Match Incidents submitted by our members

County Referee Development Officer Andy Taylor gives his views. If you have a match incident for discussion e-mail it to Andy Taylor

During a recent fixture, the match referee awarded a penalty kick to the home team. Before the kick was taken he was advised by one of his assistants that the home team wished to make a substitution. This was correctly completed with the players changing at the half way line. The on-coming player ran towards his team mates waiting for the penalty kick to be taken, jokingly stating that he was going to take the penalty kick.

The referee noticed his assistant again flagging to get his attention. When he went over to the assistant at the touchline to enquire what the problem was, he was advised that substitutions of players could not happen during the taking of a penalty kick. The assistant advised that this was the only occasion that a substitution could not be made. This was said right in front of the two benches and loud enough for the coaches, substitutes and managers to hear.

What should have happened next?

Andy says:

The answer is simple; there is nothing in law that stops a substitution during a penalty kick. Think about it; the goalkeeper brings a forward down, you award a penalty and send the goalkeeper off for denying an obvious goal scoring opportunity. What happens next? The substitute goalkeeper is bought into play, no problem.

Likewise if, during a penalty shoot out, the goalkeeper gets injured and a team has not used all its substitutions, they can replace the goalkeeper.

So far as managing the situation with the benches and the assistant is concerned you should tell him politely but firmly that he is not correct. Whilst you are happy to discuss the issue at half time or full time (depending when the incident occurred) the game will now continue. Don’t get involved in a lengthy debate. If you believe the benches heard the original comment you might consider it will help your match control if you allow them to hear your response. At half time or after the game you can use the illustration of the goalkeeper substitution. You might also suggest that in future, should the assistant have any matter of law to bring to your attention, he should do so more discreetly.

 

"In a game several years ago I awarded a penalty and two team mates started arguing over who was going to take the kick. Eventually they agreed who it would be and one of the two retreated outside the penalty area. The other player placed the ball and turned to prepare his run up. I signalled for the penalty to be taken at which point the player who had agreed not to take it ran in and kicked the ball into the net. I cautioned this player for unsporting behaviour and had the kick retaken. Was this correct?"

Andy says:

The referee was correct in this case as the LOAF is quite specific now with what action to take: "A Team mate of the player taking the kick infringes the Laws of the Game, the Referee allows the kick to proceed, if the ball enters the goal the kick is retaken, if the ball does not enter the goal, the referee stops play and restarts the match with an indirect free kick to the defending team from the place where the infringement occurred". In this situation, as the penalty was scored, the correct action is to order the kick to be retaken. With regards to the caution, as it is unsporting behaviour you should punished the player accordingly.

Footnote: Andy has verified that the example in LOAF on page 35 quoted at the meeting on 16 April is wrong and thus the action taken by the referee concerned was correct. It is clear the referee concerned knows his LOAF and no interpretation should be inferred to the contrary.

"After 25 minutes the home side scored the opening goal. Five minutes later, when the ball had gone out of play for a goal kick the opposition pointed out that the home side had 12 players on the field of play. I decided to disallow the goal, told the home side to remove one of their players and restarted with the goal kick. Was this the correct action?"

Andy says:

In such circumstances you have to take the game back to the last point where you were certain there were only 11 players on each side. If necessary that means restarting the match. If there is then not enough time to play 45 minutes each way, maybe because of the light, you can reduce the length of each half to a minimum of 30 minutes, subject to competition rules. You should always count the number of players before the kick off to be sure you are at least starting with eleven-a-side.

"With the ninety minutes up I blew my whistle to signal the end of the game. I then noticed my assistant on the far side with his flag in the air. I went over to him and he informed me that a few seconds before I blew, the red number five had punched the blue number 9 in the penalty area. By this stage players had started to leave the pitch and my other assistant had joined us. What should I have done next?"

Andy says:

The incident took place before the end of the game even though you did not see the flag until you had blown the whistle. You thus have to treat it just as you would, had you seen the flag before blowing the whistle. So you have to show the red number five the red card and send him from the field of play for violent conduct and award the penalty. If the players have left the field you will have to get them back; the game cannot continue until there are at least seven players from each side on the field. Law 14 permits time to be extended to allow for the penalty to be taken but the game ends when the ball ceases forward motion. I suggest you make it clear to the kicker prior to him taking the penalty that, you will be blowing the whistle immediately the ball goes out of play or stops moving forward. 

 

"During a game I awarded a free kick against a defender for dangerous play. The free kick was about 6 yards outside the penalty area.  The defensive wall was set up and a defender went back onto the goal line to defend the post.  As it was a ceremonial free kick I blew my whistle and the attacker ran up and blasted the ball towards the goal.  It evaded the wall and was going into the top corner, where the defender was on the line.  He was unable to head it so it put his hand up and diverted the ball over the bar.  I stopped play, awarded the penalty kick and sent the offending player from the field of play?  Was I correct? "

Andy says: 

"You were obviously correct to award a penalty.  However, as it was a free kick for dangerous play it was indirect.  Since a goal could not be scored directly from it, there was not a clear goal scoring opportunity.   You should have issued a caution for unsporting behaviour."

"I was appointed to referee a cup final on a hot summer morning.  During the frenetic first half I sweated quite a lot and my shirt was soaking and uncomfortable to wear, so at half time when we went into the changing room, I decided to change it.  I also took on a lot of additional fluid, to make sure I did not dehydrate. The four of us went out for the second half and after about nine minutes I had to caution a player for a late tackle.  I called the trainer on to treat the injured player and then went to call over the player who had committed the foul.  It was then that I realised I had a problem.  As I went to my top pocket to get out my note book, I realised that it was still inside my other shirt hanging up in the dressing room.  How should I have got out of that one?"

Andy says: 

"Before speaking to the player you could have consulted with the assistant referee closest to you and borrowed his book.  As you had a reserve official I presume he was dealing with substitutions so it would not matter so much that the assistant no longer had anything to write in."

"I was an assistant referee on a recent game.  During the first half I was running towards the goal line watching play and for some unknown reason I trod on my flag and wrenched it from my grasp.  The flag was lying on the floor whilst play developed and an attacker was now in an offside position and needed to be penalised.  I had to pick up the flag and chase after play before giving a very late flag.  I got a lot of stick from the players and spectators.  How could I have handled it better?"

Andy says: 

"A useful tip for assistant referees is to carry a handkerchief in your pocket.  On the one occasion this happened to me all I did was pull my hankie out of my pocket and use it as a flag.  When the referee has stopped play and seen where the kick should be taken you can retrieve the proper flag."