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With the beginning of the new season we are republishing the
revised referee guidelines. I would like all coaches, players,
parents etc. to read carefully and to gain a better understanding
of how games are intended to be officiated. Let's strive as a club
to respect the decisions of the referees whether we are in
agreement or not. The referees are needed to add structure to the
game and to protect the players. If we show class on and off the
field our teams and club will gain more respect from referees,
other clubs and tournament officials then winning itself..
The decisions and instructions to referees contained herein
conform to the Laws of the Game, the decisions of the
International F.A. Board, and guidance from USSF through its
Advice to Referees, Guide to Procedures, and various official
memoranda. This document is therefore regarded as authoritative
and may be quoted as such.
Decisions made during play depend entirely on the opinion of the
referee, who makes a decision at the time of the incident. Coaches
are requested to inform their players of the points specified
below and to ensure that every game is played sportingly.
Julie Ilacqua Managing Director of Referee Programs
Alfred Kleinaitis Manager of Referee Development and Education
1. Serious Foul Play and Violent Conduct Soccer is a tough,
combative sport. The contest to gain possession of the ball should
nonetheless be fair and sporting. Any actions meeting these
criteria, even when vigorous, must be allowed by the referee.
Serious Foul Play and Violent Conduct are, however, strictly
forbidden and the referee must react to them by stringently
applying the Laws of the Game.
These two offenses can be defined as follows:
(a) It is serious foul play when a player uses excessive force,
formerly defined as "disproportionate and unnecessary strength,"
when challenging for the ball on the field against an opponent.
There can be no serious foul play against a teammate, the referee,
an assistant referee, a spectator, etc.
(b) It is violent conduct when a player is guilty of aggression
(excessive force or deliberate violence) towards an opponent when
they are not competing for the ball. It is also violent conduct if
the excessive force is used when the ball is not in play, if it is
committed by a substitute or substituted player, or if it is
directed at anyone other than an opponent (e. g., teammate,
referee, assistant referee, coach, spectator, etc.). If the
violent conduct is committed by a player against an opponent on
the field during play, the restart is a direct free kick for the
opposing team where the foul occurred (or a penalty kick if it was
committed by a player inside the player's penalty area). If the
violent conduct is by a player during play against anyone on the
field other than an opponent, the restart is an indirect free kick
where the misconduct occurred. If the violent conduct is committed
during a stoppage of play, the restart is not changed. A dropped
ball where the ball was when play is stopped is the correct
restart if the violent conduct is committed during play either off
the field or by a substitute or substituted player.
2. Tackling A tackle as such is not an infringement of the Laws of
the Game. It becomes an infringement only if the tackler plays
carelessly, recklessly, or with excessive force, or places the
opponent in danger.
(a) A sliding tackle from the front or side, made with one or both
legs, is permissible if, in the opinion of the referee, it is not
dangerous. If, however, the player making the tackle trips the
opponent before, during, or after making contact with the ball,
the referee shall award a direct free kick to the opposing team.
The referee must judge whether an illegal trip occurred or whether
the opponent fell over the leg of the player making a legal
tackle.
(b) Tackling with the foot lifted from the ground may be
dangerous, whether contact is made with the ball or not. Lifting
of the foot should be penalized if the referee considers the
player is endangering an opponent by so doing. If the player
deliberately plays over the ball and makes contact with the
opponent's leg, this is serious foul play and must be sanctioned
with a send- off (red card) and a direct free kick (or a penalty
kick, if appropriate).
(c) Tackling with two feet together, studs up, if uncontrolled and
from a distance, could be judged as at least reckless and possibly
dangerous to the opponent. If controlled and from a short
distance, there may be no danger.
(d) A tackle, regardless of direction, which endangers the safety
of an opponent must be sanctioned as serious foul play. The player
must be sent from the field (red card) and play restarted with a
direct free kick (or a penalty kick if committed by a player
inside the player's team's own penalty area).
3. Charging from behind Charging from behind is permissible only
if the opponent is intentionally impeding while shielding the
ball. The charge, however, must be made fairly and under no
circumstances to the back (spinal area).
4. Reckless challenges Referees should take stringent measures
against players moving their arms and elbows without due care, by
applying the sanctions available to them under Law 12.
5. Offenses against goalkeepers It is an offense if a player:
(a) jumps at a goalkeeper under the pretext of heading the ball;
(b) moves or jumps about near a goalkeeper in order to distract or
interfere with or prevent the goalkeeper from releasing the ball;
(c) who is standing in front of a goalkeeper when a corner kick is
being taken, takes advantage of the position to impede the
goalkeeper before the kick is taken and before the ball is in
play;
(d) makes any play for the ball while the goalkeeper is still
controlling it with the hands. Kicking or attempting to kick the
ball held by the goalkeeper is considered to be dangerous play.
6. Impeding the progress of an opponent A player who has the ball
under control within playing distance (i.e., the distance at which
the player is covering the ball for tactical reasons in order to
avoid its being played by an opponent, without using the arms) is
not guilty of impeding the progress of the opponent. Any player
who intentionally impedes the progress of an opponent by crossing
directly in front of or running between the opponent and the ball
or intervening so as to form an obstacle with the aim of delaying
the opponent's advance, must be sanctioned with an indirect free
kick in favor of the opposing team. However, any player who
intentionally impedes the progress of an opponent by physical
contact, whether using the hand, arm, leg, or any other part of
the body, shall be penalized for holding by the award of a direct
free kick to the opposing team, or by a penalty kick, if the
offense was committed within the player's team's penalty area.
7. Scissors or bicycle kick Such a kick is permissible, provided
that in the opinion of the referee it is not dangerous to an
opponent.
8. Jumping at an opponent A player who jumps at an opponent under
the pretext of heading the ball shall be penalized by the award of
a direct free kick to the opposing team.
9. Prohibited use of body A player who holds off an opponent using
the hand, arm, leg, or body (except through a legal charge) is
guilty of an infringement of Law 12 and shall be punished by the
award of a direct free kick to the opposing team. Holding or
hindering when the ball is out of play in order to prevent the
opponent from running into position is misconduct and shall be
penalized by a caution for unsporting behavior.
10. Caution for handling the ball or holding an opponent A caution
for unsporting behavior is appropriate if a player:
(a) holds an opponent to interfere with attacking play (e.g.,
prevents the opponent from getting to the ball or pulls an
opponent away from possession of the ball),
(b) handles the ball to interfere with attacking play, or
(c) handles the ball in an attempt to score a goal.
(Note: if handling the ball or holding the opponent prevents a
goal or interferes with a goalscoring opportunity, the offender
must be shown the red card and sent off the field.)
11. Free kicks A player who delays the restart of play or fails to
respect the required distance when play is being restarted must be
cautioned.
12. Use of advantage If the referee applies the advantage and the
advantage which was anticipated does not develop after a short
time, i.e., 2-3 seconds, and the ball remains in play, the referee
should immediately stop the game and penalize the original
offense.
13. Denying a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity
(a) If, in the opinion of the referee, a player who is moving
towards the opponent's goal, with an obvious opportunity to score
a goal, is denied that goalscoring opportunity by an offense
punishable by a free kick or penalty kick, the offending player
shall be shown the red card and sent off the field of play.
(b) If, in the opinion of the referee, a player, other than the
goalkeeper within the goalkeeper's own penalty area, deliberately
handles the ball to prevent it from entering the goal and thus
denies the opposing side a goal or an obvious goalscoring
opportunity, the player shall be shown the red card and sent off
the field of play. There need not be an opponent nearby with an
opportunity to play the ball.
14. Penalty kick
(a) Positioning of ball and players during a penalty kick During a
penalty kick, the goalkeeper shall stand on the goal line. Apart
from the goalkeeper and the player taking the kick, all the
players shall take up a position on the field of play behind the
penalty mark and outside the penalty area at least 10 yards (9.15
m) from the penalty mark and stay there until the ball is in play
(kicked and moved forward).
(b) Penalty kick at the end of a half or at the end of the match
If play is prolonged before half-time or at the end of the match
to allow for a penalty kick to be taken or for one to be retaken,
a goal shall be allowed if, before going into the goal, the ball
touches any combination of the goalposts, crossbar, goalkeeper, or
ground (providing no other infringement has been committed).
(c) Unless the ball has entered the goal (in which case the kick
is retaken), infringements of Law 14 by the kicking team must be
punished with an indirect free kick from the place where the
infringement occurred.
15. Player in offside position
(a) It is not an offense in itself to be in an offside position.
(b) A player shall be penalized for being offside if, at the
moment the ball touches or is played by one of that player's
teammates, the player is, in the opinion of the referee, involved
in the active play by
1. interfering with play or with an opponent, or
2. gaining an advantage by being in that position.
(c) A player shall not be penalized for offside by the referee
1. merely because the player is in an offside position, or
2. if the player receives the ball directly from a goal kick, a
corner kick, or a throw-in.
An assistant referee must not signal merely because a player is in
an offside position. Furthermore, if an assistant referee is in
any doubt as to whether a player is offside (active position) or
not, the referee should decide in favor of the attacker; in other
words, refrain from signaling offside.
16. Goalkeeper restrictions An indirect free kick is awarded to
the opposing team if a goalkeeper, inside the goalkeeper's own
penalty area,
. takes more than six seconds from the moment of establishing
control with the hands until the ball is released into play
. touches the ball again with the hands after it has been released
from the goalkeeper's possession and has not touched any other
player outside the penalty area or has touched only a teammate
inside the penalty area
. touches the ball with the hands after it has been deliberately
kicked to the goalkeeper by a teammate
. touches the ball with the hands after receiving it directly from
a throw-in taken by a teammate
17. Persistent infringements Any player who repeatedly infringes
the Laws of the Game by committing multiple fouls or by
participating in a pattern of fouls directed at an opponent shall
be cautioned and shown the yellow card.
18. Substitution When a substitution is to take place, the
substitute shall report to the fourth official (or assistant
referee) and surrender the substitution card (if applicable),
properly completed, at the halfway line. A player who is going to
be replaced may not leave the field of play without the referee's
permission and then only when the ball is out of play. The
substitute may then enter the field at the halfway line after
receiving a signal to do so from the referee.
The substitute must be fully ready to play before reporting to the
appropriate official. Referees should not delay the timely restart
of play to allow substitutes to correct their equipment or
uniforms before entering the field nor shall the referee prevent a
team from restarting play if the substitute has not reported to
the appropriate official prior to play being stopped. There is no
requirement that the player leaving the field must do so at the
halfway line.
19. Injury of a player If a player is bleeding, that player must
leave the field immediately to have the bleeding stopped and the
skin and uniform cleaned as thoroughly as possible. When the
player is ready to return to the game, the player's injuries and
the uniform must be inspected by an official. This can be the
referee or, if delegated by the referee in the pregame conference,
the fourth official or, if there is no fourth official, an
assistant referee. Only then will the referee give permission for
the player to re-enter the game; the game need not be stopped in
this situation. Only the referee may permit the return to the
field of play of a player who was instructed to leave the field
for treatment of an injury. This is not a substitution. The player
who left the field for treatment of an injury may return during
play with the permission of the referee, but only from the touch
line. If the ball is out of play, the player may return with the
permission of the referee across any boundary line. Up to two team
officials are permitted to enter the field of play with the
referee's permission solely for the purpose of assessing an
injury--not to treat it-and to arrange for the player's removal.
The referee must exercise care before allowing removal of a
seriously injured player from the field. In all cases where an
injury was the sole reason for the stoppage of play, the injured
player is required to leave the field and cannot be permitted to
return until the referee gives permission after play has restarted
20. Attitude towards referees Any player who protests at an
official's decision may be cautioned. Any player who assaults or
insults an official shall be sent off. The captain of a team,
although responsible for the team's behavior, has no special
rights.
21. Throw-in A throw-in may not be taken from a distance of more
than one yard (one meter) outside the touch line. Players who
stand in front of the thrower in such a way as to harass the
thrower or to interfere with the throw-in must be cautioned for
unsporting behavior and shown the yellow card. Opponents must
remain at least two meters/yards from the point where the throw-in
is taken. If they do not, they must be cautioned and shown the
yellow card for failing to respect the required distance.
22. Delaying the restart of play Any player who delays the restart
by wasting time shall be cautioned. The following actions are
examples of this behavior:
- takes a free kick from a wrong position with the sole intention
of forcing the referee to demand a retake;
- appears to prepare for a throw-in but suddenly leaves it to a
teammate to perform the throw-in;
- performs any restart in such a way that the ball is not properly
put into play, thus forcing a repetition of the restart;
- kicks the ball away or carries it away with the hands after the
referee has stopped play for any reason;
- stands in front of the ball when a free kick has been awarded to
the opposing team in order to give the team time to organize the
defensive wall;
- excessively delays taking any restart;
- delays leaving the field when being substituted;
- provoking a confrontation by deliberately touching the ball
after the referee has stopped play
23. Celebration of goal
(a) After a goal has been scored, the player who has scored it is
allowed to share the joy with teammates. However, the referee must
not allow them to spend an excessive amount of time in their
opponents' half of the field. Neither shall the referee allow
players to taunt their opponents. In any of these cases, the
referee will caution the offending player for unsporting behavior.
Referees must look beyond the behavior of players celebrating
goals and consider as misconduct only those actions which are
provocative, obscene or insulting, or which unnecessarily delay
the restart of play.
(b) If a player removes the shirt to celebrate a goal, the player
must be cautioned for unsporting behavior and shown the yellow
card.
A player must be cautioned when he or she:
. in the opinion of the referee, makes gestures which are
provocative, derisory or inflammatory
. climbs on to a perimeter fence to celebrate a goal being scored
. removes the shirt over the head or covers his/her head with the
shirt
Leaving the field to celebrate a goal is not a cautionable offence
in itself but it is essential that players return to the field as
soon as possible. Referees are expected to act in a preventive
mode and to exercise common sense in dealing with the celebration
of a goal.
24. Liquid refreshments during the match Players shall be entitled
to take liquid refreshments during a stoppage in the match but
only on the touchline. Players may not leave the field during play
to take liquids. It is forbidden to throw plastic water bags or
any other water containers onto or from the field.
25. Players' equipment
(a) The referee shall ensure that each player wears the uniform
properly and check that anything worn by the player conforms with
the requirements of Law 4. Players shall be made aware that their
jersey remains tucked inside their shorts and that their socks
remain pulled up. The referee shall also make sure that each
player is wearing shinguards and that none of them is wearing
potentially dangerous objects (such as watches or other jewelry of
any nature).
(b) Players are permitted to wear visible undergarments such as
thermopants. They must, however, be the same color as the shorts
of the team of the player wearing them and not extend beyond the
top of the knee. If a team wears multicolored shorts, the
undergarment must be the same color as the predominant color.
(c) The referee, assisted as needed by the assistant referees,
shall ensure that player equipment and uniforms comply with Law 4
and will pay particular attention to any items (e.g., braces) worn
by a player which are not included in the standard uniform.
d) All items of jewelry are considered potentially dangerous.
Jewelry may not be worn. Taping jewellery is not adequate
protection. Rings, earrings, leather or rubber bands are not
necessary to play and the only thing they can bring about is
injury.
26. The Role of the Fourth Official The Fourth Official will
assist the referee at all times. The fourth official must indicate
to the referee if the wrong player is cautioned or when a player
who has been given a second caution is not sent off or when
violent conduct occurs out of the view of the referee and
assistant referees. The referee, however, retains the authority to
decide on all points connected with play.
27. Trickery (cf. Law 12 IFAB Decision 3) A player using a
deliberate trick to circumvent the text and spirit of Law 12
regarding deliberate passes to the goalkeeper shall be cautioned
for unsporting behavior and shown a yellow card.
28. Technical area Team officials may convey tactical instructions
to players during the game. However, team officials must remain
within the confines of the technical area while doing so and must
conduct themselves, at all times, in a responsible manner. Only
one person at a time may be standing in the technical area, giving
instructions to the team. The technical area may be defined as an
area covering the length of the substitutes' bench plus one yard
on either side and extending from the front of the bench up to a
distance of one yard (one meter) away from the touchline. It is
recommended that markings be used to define this area, but the
absence of such markings does not relieve team officials from the
obligation to behave responsibly. The referee may sketch out a
technical area if one is not marked and if, in the opinion of the
referee, this is needed to assist in the control of sideline
behavior.
29. Simulation (Law 12, IFAB Decision 5) Any simulating action
anywhere on the field, which is intended to deceive the referee,
must be sanctioned as unsporting behavior. A number of specific
actions may be considered cautionable as unsporting behavior.
These include faking an injury or exaggerating the seriousness of
an injury and faking a foul (diving) or exaggerating the severity
of a foul.
30. Misconduct by substitutes or substituted players
(a) Referees must caution and show the yellow card for unsporting
behavior, dissent, or delay of restarts by substitutes or
substituted players.
(b) Substitutes or substituted players who are sent off and shown
the red card must leave the vicinity of the field of play and the
technical area. If their offense involved the use of violence or
excessive force, the referee must report the reason as violent
conduct.
31. Dealing with injured players Referees must follow the
instructions below when dealing with injured players:
. play is allowed to continue until the ball is out of play if a
player is, in the referee's opinion, only slightly injured
. play is stopped if, in his opinion, a player is seriously
injured
. after questioning the injured player, the referee authorizes
one, or at most two doctors, to enter the field to ascertain the
type of injury and to arrange the player's safe and swift removal
from the field
. the stretcher-bearers should enter the field with a stretcher at
the same time as the doctors to allow the player to be removed as
soon as possible
. the referee ensures an injured player is safely removed from the
field of play
. a player is not allowed to be treated on the field
. any player bleeding from a wound must leave the field of play.
The player may not return until the referee is satisfied that the
bleeding has stopped. A player cannot wear clothing with blood on
it
. as soon as the referee has authorized the doctors to enter the
field, the player must leave the field, either on the stretcher or
on foot. A player who does not comply is cautioned for unsporting
behavior
. an injured player may only return to the field of play after the
match has restarted
. an injured player may only reenter the field from the touch line
when the ball is in play. When the ball is out of play, the
injured player may reenter from any of the boundary lines
. the referee alone is authorized to allow an injured player to
reenter the field whether the ball is in play or not
. if play has not otherwise been stopped for another reason, or if
an injury suffered by a player is not the result of a breach of
the Laws of the Game, the referee restarts play with a dropped
ball
. the referee allows for the full amount of time lost through
injury to be played at the end of each period of play.
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