The Ref Stop

Ladies Penalising 6 seconds without a warning

R

rainertheref

Member
Yesterday I was in the middle for a pretty high level women's game (one step below our National Women's League), with two teams who are already battling to stay out of the relegation zone, 5 rounds into the competition.

Red dominated most of the game, but white capitalised on their fast striker, and by the 91st minute they were ahead 2-1, but with red doing most of the attacking in the final 10 minutes.

The ball ran through to the white keeper, and she picked up and just held it - bounced it a few times, wandered around the penalty area and bounced it some more. She was obviously drawing it out as long as she could.

In almost any other game situation I would be asking her to hurry it up, and penalising if she didn't. I'm not sure why, but in this case I just waited and waited, got to 11 seconds in my count, and then blew for IFK. The white players were livid - insisting that every other referee gives a warning. It didn't make them any happier when red scored from the IFK and drew the match.

I couldn't have been more certain about my decision at the time - she was well over the 6 seconds and at that level there's no reason to question whether a player is familiar with the LOTG.

The white players were saying "The ref ruined the entire game". Of course they would say that, but sometimes even players are right, so I've been reflecting on whether or not I did negatively impact the game. A neutral spectator I know and respect (but who is not a referee) felt very strongly that I had been too harsh and should have given her a warning.

Does anyone have an opinion on how I should have handled this?
 
The Ref Stop
A warning certainly isn't required. On one hand, a warning can help ensure you don't have to give a controversial decision. On the other hand, warning a player not to make a technical breach could be seen as giving the player advice (different to warning a player not to foul, as that has a direct impact upon the opponents). But given the crap that always ensues, maybe it's just not worth doing it without a warning.
On the flip side, maybe it's unfair to the opponents to be denied a free kick for a clear breach of the law?

It's not like you pulled her up on 7 seconds or anything, you gave her plenty of time. Sounds like her intention was just to wait until the warning.
 
In this situation, being in the added time, one team one goal ahead, you shouldn't wait 11sec to tell the GK to hurry, be proactive, warn her right away, even after 4 or 5 sec to use the ball. 99% chances she will use it in the next 2 sec, by doing that, you used a "warning" without allowing the player to breach the law, in the unlikely event where she takes another 5 or 6 sec to play, nobody is gonna argue about the IDFK
 
Yacinho said:
In this situation, being in the added time, one team one goal ahead, you shouldn't wait 11sec to tell the GK to hurry, be proactive, warn her right away, even after 4 or 5 sec to use the ball. 99% chances she will use it in the next 2 sec, by doing that, you used a "warning" without allowing the player to breach the law, in the unlikely event where she takes another 5 or 6 sec to play, nobody is gonna argue about the IDFK
Click to expand...

Yeah. I've got no doubts that I made a technically correct and completely justified decision, but the more I think about it the more I think good management of the match would have been to get in early with the warning.
 
Once a keeper is up then I count to myself then on 5/6 I call the keeper to "come in keeper". At youth it very rarely happens but as you say good for the older players.
 
Players should know the rules, especially keepers around holding on to the ball etc.

Proactively, yes shouting may have helped. LOTG, it's 11 seconds and the keeper was wasting time so you are spot on. Sods law it led to a goal, but that's the defending teams look out. Defend better.
 
SM said:
Players should know the rules, especially keepers around holding on to the ball etc.

Proactively, yes shouting may have helped. LOTG, it's 11 seconds and the keeper was wasting time so you are spot on. Sods law it led to a goal, but that's the defending teams look out. Defend better.
Click to expand...


Hate to agree with him but I think @SM has said what I was going to..

Keeper knew what she was doing. 6 seconds is well known (thanks to Fifa games mostly I recon) and its a tough way to learn the lesson but learn it she did.

Imagine if they get relegated by 1 point. You evil so and so ;)
 
in agreement with @SM and @HertsFinest ... I very rarely give a warning (mainly because they ususally get the ball and smash it back up field or wherever

your job is to officiate, not coach everyone along ... and like it was mentioned earlier ... if youd have told her then the attacking team could have moaned?
 
Charlie Jones said:
in agreement with @SM and @HertsFinest ... I very rarely give a warning (mainly because they ususally get the ball and smash it back up field or wherever

your job is to officiate, not coach everyone along ... and like it was mentioned earlier ... if youd have told her then the attacking team could have moaned?
Click to expand...

Your job is to facilitate the game. Proactive communication to avoid surprises is a huge part of that.
 
Last edited:
The LOTG state that more than 6 sec = IDFK, no mandatory caution, this rule is clearly there to avoid time wasting (what else could it be as it's only a notion of delay ?)
I don't get the "In the circumstances" thing, why would a GK keep the ball 12s if it's not to waste time ? It's either caution all the time or never
 
Padfoot said:
Yep.....

In the circumstances described clearly it was a case of 'time wasting'.....easy caution for USB......
Click to expand...

Don't follow. There's no such thing as 'time wasting'. There's 'delaying the restart of play', which can only apply when the ball is out of play. So not the case here.

So, what caution?
 
Oh dear.....what a lenient bunch we have here.....

The GK has held onto ball longer than 6 seconds clearly to allow the time to run down......yes the sanction of the 6 seconds transgression is an IDFK......however they have also acted in a manner which shows a lack of respect for the game.....which is a USB caution.....

You probably wouldn't caution in the 10th minute with the scores 0-0 but in the final 10 minutes with the GKs team holding a slender lead.......and you feel that they are deliberately delaying releasing the ball........nailed on caution.

And why do you think 'time wasting' was put into quote marks?
 
Don't you dare say he's wrong, he's all mighty and we are a bunch of lenient
 
Ladies...

This is a polite warning aimed at certain people in both this thread and another thread. Let's not get to a petty word-war please and keep both topics related to OP and its discussion.

For what it's worth, I would be loudly calling the keeper to release at 6 seconds. If they choose to ignore, an IDFK and no caution would be my choice of punishment
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top