Restart After Noticing Too Many Players on the Field after a Goal is Scored

[NOVARef]

Law 3 states...If, after a goal is scored, the referee realises, before play restarts, that an extra person was on the field of play when the goal was scored:

• the referee must disallow the goal if the extra person was:
  • a player, substitute, substituted player, sent-off player or team official of the team that scored the goal; play is restarted with a direct free kick from the position of the extra person

So this has never happened to me, but I'm envisioning the referee noticing the extra player after the celebration and both teams are lining up for the kick off. The referee informs the coach that there is an extra player, disallows the goal, and tells the coach to remove a player. Is the restart from where that player was standing at the time of removal? I'm thinking the law intends to restart where the player was when the goal was scored, but I can't see the referee remembering that. Thoughts on this? Thanks.

 

[socal lurker]

Law 3 states...If, after a goal is scored, the referee realises, before play restarts, that an extra person was on the field of play when the goal was scored:

• the referee must disallow the goal if the extra person was:
  • a player, substitute, substituted player, sent-off player or team official of the team that scored the goal; play is restarted with a direct free kick from the position of the extra person

So this has never happened to me, but I'm envisioning the referee noticing the extra player after the celebration and both teams are lining up for the kick off. The referee informs the coach that there is an extra player, disallows the goal, and tells the coach to remove a player. Is the restart from where that player was standing at the time of removal? I'm thinking the law intends to restart where the player was when the goal was scored, but I can't see the referee remembering that. Thoughts on this? Thanks.

Hope he wasn't in the defensive PA, making this a PK . . .

IMO, this was a stupid change that just makes things more complicated. I think it does mean where the player was when the goal was scored. In the real world, I don't think anyone is going to get too fussed about the wild guess we make as to where the K should be taken from.

(Historical aside: At one point, before this language was in the Laws), there was competing guidance as to whether it should be a goal kick or an IFK. The theory on GK was that the ball went over the goal line and it was determined it wasn't a goal--but that had the problem that if the GK got a hand on it, then it should be a CK rather than a GK. The uncertainty led to the US Advice to Referees being published in print form with one answer, and it getting changed for the e-version in the same year, creating a unique kind of confusion, at least for test takers as this almost never happens in real life.)

 

[ChasObserverRefDeveloper]

Law 3 states...If, after a goal is scored, the referee realises, before play restarts, that an extra person was on the field of play when the goal was scored:

• the referee must disallow the goal if the extra person was:
  • a player, substitute, substituted player, sent-off player or team official of the team that scored the goal; play is restarted with a direct free kick from the position of the extra person

So this has never happened to me, but I'm envisioning the referee noticing the extra player after the celebration and both teams are lining up for the kick off. The referee informs the coach that there is an extra player, disallows the goal, and tells the coach to remove a player. Is the restart from where that player was standing at the time of removal? I'm thinking the law intends to restart where the player was when the goal was scored, but I can't see the referee remembering that. Thoughts on this? Thanks.

Remember also the 2023/4 law change re this

 

[Kevin0954]

IFAB 2023 / 2024
Law 3 – The Players
Goal scored with an extra person on the field of play

Additional text
If, after a goal is scored, the referee realises, before play restarts, that an
extra person was on the field of play when the goal was scored,

and that person interfered with play:

• the referee must disallow the goal if the extra person was:
· a player, substitute, substituted player, sent-off player or team official of
the team that scored the goal; play is restarted with a direct free kick
from the position of the extra person
· an outside agent who interfered with play unless a goal results as
outlined above in ‘Extra persons on the field of play’; play is restarted
with a dropped ball

• the referee must allow the goal if the extra person was:
· a player, substitute, substituted player, sent-off player or team official of
the team that conceded the goal
· an outside agent who did not interfere with play

Explanation
Clarification that the referee should take action against an extra person on
the field of play when a goal is scored only if the person affected the play, e.g.
the Law does not expect the referee to penalise encroachment onto the field
of play if it does not impact the play.

The extra player must now interfere with play. In the words of the immortal Bill Shankly "If one of my players is on the pitch and not interfering with play, he'll answer to me." When is a player not a player ? Please discuss (tongue in cheek).

Oh yes, and if the game has restarted before you spot the extra man, find a big hole to hide in when it hits the fan !! Sounds like a good plot for a tv drama series to me.