Question Number: 35869

Mechanics 1/27/2025

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

Hello

One mechanics question please.

Can the assistant referee intervene of his own free will if a player has the ball in the wrong place at the restart? (The rules state that he has this duty for corner kicks). Or more generally. What can he do on his own without needing the referee?

Thank you very much!

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Petr
Thanks for the question.

Much of the answer rests on the referee’s pre match instructions.
For instance at offside free kicks an assistant will be asked to maintain a position level with the offence until the ball is placed. An AR from the touchline can quietly advise the kicker of moving the ball to satisfy the position if the referee has moved away.
For most free kicks an AR will be busy getting into position to judge offside with players bringing to the referee any incorrect placement of the ball. It is highly unlikely that an AR will be involved in determining the location other than signalling to the referee that all is not well with the location.

An AR can enforce the distance at a free kick that is close yet that is even rare as most referees do that anyway at free kicks. Again maybe asking a sole opponent to move back could be undertaken by an AR if the AR is close to the kick and it is done from the touchline.

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Petr,
Theoretically, I suppose an AR could do this but as my colleague ref McHugh explains, this would be rather rare and would usually only happen if the referee has covered it in the pre-game instructions.

The laws do not give the AR the responsibility of ensuring the ball is properly placed for free kicks (only for corner kicks) and I would say that in general, the AR will defer to the referee in such matters.

There is a phrase used in the "Guidelines for Match Officials" section that although it is not designed for this specific situation, I think is applicable here. It says, "In all other situations, the AR must wait and offer an opinion if it is required and then inform the referee ..."

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Petr,
Restart locations are not ALWAYS a blade of grass but must abide by the referees tolerance and legal LOTG conditions. I dislike the inference that an AR is acting on their own without NEEDING the CR BECAUSE it is a team management system. The CR has the ultimate final decision but pregame instructions and common sense will permit ARs to act in accordance with the LOTG, if the CR ok with them acting to deal with a situation within their quadrant. This includes managing the corner kicks or perhaps a free kick from the corner area and even on a goal kick if the CR had say already withdrawn to centre circle awaiting a long kick. I recall watching the AR in an English Premier where two opposing players had a foul incident directly in front of him, the CR well back, the AR as he was running along side the two of them, allowed advantage and signalled it with one hand. I questioned this in the post game review if this was n acceptable mechanics, the CR replied the AR is a referee as well and he was in the BEST position to make that call.
Cheers