The Ref Stop

Circumventing pass back law

SM

SM

The avuncular one
Dropped a bollock today. Towards the end of match, home team 6-0 up. A player passes towards edge of his own penalty area and I believe I see him flick the ball up onto his own head and head it to the goal keeper. Blow whistle, IDFK.

From the reaction I suspect straight away that I have made a mistake. And then I make mistake number 2 - I do not caution the offender. The fact I may have made a mistake is in my mind!

It come to nothing. Game ends 6-0. After the game the away team tell me that he did not do what I thought he did. I go into the changing room and apologise.

An otherwise good game, marred a little by this mistake. Annoying.

Did I do correct in following through with the free kick or should I have put my hands up then and there and gone with a drop ball?
 
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Does that count as deliberately circumventing the law?
 
I wouldn't say that was a deliberate trick to circumvent the law. But I do think that there should be more clarification on this in the laws. I would deem a trick to be while in possession of the ball, a player flicks the ball up to his head for example and heads it to the keeper. The situation you have mapped out seems to be a pass, a header and the goalkeeper picking the ball up legally (in my opinion) but I would be interested to see some other people's interpretations of this.

Perhaps the reason they went crazy was their lack of understanding of the law? For example I don't think you average football player/punter would know this aspect of the passback rule. I wouldn't worry too much about it.
 
It's just a bit annoying - haven't made many law mistakes this season (judgement based mistakes however.... :) ) other than that it was a good game for me. Well controlled, good spirited despite the score, no other issues.

You are right about the players reaction, they thought it was for a passback despite me explaining.
 
SM in your original post you state that you thought that he flicked it up onto his own head before passing back. If that is the case, then you were right to penalise and award the FK, as it would appear that the player has used a trick to circumvent.
In the second post, I don't believe that a trick has been used because, as Xman suggests, the player has passed the ball to another player, who has then headed the ball. You would have to believe that this is something that the players have contrived to do (and I don't think that such a set piece would be considered - or within their abililty) in order for it to be a deliberate act.
 
I think your right, unless it is one player flicking it up for himself then it is fair game to be headed back to the keeper. This was an odd situation. The way he played the ball was bloody weird, which was way it looked like he had performed a trick. Accepting that he did not do anything untoward (just odd looking) I was still curious as to whether a team mate flicking it up deliberately would still constitute circumventing the law. (Which is the second post)

Live and learn and luckily no harm done.
 
I was under the impression that this would be fine, although if the keeper rolls it out, and they flick it up and head it again, then they would be circumventing thet Law. I don't think there is anything wrong with what they did, but if they repeat it and use it as a way to run down the clock, then penalise.
 
If he flicked it up and headered it himself he's attempting to circumvent the law, irrespective of whether the gk handles the ball or not, the offence is what he did, when he did it. Yellow card and an IDF from where he did the trick is the order of the day, subject to the Goal Area clause of course.

You were right first time
 
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