Augie’s Top Common Myths- Don’t YOU be fooled!

(rewritten from Alfred Kleinitis’ Advice to Referees)

· It is not an offence for a player taking a corner kick to move the flag back to its natural position, so long as he is not holding it while taking the kick.

· It is not in and of itself “dangerous play” to be playing the ball while on the ground.

· While a team must have a minimum of 7 players to continue, it is not necessary for all players to be on the field, so long as a player receiving permission to temporarily leave the field for injury, to repair equipment or treat bleeding is presumed to return in a reasonable amount of time.

· A referee may return to and penalize the original foul, if after applying advantage, it does not develop for the TEAM within 2 to 3 seconds.

· There is no requirement that players from both teams participate in a drop ball.

· Offside is punished where the infringement occurred, not where the STLD was.

· A player actively involved in play, whose toes are over the halfway line, is offside.

· A handball is deliberate. If it’s not deliberate, whether he gained an advantage from where the ball fell or not, is irrelevant. Deliberate means:

o Could have avoided the touch but chose not to

o Arms were not in a natural playing position

o Continuing an initially accidental contact

Rule of thumb: It’s NOT a handball if the ball hits the hand. It’s a handball if the hand hits the ball.

· Dangerous play can only occur if:

o The act is dangerous to someone, including the player

o It was committed with an opponent nearby

o The dangerous action caused the opponent to stop playing or be disadvantaged by the action.

· Cleats up should ALWAYS be judged as dangerous.

· Impeding (not obstruction) can only occur if the player is not within playing distance of the ball and there is no physical contact. Otherwise, it can be considered nothing, shielding or charging.

· “Shoulder to shoulder” does not include running from distance where an opponent is unable to play the ball and shouldering the player who has the ball off of it!

· Cards are not to protect you. They are to protect the players. Take action to deal with hard fouls and you won’t have to deal with those things. Also, a quick word to “back up,” “put it in play keeper” or “I’ve had enough, pipe down,” will usually take care of those problems.

· Dissent is committed by words, actions or gestures. Making a request or asking a legitimate question is not dissent. If it’s loud, and directed to disrupt your authority, it’s dissent.

· Persistent infringement can be against a player or a TEAM and can done by one player OR many players on one team. Be aware.

· Evaluate the use of bad language to the extent to which it can be heard by others beyond the immediate vicinity of the player and whether it is directed towards officials, opponents or spectators. Momentary emotional outbursts that no one else heard should be dealt with individually.

· ALL 4 elements of the 4 –D’s must be met in order for a goal scoring opportunity to be denied and a send off to be warranted. Without these, a caution may be warranted, but not a send off.

o Number of defenders- no more than one, not counting the one committing the foul

o Distance to goal- the closer, the more likely a GSO

o Distance to ball- the attacker must be close enough to the ball at the time of foul to have continued play

o Direction of play- the attacker must be moving toward the goal.

· On a throw in, there is no requirement prohibiting spin or rotational movement. The thrower must face the field, can throw it in any direction, start his movement with both hands behind his head and continue to the point of release over his head. If he meets these conditions, and keeps both feet on the ground and off the field of play, keep playing. Apparent technical infringements should be deemed trifling or doubtful if no advantage has been gained and the restart has occurred with little or no delay.

· Players are allowed to drink water from the touchline, so long as they do not block the AR’s view and they stay on the field. Water bottles should not be thrown on the field

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