Quick Free Kick Rule

[Refcoach]

Hi all, hoping someone could point me in the right direction to the correct ruling for the following decision. Referee awards indirect free kick on centre line and points in favour of team A. Team A players start to advance upfield to a point where defensive line are 10-15 yards from kick, as the referee approaches he changes his decision and awards the kick to team B. Team A players begin to retreat and just as a team B player attempts to take a quick kick a player from team A stands in front of the kicker and kicks the ball a couple of yards to prevent the kick, this player is cautioned which also slows his chance of retreating. Just as the Referee is putting his card into pocket same player from Team B takes the kick quickly before Team A has had time to retreat, ball goes over top of defender and striker scores.
My thinking would be, with the referee making an error in his indication of free kick would be enough for him not to allow a quick kick, and time for Team A to retreat. I have since been informed by other officials that the quick kick should not be taken if he has shown caution to a player, and that it should be on the whistle. I have searched through the rules and cant find anything clear which states this. Thanks

 

[Gabriel]

The IFAB guidelines for match officials state the following:

The whistle is needed to:
...
restart play after it has been stopped for a caution or sending-off.
This therefore means that a free-kick can't be taken quickly after a YC because the whistle won't have been blown.
I was almost certain this was covered by a specific law but after a brief look I haven't found anything else.

 

[Goldfish]

The error of giving it the wrong way was the issue really.
Now the easy part is that the advice is that the free kick is on the whistle after the caution. It is not required in law or part of Law13 yet it is good practice and advice for it to be on the whistle. So that is the reason you did not find it as it is not there just in the advice on use of the whistle.
The difficult part is the change of direction. I doubt any player who has set up to take a free kick is going to walk away. I think the referee should be realising that his mistake has created a problem and get on the whistle to halt play without the possibility of a QFK
Now in law the referee has done nothing incorrect in Law yet the mechanics are poor creating a problem.

 

[Refcoach]

Thanks for your reply @Gabriel @Goldfish
Where does it state that in the IFAB Rules @Gabriel , I have searched everywhere lol.

That's my thinking too @Goldfish the ref has created the situation, common sense would be to let both teams reset and restart play on the whistle.

 

[JamesL]

Thanks for your reply @Gabriel @Goldfish
Where does it state that in the IFAB Rules @Gabriel , I have searched everywhere lol.

That's my thinking too @Goldfish the ref has created the situation, common sense would be to let both teams reset and restart play on the whistle.

In the section guidelines to match officials. Sub heading body language communication and whistle

 

[RefereeX]

I've done this before where I've signalled for something the wrong way and then realised my error, and the team who should have received the free kick grabbed the ball quickly and took it. I pulled it back and explained to everyone to just settle down, apologised for my error and explained that it was unfair to allow them to take it quickly because I confused everyone by messing up the signal. That, in my opinion, was the first error the ref you mention made.
The second one would be not allowing a player to get 'back in' after cautioning them. The restart after a caution should always be once everyone is set and ready and the whistle has been blown.

 

[Kes]

I've done this before where I've signalled for something the wrong way and then realised my error, and the team who should have received the free kick grabbed the ball quickly and took it. I pulled it back and explained to everyone to just settle down, apologised for my error and explained that it was unfair to allow them to take it quickly because I confused everyone by messing up the signal. That, in my opinion, was the first error the ref you mention made.
The second one would be not allowing a player to get 'back in' after cautioning them. The restart after a caution should always be once everyone is set and ready and the whistle has been blown.

This ^ ^ all day long.

Also, the LOTG stipulate that once the referee has begun the cautioning process, a QFK can't then be taken so for me, it naturally follows that it still can't be taken until after the process has been properly finished.

 

[JamesL]

We've also got the definition of a quick free kick.

"A free kick taken (with the referee’s permission) very quickly after play was stopped"

Given all that happens between play stopping I can hardly say it sounds like a quick free kick. And where there is cautioning procedure play must be restarted with the whistle.