology and apart from GLT there has bern VAR errors.

Some high profile instances where the referee crew got the decisions wrong by not seeing the incident correctly or making the wrong call.
Goal by Frank Lampard while playing for England v Germany in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The shot hit the underside of the crossbar bounced down over the line and it was then picked up by the goalkeeper. The goal was not awarded and despite genuine appeals and complaints by England after the game no appeal was possible. Neither the referee nor the assistant seen it.
https://youtu.be/gcAH4Qm5M84?si=j97U27SGrjsef-yp

A more recent one was a goal disallowed for offside for Liverpool against Tottenham in the English Premier League. VAR thought that the referee had awarded the goal as there was no offside in the build up. However the referee in error went with the IDFK for offside and then could not go back to correct the mistake after play restarted to award the goal. No protest was possible.

Those are only a couple of examples and the fundamental tenet of the Law is that unless it is an error in Law no protest of judgement calls is possible.

What can happen is that if a referee’s competences for a particular level of game is questioned a team could request that the referee be observed to ensure the referee has the required competences to officiate at a particular level. That is all that can be done.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Stacey,
Coaches can contest, yell, jump and down, but their input into a match being played is not taken and rarely appreciated when it is dissenting. lol
We certainly VALUE their input in discussion, but in general meetings and AFTER the match, to make the next games better, however, irritating coaches by referees waving off clear clean goals is not what they train for! lol
Much can occur that remains unknown to those looking in.
No one is perfect and mistakes do occur!
No one enjoys making mistakes or defending them if it can be avoided.
At best we hope the decisions, incorrect they might be, do not lack integrity, in this was indeed not deliberately or intentionally done with ulterior motives! Even if a clear unaltered video "might" show something diffrent.

A referee is real time, makes a decision in the blink of an eye, from their angle of view at the present position on the FOP! They are permitted ONLY to accept neutral information from their crews of ARS or 4th present for that match if they wish to alter a decision. Even if the head officials of FIFA were watching and rolling their eyes in disbelief . Once the referee on the pitch makes a decision and restarts play "correctly" for the reason he stopped play, there is absolutely nothing anyone can do to change the decision.

If the CR (central referee) awards a close decision in error, unaware that in fact the entirety of the ball has NOT 100% completely crossed the goal line under the crossbar between the posts???
'C'est la vie' which is a classy French way of saying, "that is the way it is", in English.

Mentorship, assessments and evaluation! Training to officiate just as there is training to coach and play! Across the spectrum of excellence to the lower end, abilities will range from incredible, excellent, good, decent, well he is fair, he is trying, we are just glad to have a body, poor and lets get the guy out of there before he hurts himself.

If you have a league with input considerations like comment sheets or away of bringing information to those in the league that deal with officiating and reviews. Just be tactful and honest in the evaluations of what you perceived! Videos can be doctored, confirmation biases are inevitable from the armchair where stop, play back, freeze frame antagonize our mind with to

I can assure you, every match is seen differently depending on your STAKE in the game

Pundits & spectators see what they think they see
Coaches see what they want to see
Players, their parents & fans often see what they feel
Referees with integrity see what they see!

Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe Manjone

Hi Stacey,

NFHS (High School) rule 5-1-2 states in part: The officials shall enforce the rules and their decisions on points of fact are final. The officials can only correct a decision so long as the game has not been started. State associations may intercede in the event of unusual incidences that occur before, during or after the official jurisdiction has ended.

The calling of a goal would not be considered an unusual incident so I do not believe the NYSPHSAA would intercede in this case. However, before the game is restarted, the coach may ask the referee to reconsider the goal that was called by checking with the assistant referee or side official assigned at the end of the field where the goal was called.

For the goal that did go in and was not called, the coach would have to wait until the game was stopped before a request could be made to the referee to change the call. Again, if the game is stopped and then restarted before a request is made, the request is not possible.

Hopefully your team will have a successful season and make it to the NYSPHSAA championship game in November.