A&H

U11's - Direct or Indirect free kicks?

JudgeDreadful

JudgeDreadful

New Member
Refereed two games today with just one minor incident of note. U11's football so playing offsides etc. Defender passes back to the goalkeeper who picks the ball up. I award an IDFK and play continues without incident. At HT, the coach approaches me (in a nice civilised manner I'm happy to add) to tell me that all free kicks in junior soccer are direct and that the player should have had the opportunity to shoot for goal. I disagreed so he gets some rules up on his phone. I wasn't really too interested in looking at them to be honest so not exactly sure what he was showing me or where it was from as I wasn't going to change the rules I'd been applying mid game. The problem is I come across conflicting things on the internet. I can download an FA booklet that says all free kicks are direct in 'Mini-Soccer' but is this just for up to U10 age? I download something else for U11/U12 which says normal rules apply. I'm finding it a little bit annoying with these subtle variations in the rules and being questioned by coaches, last week was goal kicks and now this.

Interested to know how others apply the rules at this age.
 
The Referee Store
You're right and he's wrong. Up to U10 is mini-soccer and all FKs are direct. U11 and upwards, there's IDFKs and DFKs, so what you gave for the keeper's action was correct. He needs to appreciate his team are U11s now and so the Laws he plays be have altered from last season.
 
You're right, and he's wrong.

At U11, when the "retreat line" is no longer in place, then free-kicks can be IDK and DFK. His team have stepped up from U10 and Law has changed for them.
 
LancsReferee said:
You're right and he's wrong. Up to U10 is mini-soccer and all FKs are direct. U11 and upwards, there's IDFKs and DFKs, so what you gave for the keeper's action was correct. He needs to appreciate his team are U11s now and so the Laws he plays be have altered from last season.
Click to expand...
There are now indirect free kicks in Mini soccer competitions where the "no heading" trial is under way, but otherwise all are direct, as you said.
 
Sorry but I'm not looking at some coach's phone on the sideline no matter how much he insists on showing me. If he's persistent I might remind him that he shouldn't be challenging my authority. ;)
 
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