Had an interesting one occur in one of my games last week. Ladies OA, pretty easy game to ref. Red's keeper catches ball. Everyone runs out waiting for her clearance. She puts ball down on ground, looks around for a few seconds, then decides to change her mind and pick it up again. I blow the whistle, IFK to blue just about 3 yards from goal. No arguments from anyone.
I explain to them what happened, and spot the ball on the goal area line, six yards out. I tell defenders they either need to be 10 yards away or stand on goal line between posts. Everyone lines up, and I warn defenders not to move until ball is kicked. So far I am mentally congratulating myself on perfect management of the unusual game situation.
All in position, I blow whistle. Immediately three defenders race forward off line. I call out "No no no!! Let's do that again". As I am doing this, the forward taking the kick has just tapped the ball sideways to her friend, who lifts the most astonishing lob over the onrushing defenders, and it bounces down on the goal line in the gap they had just vacated, and rolls into the net.
I was mortified. I explained that since I had called out to stop the kick, this could not count. They all took it in good part (they were several goals down at this point). The forward saying with a smile "Aww ref. I'll never be able to do that again". She was right, and the retake came to nothing. At the end of the game I did apologise, but they all seemed to find it more amusing than anything else.
Now I realise that it would have been far better to wait and see the outcome before stopping play (even though I did not whistle, I did effectively stop play). But I was worried that if I did not react quickly the ball would ricochet around for a while, then get cleared, and I would have a hard sell to come back to retake the kick. The encroaching defenders were about 2 yards from kicker when she played her amazing lob, and I never dreamed of this outcome.
That's football I suppose....
I explain to them what happened, and spot the ball on the goal area line, six yards out. I tell defenders they either need to be 10 yards away or stand on goal line between posts. Everyone lines up, and I warn defenders not to move until ball is kicked. So far I am mentally congratulating myself on perfect management of the unusual game situation.
All in position, I blow whistle. Immediately three defenders race forward off line. I call out "No no no!! Let's do that again". As I am doing this, the forward taking the kick has just tapped the ball sideways to her friend, who lifts the most astonishing lob over the onrushing defenders, and it bounces down on the goal line in the gap they had just vacated, and rolls into the net.
I was mortified. I explained that since I had called out to stop the kick, this could not count. They all took it in good part (they were several goals down at this point). The forward saying with a smile "Aww ref. I'll never be able to do that again". She was right, and the retake came to nothing. At the end of the game I did apologise, but they all seemed to find it more amusing than anything else.
Now I realise that it would have been far better to wait and see the outcome before stopping play (even though I did not whistle, I did effectively stop play). But I was worried that if I did not react quickly the ball would ricochet around for a while, then get cleared, and I would have a hard sell to come back to retake the kick. The encroaching defenders were about 2 yards from kicker when she played her amazing lob, and I never dreamed of this outcome.
That's football I suppose....