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FA Guidelines for Assistant Referees fouls in and around the penalty area

Padfoot

Padfoot

The Persecuted One
Something i have been saying for the last few years....

Finally i expect to see referees and AR's who continue to use this illegal signal marked down accordingly on assessments.

FA guidelines for Assistant Referees – fouls in and around the penalty area
Webmaster, 3 June 2014

Some assistant referees use a flag across the chest to signal a penalty kick. This signal is not in the Laws of the Game and is not approved by FIFA, UEFA and very few (if any) other FAs.

Use of the signal draws unnecessary attention to the assistant referee which can create dissent and management problems. It also potentially creates conflict if used at the same time as the referee is indicating/deciding not to award a penalty kick.

The FA Referees’ Committee (in consultation with PGMOL) has thus decided that this signal should no longer be used and the following procedure should be adopted.

Penalty Kick
When a foul is committed by a defending player near to or inside the penalty area, the assistant referee should first make eye contact with the referee to establish their position and actions. In situations where:

  • it is clear that the referee has not seen the foul, and
  • the assistant referee is better placed to make the judgement, and
  • a flag signal is necessary to indicate publicly that a foul has taken place,
the actions of the assistant referee should be as follows.

If the foul is INSIDE the penalty area:
  • the assistant referee should raise the flag in the same hand that will be used for the remainder of the signal and agitate/wave the flag to indicate a foul has been committed;
  • the flag should NOT be placed across the chest.;
  • where available it is recommended that the electronic beep is used and/or the ‘communication system’ is used to advise “penalty, penalty, penalty”; and
  • following the signal for the foul the assistant referee should make a clear physical movement along the touchline to a position behind the corner flag post and stand still.
If the foul is OUTSIDE the penalty area:
  • the assistant referee should raise the flag in the same hand that will also be used for the remainder of the signal and agitate/wave the flag to indicate a foul has been committed;
  • where available it is recommended that the electronic beep is used and/or the ‘communication system’ is used to advise “attacking free kick, outside, outside, outside”; and
  • following the signal for the foul the assistant referee should make a clear physical movement along the touchline towards the halfway line to a position level with the front edge of the penalty area and stand still.
In or out?
Where a referee penalises a defender near the boundary of the penalty area and seeks guidance from an assistant referee concerning the exact location of the offence, the assistant referee’s action — if in a credible position to assist — should be as detailed above without the flag being raised.

Summary
There is no ‘special’ assistant referee flag signal for a penalty kick. When the foul is clearly inside the penalty area, if needed, the ‘normal’ indication for a foul should be followed by a clear physical movement to the goal line — the flag should not be placed across the chest. When the foul is outside the penalty area, if needed, the assistant referee should make a clear physical movement to a position level with the front edge of the penalty area.
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The Ref Stop
I'm glad that there is now definitive and crystal clear instructions on this. Whenever I've run the line the referees pre match brief has always included how to 'give' a penalty. Some want the flag across the chest, some want the flag up and a big step right, some want something else. Now we have one (kind of) signal there should be zero confusion during the game.

I hope that all players, managers and TV commentators are made aware of this because I reckon the first time it happens, be it on a Saturday at Contrib level, or in a Premiership game there will be those howling at the AR for not "giving it"
 
Good. I wasn't too fussed about what the outcome was, just wanted a clear decision which everyone will follow
 
DOes the new advice mean you move to the corner flag with your flag still raised or after Ref has blown and you put your flag down.
Something else I find strange - If the foul is committed outside the area, but near the goal line, the AR flags then moves 'towards the halfway line to a position level with the front edge of the penalty area ' - So possibly 18 yards from incident? Presumably you then move back level with the Free Kick when it's taken?
 
Give the foul in the position you find yourself in when the foul occurs, wait for the referee to acknowledge with the whistle, make eye contact and move either to the corner flag or 18 yard line, no need to go all the way! Then assume your position in line with the second last defender once the decision has been conveyed!
 
It is referring to an incident with Darren England that I saw a few months ago now. It was one a foul outside the area to the attacking team but because of his momentum from running he was being taken further towards the corner flag, he put his flag in the air to signal for the foul, simultaneously he made a drastic/obvious change in direction back towards the halfway line, making it obvious to everyone in the stadium it was a free kick not a penalty.
 
HullRef said:
It is referring to an incident with Darren England that I saw a few months ago now. It was one a foul outside the area to the attacking team but because of his momentum from running he was being taken further towards the corner flag, he put his flag in the air to signal for the foul, simultaneously he made a drastic/obvious change in direction back towards the halfway line, making it obvious to everyone in the stadium it was a free kick not a penalty.
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I think some "sprint and change direction immediately" practice in the garden is in order. Or maybe just the Illinois agility test
 
HullRef said:
It is referring to an incident with Darren England that I saw a few months ago now. It was one a foul outside the area to the attacking team but because of his momentum from running he was being taken further towards the corner flag, he put his flag in the air to signal for the foul, simultaneously he made a drastic/obvious change in direction back towards the halfway line, making it obvious to everyone in the stadium it was a free kick not a penalty.
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I saw this game. He jumped up in the air and back outside the area like he had run into an imaginary electric fence. Looked pretty funny, but was quite a feat of athleticism and concentration!
 
Like the Championship play off final, there is a perfect example, where the assistant referee flagged for the foul, and ran back towards the halfway line. That foul also resulted in a red card, again given by the assistant. An example of perfect assistant refereeing.

If you skip to around 21:08, then watch the liner as the foul is made. A great example.
 
jojo said:
Like the Championship play off final, there is a perfect example, where the assistant referee flagged for the foul, and ran back towards the halfway line. That foul also resulted in a red card, again given by the assistant. An example of perfect assistant refereeing.

If you skip to around 21:08, then watch the liner as the foul is made. A great example.
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Yeah, this is the incident I was talking about but I couldn't find a video of it. A great decision by the lino and a perfectly executed signal too :)
 
Correct decision made but it looks a bit untidy to me. It is clear what decision has been made though.

Slightly off topic though. Lee Mason turns his back on the crowd of players as he heads for the touchline. I've been picked up on this by an assessor before.
 
We got told by a level 2B (Jonathan Hunt (FL Assistant)) to flag across chest,, seen a few prem asst refs do it too? Flag across chest is easier IMO, thats different to a normal foul signal. But I dunno, ill ask a level 1 later this week
 
Steve C said:
We got told by a level 2B (Jonathan Hunt (FL Assistant)) to flag across chest,, seen a few prem asst refs do it too? Flag across chest is easier IMO, thats different to a normal foul signal. But I dunno, ill ask a level 1 later this week
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TBH mate, it doesn't make any difference what a level 1 would or wouldn't say. Level 1 or not, no one is above the law. As much as I don't like it, I think we will ALL have to follow this procedure from now on.
 
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