Advice on the laws of the game from Match officials

[spyinthesky]

1. Is the Obstruction Rule still extant? Can't remember seeing an official giving an indirect free kick in recent times

 

2. Is the minimum playing time now 91 mins? Cant remember a game without added time, even ones with no stoppages

 

3. Exactly what does 'interferring' mean as part of the offside rule? In yesterdays game at WHL a Spurs player was directly in front of the Man City keeper when Spurs scored late on. Surely he was 'Interferring with Play'

[brightspark]

Hi mate, I'm an active 19yo referee in Australia, coming through the ranks (just so you know I'm genuine).

 

1. Yes..... well it's called 'impeding the progress of an opponent' according to the FIFA laws of the game. This means moving into the path of an opponent to obstruct, block, slow down or force a change of direction when the ball is not within playing distance of either player. The last time I blew up for this, and awarded an indirect free kick for it, was about a month ago.

 

2. No... but I agree, at the top level you rarely see no added time any more.

 

3. Kaboul's goal for Spurs last night shouldn't have stood IMO. Remember, interefering with an opponent (which IS offside) is always in the opinion of the referee, so Dowd obviously decided that he didn't interfere. This, of course, may lead to inconsistancy. Life sucks...

[HK_Phoey]

3. Kaboul's goal for Spurs last night shouldn't have stood IMO. Remember, interefering with an opponent (which IS offside) is always in the opinion of the referee, so Dowd obviously decided that he didn't interfere. This, of course, may lead to inconsistancy. Life sucks...

 

Used to laugh and joke about girls not understanding the offside rule, well I for one have to say I don't undserstand it anymore. I don't claime the same credentials as brightspark but have to say I can't see how the Kaboul goal stood last night. I think is was Defoe was stood no more than 1.5metres from the goal keeper and literally had to throw his way out of the path of the ball to prevent himself for touching the ball (Talk of goal line technology next we will be employing "hot-spot" to see if a striker gets a touch). How can that not be interferring, Joe Hart must of been aware off him there. How many times do defenders get dragged out of position trying to cover a player who is obviously offside but may just end up being onside if 2nd, 3rd or 4th phase ball comes to him. FIFA in my view have made it impossible for referees. Damned if they give it Damned if they dont. Need to return to the old rules, still agree with Brian Clough if a player isn't interferring with play what is he doing out there

[Sour Mash]

1. Is the Obstruction Rule still extant? Can't remember seeing an official giving an indirect free kick in recent times

 

2. Is the minimum playing time now 91 mins? Cant remember a game without added time, even ones with no stoppages

 

3. Exactly what does 'interferring' mean as part of the offside rule? In yesterdays game at WHL a Spurs player was directly in front of the Man City keeper when Spurs scored late on. Surely he was 'Interferring with Play'

 

1. Have said it for years now, defenders are for osme reason allowed to completely hold off an attacker and show no intention of playing the ball for about 20 yards while seeing it out for a goal kick, how the f**k is that allowed I never know.

2. Added time always seems to be between 3 and 5 mins no matter what happens in the game. I reckon the 4th official always thinks that's the safest, most uncontroversial amount of time and will stop him getting noticed. On a sort of related point, games never seem to kick off on time now - game at Leicester started at near enough 3.05.

3. Yep, that Spurs goal should never have counted. Surely standing directly in-front of the keeper directly impeding his view is interfering?

 

I've got a fourth one - if a keeper comes for a cross, doesn't make it, but gets the slightest of knocks and goes to ground, its almost automatically a free-kick. If the opposite happens and the striker gets a knock a pen is never given.

[Gemmel]

Can someone help me with a question;

 

My son was playing a match and twice we had a free kick in our own area and both times we knocked it just a couple of yards and the referee blew up both times and said the ball had to leave the area. Now I know that is the case for goal kicks, but is it the same for free kicks as well? (I can't see the logic in it)

[brightspark]

I've got a fourth one - if a keeper comes for a cross, doesn't make it, but gets the slightest of knocks and goes to ground, its almost automatically a free-kick. If the opposite happens and the striker gets a knock a pen is never given.

 

Hard to answer this one. I won't exactly give you a straight answer, because it is pretty much accepted worldwide that the goalkeeper gets protected (whether you agree with that or not is up to you). I will leave you with a few of points to ponder however:

 

1. The goalkeeper is, and I know this sounds a bit funny, 'special'. He is exempt from several laws of the game (e.g equipment), which makes him different from the other 10 players.

2. A goalkeeper has reason to be raising his arms. An outfield player has no reason to do so. This makes it easier for an outfield player to commit a foul against a goalkeeper than visa versa.

3. See Question 1 from the original post.... attacking players will often be penalised - especially during set pieces, for impeding the goal keeper (obstructing him) as he tries to claim a catch/punch. standing in his way can simply be a foul if IN THE OPINION OF THE REFEREE he is standing there deliberately to gain an unfair advantage.

 

Can someone help me with a question;

 

My son was playing a match and twice we had a free kick in our own area and both times we knocked it just a couple of yards and the referee blew up both times and said the ball had to leave the area. Now I know that is the case for goal kicks, but is it the same for free kicks as well? (I can't see the logic in it)

 

Yes, that is the correct ruling. FIFA do have some strange stuff in the laws of the game. For example, if you take a corner, and then you touch the ball again before any other player has touched it in your own penalty area, then an indirect free kick will be awarded against you. Yep, that's actually written somewhere in the laws of the game.

[Golden Balls]

I didn't know a free kick had to leave the penalty area.

 

Every day is a school day

[Ekelund24]

1. Have said it for years now, defenders are for osme reason allowed to completely hold off an attacker and show no intention of playing the ball for about 20 yards while seeing it out for a goal kick, how the f**k is that allowed I never know.

 

If the defender can touch the ball but doesn't in this situation it is technically not obstruction. I would argue that he is playing the ball without touching it, by "seeing it out" I can totally see your point as well though as it is frustrating as a professional footballer should be able to turn it around! Sometime the attacking player doesn't do himself any favours by trying to get the ball by following the defender, surely it is easier to go round the side?! IF the defender can't touch the ball then I agree a free kick should be awarded

[Dimond Geezer]

Here's one:

 

I seem to recall from my goalkeeping days, the 6 second rule, ie the GK can ony handle the ball for 6 secs, otherwise an indirect free kick is given against, I was the victim of this a few times until I wised up. It seems that nowadays, keepers keep hold of the ball for a lot longer without fear of punishment (or own Super Kelv is often guilty of this). Has this rule been recinded?

 

Incidentally, when I started playing in goal, you could bounch the ball around the penalty area ad nauseum.

[spyinthesky]

Interesting

 

Presume the 6 second rule still applies but can never recollect any keeperduring a televised game being punished for it

 

Also, at St Marys, quite regularly see keepers kicking from hand out of the penalty area but never penalised for handball

[brightspark]

The '6 second rule' certainly still applies but for some reason I've never seen any referee in any professional league in the UK blow up for it. Having said that, I've never actually caught a goalkeeper with that one - but in Australia they are wise to this and all tend to kick/release the ball quick enough anyway. As for the handball - assistant referees need to be spotting this. Remember the whole of the ball has to cross the whole of the line for it to be handball, and sometimes the momentum of the keeper looks like he is well outside of his area during a drop kick when in fact he may have released it well inside the penalty area. I really doubt goalkeepers would be so dim to risk it....

[Whitey Grandad]

It used to be 'about 6 seconds' but now it's specified as '6 seconds'.

 

Offside interpretation: http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/worldfootball/clubfootball/01/37/04/27/interpretation%5flaw11%5fen.pdf