The Ref Stop

Verbal distraction

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Mackemdownsouth

New Member
Level 5 Referee
verbally distracts an opponent during play or at a restart.

Watching the other day, referee and both ARs, who I know, had different answers to this so would appreciate some clarity.

Cross comes into the box, striker has the chance to score, 6-8 yards out.

A defender, shoots ‘man on’ to put him off and the forward misses his chance. I don’t think he heard the shout, but I know the referee did.

So can someone clarify what the correct course of action should be. Hypothetically, if the attacker had heard the shout and been verbally distracted what’s the correct punishment and restart please?

The player who shouted was about 5 yards outside the area.

MDS.
 
The Ref Stop
I guess you have to juggle a few things. As the law is what it is. Ambiguous.

Was the striker actually distracted by the shout. Well you can argue either way. He did squander the chance and a player outside the box had attempted to distract him.

Are you sure the defender wasn't giving Comms to their own keeper/defender. Very subjective.

DOGSO considerations. I think if a shout is enough to prevent the goal, then hopefully it wasn't that obvious of a chance.

Verbal distraction is a must caution. So you must give a yellow and restart with a IDFK.
 
As ONR states this is a very difficult one to call and be credible.

One situation i given an IDFK is when an opponet shouts or makes a loud noise to put off an attacker when they are about to shoot for goal. For some reason all mine have been outside the penalty area so the yellow and IDFK are the punishment. The defending guilty player has never argued i was wrong, which made things easier.

Only ever happened to me about 10 times in 30 years though.
 
A couple of thoughts. First, as a referee, this is not a call to look for--it is a call that jumps up and grabs you.

Second, it is is a caution for USB or it is nothing--it can never be just a FK. (With he caveat noted above that it is possible to manufacture scenarios where the caution would be upgraded to a send off as DOGSO, but I'm dubious that happens in the real world.)

Going back to the OP, if the shooter didn't hear it, of course it is nothing.

I've called it a few times over the years at knucklehead boy ages. Once was literally screaming in an opponents ear from behind. A couple have been of the "leave it" sort, where an opponent was clearly deceived by a deliberate effort to trick him into not playing the ball. As noted above, these are the plays that reach out and grab you--the plays where everyone knows the player was being a deliberate knucklehead. (It occurs to me that I don't think I have ever called this, or even thought about calling it in a girl's game.)
 
Thank you for your replies but my question remains unanswered.

If in the scenario I described above, the attacks was distracted, did hear it and did complain…

What is the restart, where from and what is the punishment?
 
Mackemdownsouth said:
Thank you.

Doesn’t feel right (I’m not disagreeing with you btw)

But don’t think I could ever sell an IDFK 25 yards from the goal when the bloke has been ‘distracted’ 6 yards out.
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The OFFENCE takes place where the offender offended, not where the attacker was.
 
As a learning point, if you hear someone in a grassroots game give it the ”ah” or ”argh” make sure you act on it. That doesn’t mean you have to penalize it - but at the next stoppage have a word with the player. Make sure it’s obvious to everyone. They will proclaim innocence. If you don’t do this and the next verbal distraction is a DOGSO ”ah” like the OP you will have a torried afternoon.

And yes, this has happened to me. I make the mistakes so you don’t have to.
 
Mackemdownsouth said:
Thank you.

Doesn’t feel right (I’m not disagreeing with you btw)

But don’t think I could ever sell an IDFK 25 yards from the goal when the bloke has been ‘distracted’ 6 yards out.
Click to expand...

You could sell it by saying: "if you had scored I would have given you the advantage"
 
Mackemdownsouth said:
verbally distracts an opponent during play or at a restart.

Watching the other day, referee and both ARs, who I know, had different answers to this so would appreciate some clarity.

Cross comes into the box, striker has the chance to score, 6-8 yards out.

A defender, shoots ‘man on’ to put him off and the forward misses his chance. I don’t think he heard the shout, but I know the referee did.

So can someone clarify what the correct course of action should be. Hypothetically, if the attacker had heard the shout and been verbally distracted what’s the correct punishment and restart please?

The player who shouted was about 5 yards outside the area.

MDS.
Click to expand...


Mackemdownsouth said:
Thank you for your replies but my question remains unanswered.

If in the scenario I described above, the attacks was distracted, did hear it and did complain…

What is the restart, where from and what is the punishment?
Click to expand...

Are you asking a lotg question or are you asking a game situation question. Ideally they are one and the same but... lotg question are (supposed to be) black and white answers on black and white assumptions. The latter has a lot of opinion involved.

To answer your question from lotg view point.

- Attacker was not distracted. No card no free kick
- The attacker was distracted. He missed a shot on goal but it was not an obvious goal scoring opportunity. IFK from where the defender was (or on 6yard line - see lotg) and caution defender
- The attacker was distracted. He missed a shot on goal and it was an obvious goal scoring opportunity. IFK from where the defender was (or on 6yard line -see lotg) and send defender off

(It's up to the referee to decide if assumptions such as OGSO hold true - they are "you have to be there" in game situations and cant truley be assesed from a forum post)

Game situation: a lot of above posts covered it. Be sure of it (distracted attempt and distracted oppoent). Don't ignore it if no free kick given. Don't make things up (no free kick without sanction) but take the atmosphere of the game into consideration. etc etc.
 
I gave this IDFK and caution for the first time in a step 4 game I was being observed on a few months ago.

A particular player decided that when an opposition player was about the bring the ball down from in the air, instead of challenging for the ball he would stand a yard behind and shout 'man on' very loudly just as they go to control it.

The first time he did it I didn't really notice to be honest but the players from the offended team complained. When he did it again, I gave an IDFK and cautioned him.

Observer loved it as an 'unusual caution'. Just a shame he hated everything I did for the other 89 minutes.
 
Just last month, I had a loud BANG! from a lad in the face of opponent just winding up to hit the ball from about 20 yards out.

IDFK, Caution, wall placed the regulation distance, 'keeper and taker told, arm-up, whistle, free-kick hit clean and was sailing into the top corner until the 'keeper got a fingertip to it and...

...didn't keep it out.

Goal.

Ran away feeling a right smug bugger knowing I'd absolutely nailed it in Law :D

(Same player told me I was making it all up as I went along a little later. End of his day). (Double smug face emoji.)
 
Weirdly this has happened twice this season for me… both when the ball has bounced free from the box for an obvious 25-yard shot, with a defender shouting “BOOOO” as the attacker goes to shoot.

Once the goal has gone in so no action (though you could argue USB but I didn’t get involved). The other time IDFK and yellow, much to the confusion of basically everyone.
 
Refollie said:
Weirdly this has happened twice this season for me… both when the ball has bounced free from the box for an obvious 25-yard shot, with a defender shouting “BOOOO” as the attacker goes to shoot.

Once the goal has gone in so no action (though you could argue USB but I didn’t get involved). The other time IDFK and yellow, much to the confusion of basically everyone.
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Could you caution for USB as the player did score. So I doubt you could say they 'distracted' the player [verbally distracts an opponent]. More a failed attempt.
 
OldNavyRef said:
Could you caution for USB as the player did score. So I doubt you could say they 'distracted' the player [verbally distracts an opponent]. More a failed attempt.
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It would be generic USB rather than specific to verbal distraction. But it would have to be awfully obnoxious to even think of going there.
 
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