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Soccer Referee Questions on Soccer Rules

You-Call-It 28

Question...

As referee you witness a foul! You go to blow the whistle only to realize the lanyard has broken and you have dropped your whistle. Sigh! As you try to retrieve your spare whistle to stop play, (better have one or be very strong on the two finger manual override) a defender picks up the original whistle and blows it. Most players stop, but a striker racing through on goal is brutally hacked down by the goalkeeper. What do you do? Your Match! Your Decision! Your Reputation!

Our Hint

Law 5 Law 12

Our Answer...

Prevention is always better than cure. However as it has happened a referee must deal with the constituent elements here in line with the Laws of the Game.
The first part if that the game had been stopped when the referee decided that the first foul had occurred. A whistle is only the signal of that decision. The 2nd part is that the defender was guilty of unsporting behaviour by blowing the whistle. The 3rd part is that, while it was the defender that blew the whistle and play had been stopped, the goalkeeper still used excessive force against an opponent after play was "stopped". As a goal cannot be scored the goalkeeper cannot be guilty if denying a girl or goal scoring opportunity. So the correct decision is that the goalkeeper is sent off for violent conduct, the defender could be cautioned for unsporting behaviour! The referee may consider, based on the circumstances, the whistle by the player as being an attempt to be ""helpful"" and perhaps have a word with the player rather than a caution and the restart is for the original first foul that happened before the referee was able to stop play due to his lost whistle.

Note
Some answers tried to figure out which team the original foul was on and if there was advantage being looked at. This scenario is a stand alone situation that highlights only the decision of the referee to stop play then play is stopped and everything else is looked at as possible misconduct. As many of you correctly mentioned the whistle is merely the signal not the decision. The jump to the conclusion we MUST caution the defender who blew the whistle was most often the decision those answering took. We tended to believe this was a could situation not a must! The restart could be for either team, nothing about the striker with the ball being BRUTALLY hacked by the keeper indicates who was the fouleee or the fouler as to why play was being stopped. But the term "brutal" should be blinking the red light for card colour and most of you were correct on the VC being the condition going into the report . We also appreciated those whose first instinct was to check on the SAFTEY of the player/ keeper incident as to priorities. Ready for the next you call it get out the thinking caps it is a brain teaser!
lol

That was our Question YOUR Answer is...

Barry Stewart a Referee from Chilliwack BC Canada

Clever defender! I'm not sure I would discipline him, as he was "only trying to help!"

You've got to come back to the original foul for the restart â€” but the keeper must be sent off for violent conduct, Law 12.

Other players stopped, due to the whistle â€” but the striker and keeper kept on. Play was stopped, so no "foul" could occur. Violent conduct would be the callâ€¦ though there's going to be a red card, either way.

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