ILLINOIS SOCCER REFEREE COMMITTEE
GAME SITUATIONS AND
PLAY RULINGS
2011/2012
2011-2012 GAME SITUATIONS AND PLAY RULINGS
RULE 1 – FIELD OF PLAY
A. During the inspection of the field, referees discover that the corner flags are
missing.
RULING: Obtain some tape and indicate corner marks in the appropriate area on the glass or boards.
RULE 2 – THE BALL
A. The League provides a game ball that is dangerous.
RULING: Do not make an issue, check with the home and/or visiting team to see if they have a better ball.
RULE 3 – NUMBER OF PLAYERS
A. Team A while substituting jumps over the boards instead of entering and leaving the bench area through the door.
RULING: This is legal. Teams do not have to enter and leave through the bench area door.
B. During play a team is substituting, while the ball is close to the bench area. A player coming off the bench plays the ball before the departing player can leave.
RULING: Stop play and issue a 2:00 Team Penalty against the offending team. A player designated by the coach serves the penalty.
C. The referee stops play because a player has an open wound and is bleeding. As the player leaves the field the referee informs the player that they must report to the referee before returning. The player returns without reporting to the referee.
RULING: Stop play and issue a 2:00 Time Penalty against the offending player.
RULE 4 – PLAYER EQUIPMENT
A. A player enters the field without wearing shinguards.
RULING: Stop play and issue a 2:00 Time Penalty against the offending player.
B. Once the game has begun a player is sent off the field due to dangerous equipment. A few minutes later the referee notices the player back in the game with the same dangerous equipment.
RULING: Stop play and issue a 2:00 Time Penalty against the offending player.
C. Thermal or underhose is acceptable equipment as long as the color of the underhose is the same color as the primary color of the team shorts and they do not extend below the top of the knee. May a League prohibit thermal or underhose?
RULING: Yes
RULE 8 – START OF PLAY
A. Team A is in clear possession of the ball when play is stopped due to an injury. How is play restarted?
RULING: Play is restarted, at the point where the ball was, by Team A.
B. Team A is in possession of the free kick and does not put the ball in play within 5 seconds.
RULING: Possession now turns over to the opponent.
RULE 10 – METHOD OF SCORING
A. Team A has a free kick just outside their own penalty area. The ball is played back to the goalie, who does not touch it, and it goes directly into the net.
RULING: Corner Kick in favor of the opponent.
RULE 11 – TIMEWASTING VIOLATIONS (INCLUDING RED LINE VIOLATIONS)
A. A goalkeeper standing in their own penalty area throws the ball over three lines in the air directly into the opponents goal.
RULING: Goal, no violation.
B. A player plays the ball back over three lines in the air toward their own defensive end.
RULING: Legal, no violation.
C. A player, while the ball is in play, intentionally plays the ball high over the perimeter wall out of play.
RULING: Restart to the opposing team at the top of the restraining arc of the offending team’s goal.
D. A player, while the ball is in play in their own penalty area, plays the ball over the perimeter wall out of play.
RULING: Restart to the opposing team at the top of the restraining arc of the offending team’s goal.
RULE 12 – FOULS/MISCONDUCT/PENALTIES
A. A player commits a penal offense while the ball is in play.
RULING: Show a Blue Card and issue a 2:00 Time Penalty against the offender.
B. After the referee has whistled for a foul, a member of the offending team kicks
the ball away.
RULING: Show a Blue Card and issue a 2:00 Unsporting Behavior penalty against the offender.
C. A player commits a penal offense. The referee administers the penalty by showing the Blue Card. The player screams at the referee to dispute the call.
RULING: Show the player a second Blue Card and issue an additional 2:00 penalty for Unsporting Behavior. The player will sit a total of 4 - minutes (2 + 2). If a goal is scored within the first 30 seconds of the first penalty, the remaining 1:30 will be wiped out and the clock reset for 2:00 more minutes. If a goal is scored in the second penalty the penalized player will be released.
D. Same as C. above but the player continues his Unsporting Behavior after the Second Blue Card and before play has been re-started.
RULING: Show the player a Red Card and issue the offending Team a hard 5:00 penalty. A substitute must serve the full time penalty, no matter how many goals are scored for the ejected player.
E. Same as C. above but this time play has re-started with the player in the box sitting for 4 - minutes (2 + 2). With 3:30 left in the penalty the player continues his Unsporting Behavior.
RULING: Show the player his third Blue Card for Unsporting Behavior, Send Off the player and add an additional 2 minutes to their time penalty to be served by a substitute of that team. The penalty time will now be 5:30. If a goal is scored within the first 30 seconds of the first penalty, the remaining 1:00 will be wiped out and the clock reset for 4:00 more minutes. If a goal is scored within the next 30 seconds of the second penalty, the remaining 1:30 will be wiped out and the clock reset for 2:00 more minutes. If a goal is scored in the third penalty the penalized player will be released.
F. A goalkeeper commits a Penal Offense or Unsporting Behavior time penalty.
RULING: Show the Blue Card and issue a 2:00 time penalty against the goalkeeper.
A teammate of the goalkeeper will serve the time penalty.
G. A player commits a Penal Offense. After the referee stops play and administers the penalty, a teammate pushes an opponent to the carpet.
RULING: Show a Blue Card and administer a 2:00 Unsporting Behavior penalty to the teammate. Play will be resumed with a 5 on 3 powerplay for the opposing team. If a powerplay goal is scored, the player committing the first offense (in this case the penal foul) is released. If a second powerplay goal is scored, the second player is released.
H. A player receives his third time penalty of the game.
RULING: Send Off the player who must immediately leave the playing area. A teammate of the ejected player must serve the penalty. If the third penalty was a Penal or Unsporting Behavior penalty the teammate will serve a 2:00 penalty. If the third penalty was for Serious Foul Play, etc. the teammate will serve a hard 5:00 penalty.
I. On a clear breakaway a player/goalkeeper blatantly trips or kicks an opponent to prevent a goal from being scored.
RULING: Show the Red Card and Send Off the offender for Serious Foul Play. A teammate of the offender must serve a full (hard) 5:00 penalty.
J. With the goalie out of position, a player on the goal line deliberately stops a shot with their hand.
RULING: Show the Blue Card and issue a 5:00 soft penalty against the offender. Play will be restarted with a penalty kick, if occurred inside the penalty area. If goal scored, either from PK or later in the penalty, offending player will be released.
K. On a clear breakaway a player holds an opponent to prevent a goal from being scored.
RULING: Same as J. above.
L. A player boards an opponent and the referee determines the offending player deserves more than a 2:00 penal penalty.
RULING: Send Off the player for Serious Foul Play. A teammate of the player must serve a full 5 minute hard penalty.
M. A player from Team A is already serving a 2:00 penalty. While play is going on another player from Team A, other than the goalkeeper, prevents the ball from entering the goal with their hand while standing in the penalty area. The referee assesses a 5:00 soft penalty. On the ensuing Penalty Kick a goal is scored. What player will be released?
RULING: The player causing the penalty kick will be released.
N. Same as M. above but this time a player from Team A trips an opponent from behind on a clear breakaway while in the penalty area. The referee sends off the offending player and issues a hard 5:00 time penalty, which is served by substitute. On the ensuing Penalty Kick a goal is scored. What player will be released?
RULING: In this situation because it was a hard 5:00 penalty the player that was in the box first will be released.
O. A player from each Team is serving simultaneous penalties that started at 8:00. At 7:30 a player from Team A commits another 2:00 penal offense. At 7:00 Team B scores a goal. Which player from Team A is released?
RULING: The 2nd player will be released. This is the player that caused the power play.
P. Three players on the same team commit Penal Offenses or Unsporting Behavior with 7:07, 6:40 and 6:29 remaining in the period, respectively.
RULING: Team plays with three players and the goalkeeper. Although the first player’s time expires at 5:07, he cannot be released immediately because his team is still only entitled to three field players and a goalkeeper because of the other penalties. The first player, therefore, cannot be released until one of the following occurs: a) the first time the ball exits the field of play after 5:07; b) a powerplay goal is scored or c) 4:40 remains in the period. The third player’s time penalty does not actually begin until the first player’s time expires. The second player cannot be released until one of the following occurs: a) the first time the ball exits the field of play after 4:40; b) a powerplay goal is scored or d) 3:07 remains in the period.
Q. A team is playing on a powerplay when its opponents commit a penal offense and the referee issues a delayed Blue Card. During the advantage, a power play goal is scored.
RULING: The player who committed the foul leading to the delayed Blue Card does not have to serve his penalty, although the penalty is recorded for administrative purposes. The player already serving a penalty is not released from the penalty box, and the powerplay will continue.
R. A player commits a two-footed tackle against an opponent.
RULING: Any two-footed tackle must at least be a simple foul. For more severe offenses, a two-minute penalty must be issued.
S. A player makes a sliding tackle from behind.
RULING: If a player does not touch the opponent and gets only the ball, no foul should be called. Any contact with the opponent must be penalized by at least a free kick. Serious contact should be punished with time penalties.
T. A Team shows with 5 players. Two minutes into the game one of these players get Sent Off. Can that Team continue?
RULING: Yes, the penal time should be kept and if two teammates of this Team show up one of them should serve the remaining time for the ejected player.
U. Team A is playing with 6 players and one of them get hurt. One minute later the goalkeeper commits a penal offense. Can the injured player serve the time penalty?
RULING: Yes
V. A player from each team is sent off for fighting. Does each team play short and send a player to serve the 5 minute time penalty?
RULING: No
RULE 13 – FREE KICK
A. A defending player runs in the path of a free kick within 10 feet.
RULING: Issue the offender a 2:00 penalty for Unsporting Behavior.
B. A goalkeeper within the penalty area holding the ball in hand fails to put the ball
in play within 5 seconds.
RULING: Issue a free kick to the other team at the top of the restraining arc.
RULE 14 – PENALTY KICK
A. At the taking of the penalty kick a player from the team taking the kick touches the ball for a teammate to run on to take the shot. Before the teammate can get to the ball the goalkeeper comes off their line and smothers the shot.
RULING: Legal, once the ball is touched it’s a free ball.