The Ref Stop

To wall or not to wall... That is the question!!

RustyRef said:
There are a few things to think about here, and the first is where you are based. Whilst I respect the views of our overseas colleagues who say you should let the attacking team take a quick free kick, that absolutely isn't the expectation in England and I've seen referees who were having good games fall apart because they allowed it to be taken quickly, especially when they have asked the attackers if they want to take it quickly.

First thing to think of is where are you, and if the answer isn't where the free kick is going to be taken from you need to get there as quickly as you can. If they take it before you get there, which in my experience is very rare if it is within shooting distance, there isn't a lot you can do about it, aside from using the get out that it was taken from the wrong place or the ball was moving.

Once you are there it can only be ceremonial, i.e. you tell them it is on the whistle and you manage it. Tell the keeper it is direct, and make sure he is ready, and more importantly you are ready, before you blow your whistle. And that leads to another thought process, where do you stand. If on your own you have to be thoughtful of a potential offside or ball over line, whereas if you are with NARs your biggest concern is probably handling by someone in the wall.

A lot to think about, but I would say the key thing is never, ever, ask them if they want to take a quick one. If you do and they score you will be deemed to have had a hand in the goal, and it probably won't end well.
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Thank you... So much to understand around this element but this makes sense.
So if I summarise: If youre not already there, then its a go, but if you are' it's a wall.
 
The Ref Stop
Yoda_72 said:
Thank you... So much to understand around this element but this makes sense.
So if I summarise: If youre not already there, then its a go, but if you are' it's a wall.
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Doesn't have to be a wall. Just ceremonial, as in on the whistle, which may incorporate a wall.
There never has to be a wall, it is is the defending a team to decide if they will have one, and if the kick is on the whistle then we support that in the ceremonial process.
 
Murri O said:
Why are you giving them the advantage after their team has fouled the other side?
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JamesL said:
It is not the keepers decision.
You can tell the keeper when they can wait for a whistle, otherwise they need to be ready for the kick to be taken, with all the other caveats within the thread.
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There’s obviously details that I haven’t included because its not all free kicks. Only ever ask if I’m restarting with the whistle.

Of course its the keeper’s decision if they want a defensive wall. Have had times where they’ve said no. Meaning I dont need to count the yards. Never had a defensive team moan and its returned for any free kicks for them.
 
The OP question is really answered a lot easier than it looks.

When to allow a quick free kick?

when you as referee are ready, you are not dealing with an injury, sub, caution etc,
the ball is stopped and in the correct place.

us being ready involves wall or no wall,

Its just ill advised to ask the gk if he wants a wall, thats putting the restart in the control of the offending team, and, disadvantaging the offended team

its rare at grass roots for a quick ' shooting distance' quick freekick anyway
 
Murri O said:
I've had defenders shout at me before that they want to set up a wall. Happens quite often actually. I just say it's not up to you.

Usually that's followed by 'you have to'. Hahahaha. Nope.
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I have this more often than I care to remember. It’s one of those that I think comes down to game management more than anything. If you can see the wall isn’t quite finished yet or the keeper is still leaning on the post setting the wall and isn’t in position, we all KNOW that you can blow for the free kick if the attackers are ready, but why cause more grief for yourself when the ball inevitably goes in and the defending team complains. It can be carefully managed by slowing switching up your positioning etc
 
While we are on the wall topic I mention a big bugbear of mine. Defenders set themselves up more than 10 yards away and the referee asks them to come closer. Why? Minimum distance is 10 yards. If they are too close, send them back. They are too far, it's their prerogative.
 
wazztie16 said:
I've never really understood this, I don't do. Never had an issue. Surely they'd know if it's direct or indirect by the arm signal?
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I'm with you on this - except I would probably point out if it was indirect (rather than the opposite) because that's a pretty unusual situation. Again, it comes down to managing the risk/expectations, and if the keeper tries to save an IFK and it goes in, I'm in the clear if I warned them. If not, I'm not wrong but I'm going to have to manage the aftereffects.
 
Martiju said:
I'm with you on this - except I would probably point out if it was indirect (rather than the opposite) because that's a pretty unusual situation. Again, it comes down to managing the risk/expectations, and if the keeper tries to save an IFK and it goes in, I'm in the clear if I warned them. If not, I'm not wrong but I'm going to have to manage the aftereffects.
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I agree, it's rare for an idfk to be attacking imo. Maybe if I progress higher I'll be expected to start telling the keeper, I don't know, but as I say, never had an issues, and that's after nearly 4 full seasons (not including this one) and 3 games a weekend most of the time, including Sunday league.
 
From a football point of view, I've never really understood the need for a wall for free kicks more than a couple of yards outside the area.

Would you really expect a GK, with a (relatively) unobstructed view not to save most shots from that distance?
 
one said:
While we are on the wall topic I mention a big bugbear of mine. Defenders set themselves up more than 10 yards away and the referee asks them to come closer. Why? Minimum distance is 10 yards. If they are too close, send them back. They are too far, it's their prerogative.
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completely agree. If I get asked for 10 by the kicking team, and the opponents are already 10 or more yards back, I simply say they are and get on with it. (I’m also in the “don’t step it off camp.” When I need to move players back, I simply jog to 10 yards from the ball and point the players there. YMMV with local expectations.)
 
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Supppse wee tip for new refs if needing to distance a wall, carefully put them further back than the required distance if you can

agree with above, never instruct a wall to edge forward, why, just, why!
 
wazztie16 said:
I've never really understood this, I don't do. Never had an issue. Surely they'd know if it's direct or indirect by the arm signal?
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Err, how many players know what an indirect free kick signal is? I'd say at most 50%, and that is probably being very generous. It is just covering all bases, if it flies in the top corner and they start to scream at you that they thought it was indirect you can just point out that you did tell them.
 
santa sangria said:
This either needs more context - or comes across like you might need some further instruction on this.
Asking keepers is not normal and you will confuse players.
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Which context do you need?

Haven’t had any confused players yet
 
RustyRef said:
Err, how many players know what an indirect free kick signal is? I'd say at most 50%, and that is probably being very generous. It is just covering all bases, if it flies in the top corner and they start to scream at you that they thought it was indirect you can just point out that you did tell them.
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QPR given an IDFK on edge of area on Saturday - fellow ST holders (who know I'm a ref) turn to ask me what its for.

For info, although it looked at first sight that QPR player got caught in the face by a high boot, looking at the replay since, i don't think there was any actual contact - QPR player's smile afterwards and no treatment required, led me to believe the referee was correct.

Lots of fans on message board asking why it was an IDFK as well.
 
A game about 2 weeks ago - start of new season. U12s lowest level team starting competitive soccer who hadn't really a clue of things. I marked out the distance and they had stood about 6 feet away. I told them to come up to me as it was obvious they didn't know what they should do. I then told them to check with their keeper and shouted to the keeper to get the wall set up as he didn't know what he should be doing. Then gave fair warning i was going to blow the whistle.

Should I have done this? Well I did because the players likely never encountered this situation and didn't know what to do. I told the players in the wall it is normally better to stand where the referee marks out, but speak to your coach.
 
Years ago had a player take a free kick short and played it again without anyone else touching it. I blew the whistle and put my hand straight up for IFK. Heard a team mate say "how is that offside, he passed it to himself". Can't remember what my response was but I do remember it making me smile. A good number of fans and players know the IFK signal as the offside signal.
 
Anubis said:
Shooting distance idfk I shout, ' indirect' as wel as my raised arm

direct, wont say anything ( unless asked) or any arm signal
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Agree - FK in shooting distance maybe 1 in 10 is indirect, if that, so uncommon enough to be worth pointing out. Nothing lost by a bit of extra communication, which is equally useful to attackers and defenders. Better than trying to explain it afterwards

One other thing from an early observation of mine - be careful with holding the whistle in the air with a straight arm to indicate 'on the whistle'. At least theoretically could be confused for a signal of indirect
 
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