The Rules of Officiating Soccer
Northeastern University 2007

The Role of the Official
<ul><li>The decisions of the </li></ul><ul><li>referee regarding facts </li></ul><ul><li>connected with play are </li></ul><ul><li>final . </li></ul><ul><li>Those facts include </li></ul><ul><li>whether a goal has </li></ul><ul><li>been scored or not and </li></ul><ul><li>the result of the match. </li></ul>

General Rules <ul><li>15 min halves
</li></ul><ul><li>1 time out per half </li></ul><ul><li>6 players </li></ul><ul><li>1 must be the keeper </li></ul><ul><li>4 minimum to play </li></ul>

Scoring a Goal <ul><li>All of
the ball must cross all of the line </li></ul><ul><li>The Lead official or the Referee will declare a valid goal </li></ul><ul><li>There must have been no violations by the offense </li></ul><ul><li>Keepers may not score </li></ul><ul><li>Goals cannot be scored on an indirect kick </li></ul>

Kickoffs <ul><li>Start of game and
after each goal </li></ul><ul><li>Start of second half </li></ul><ul><ul><li>By team that did not kick-off in first half (teams switch sides) </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Start of each overtime period </li></ul><ul><li>A goal may be scored directly from the kickoff </li></ul><ul><li>Head official makes sure: </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Goalies on both sides are ready </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>The other officials are ready </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>The time keeper is ready </li></ul></ul><ul><li>The Lead official will blow the whistle to commence play </li></ul>

The Goal Area <ul><li>The keepers
may use their hands in the semi-circle around the goal </li></ul><ul><li>No offensive player may be in this area before the ball </li></ul><ul><li>Fouls inside this area by the defense result in a penalty kick </li></ul><ul><li>Goal kicks & in the Box violations come from here </li></ul>

Goalie Rules <ul><li>Goalies may not
punt the ball or throw the ball past </li></ul><ul><li>mid-field in the air. </li></ul><ul><li>They may use their hands in the Goal Area. </li></ul><ul><li>Keepers may slide with their hands, but not with their feet (Yellow card) </li></ul><ul><li>Keepers may not cross midfield, or score a goal. </li></ul>Teammates may pass the ball back to the keeper

Players and Equipment <ul><li>No Jewelry
or Dangerous Equipment </li></ul><ul><li>Proper athletic attire </li></ul><ul><li>Goalie must have a different color jersey from either team </li></ul>Teams must wear contrasting jerseys

Basic Positioning <ul><li>The officials should
remain in the form of a wide triangle </li></ul><ul><li>The officials should try and keep all the players within the triangle </li></ul><ul><li>Any official can call any foul they clearly see, but the nearest official to the play should usually make the call </li></ul>

Transition Positioning <ul><li>Keep all players
</li></ul><ul><li>within the triangle </li></ul><ul><li>Far official stays with the ball as it moves up the field </li></ul><ul><li>Lead official can never be beaten to the goal line </li></ul>

Transitioning <ul><li>Anticipate the play </li></ul><ul><li>Always
be fighting for the best angle </li></ul><ul><li>The 2 table side officials should never get beat to the endline </li></ul><ul><li>Hustle to the proper position but don’t rush </li></ul>

Proper Positioning <ul><li>When the ball
is established in one half of the field all 3 officials should be focused on the play. </li></ul><ul><li>The farthest official providing off the ball coverage. </li></ul>

Line Responsibilities Closest curtain to
midfield and the whole endline. Whole sideline to each endline. Other curtain and whole endline.

Calling Out Of Bounds <ul><li>Every
time the ball goes out of bounds the closest official will sharply blow their whistle and signal the direction of possession </li></ul><ul><li>The Far official is responsible for their whole line </li></ul><ul><li>The Referee and Lead Official will take their half of the field and their endline </li></ul><ul><li>The curtain is out of bounds </li></ul>Directional Signal

All of the Ball Must
Cross all of the Line <ul><li>The official who </li></ul><ul><li>is responsible for </li></ul><ul><li>the line must be </li></ul><ul><li>on the line to </li></ul><ul><li>make the call. </li></ul>Which one of these balls is out of bounds?

Corner Kicks: Official’s Positions <ul><li>All
3 officials should be on the ball side of the field </li></ul><ul><li>The official farthest away from the ball should watch for fouls on a crossed ball </li></ul><ul><li>Once the ball is played the officials should return to their normal positions </li></ul>

Corner Kick Administration <ul><li>Lead official
will be out of bounds off the endline till the ball is played </li></ul><ul><li>Back players off to 3 yards </li></ul><ul><li>Administer the 5 count </li></ul><ul><li>Make sure the ball is stopped and in the proper position </li></ul><ul><li>Regulate the action closest to you when the kick is taken </li></ul>BAD O.K.

Regulating Contact <ul><li>Officials must be
proactive in calling and regulating contact before it leads to problems. </li></ul><ul><li>Players must play the ball and not the player. </li></ul><ul><li>Anytime a player moves their arms to ward off an opponent the official may call a foul. </li></ul>Be vocal and preventative

Direct Kicks <ul><li>Goals may be
scored directly from a Direct Free Kick </li></ul><ul><li>Must fouls are Direct Kicks </li></ul><ul><li>(the “-ing” cheat) </li></ul><ul><li>The official will point the direction of the kick and the spot of the foul </li></ul><ul><li>Direct kicks in the box equal a penalty kick </li></ul>

Indirect Kicks <ul><li>Goals may not
be scored from an Indirect Kick </li></ul><ul><li>All kick-ins are indirect </li></ul><ul><li>Dangerous kicks, over-half, hitting the ceiling structures, and handling the ball. </li></ul><ul><li>The official will leave his hand in the air till the ball touches another player. </li></ul>All officials will raise their arm to signal that a goal cannot be scored till it is touched by another player

Dangerous Kicks <ul><li>Players may not
endanger other players </li></ul><ul><li>A player cannot raise their foot towards a players head </li></ul><ul><li>A player cannot lower their head towards a players foot </li></ul><ul><li>Dangerous Kicks are indirect fouls </li></ul>The safety of our players is the #1 job of an official.

Bicycle Kicks <ul><li>Bicycle kicks are
allowed provided the kick is not dangerous to other players. </li></ul><ul><li>This means that no one can be in the area when the attempt is made. </li></ul><ul><li>If the kick is dangerous; a yellow card or red should be considered. </li></ul>As depicted this would be a safe kick.

Encroachment <ul><li>The defenders may not
“play the ball” during a quick restart. </li></ul><ul><li>If the ball is “played to” the defender no violation. </li></ul><ul><li>Don’t interfere unless you have to …BUT make your presence felt. </li></ul>Lots of issues can arise after a foul call. Make sure you are loud, clear and in position to officiate the free kick.

ENCROACHMENT 3 yards in all
directions Failure to respect the required distance is a cautionable offense

Walls <ul><li>Walls will only be
“created” by the official when the offense requests intervention </li></ul><ul><li>The official will stop play and set up the wall </li></ul><ul><li>March off 3 yards </li></ul><ul><li>Return to a proper position to officiate the action </li></ul><ul><li>Blow the whistle </li></ul>When creating a wall never turn your back on the players.

Sliding <ul><li>There is no sliding
!!! </li></ul><ul><li>This is the #1 cause for yellow cards. </li></ul><ul><li>Our officials must be ruthless in our enforcement </li></ul><ul><li>The penalty is a direct free kick and a yellow card </li></ul><ul><li>Award a penalty kick for slides in the Box </li></ul>

The Penalty for Sliding =
AUTOMATIC EVERY SINGLE TIME!!

RED and YELLOW CARDS

Yellow and Red Cards <ul><li>YELLOW
CARDS: </li></ul><ul><li>2-5 min Penalty – power play </li></ul><ul><li>Player may return after a Goal </li></ul><ul><li>2 yellows equal an ejection </li></ul><ul><li>RED CARDS: </li></ul><ul><li>Automatic Ejection </li></ul><ul><li>Team plays shorthanded </li></ul><ul><li>Player must leave the facility and will be suspended at least one game </li></ul>

Yellow Cards <ul><li>Yellow cards are
used to regulate unsporting conduct, sliding, and dissent, among other issues. Yellow cards are a way that an official cautions a player that their behavior is unacceptable. Yellow cards carry an automatic two minute penalty. The carded team must play a man down till the 2-5 mins expires or until a goal is scored. </li></ul>

Cautionary Yellow Card <ul><li>Unsporting Behavior
</li></ul><ul><li>Dissent by word or action </li></ul><ul><li>Persistently infringes the laws </li></ul><ul><li>Tactical Foul </li></ul><ul><li>Delays a restart </li></ul><ul><li>Encroaches on a restart </li></ul><ul><li>Enters the field without Official’s permission </li></ul><ul><li>Sliding </li></ul>YELLOW CARDS CARRY A TWO MINUTE PENALTY

Red Cards <ul><li>Red cards are
a tool that officials have to regulate a match. Red cards automatically signal the ejection of the carded player. Further, the carded team will play down a man for the remainder of the match. The player will be ejected from the facility and serve at least an automatic one game suspension. </li></ul>

Misconduct and Sending Off <ul><li>Severe
foul </li></ul><ul><li>Violent Conduct </li></ul><ul><li>Spitting at … </li></ul><ul><li>Handling the ball to stop a goal </li></ul><ul><li>Fouling to stop a goal </li></ul><ul><li>Abusive language or acts </li></ul><ul><li>2 nd Caution </li></ul>RED CARDS CARRY AN AUTOMATIC EJECTION & THE TEAM WILL PLAY DOWN A MAN

Penalty Kicks <ul><li>Non-kickers must remain
behind the orange line </li></ul><ul><li>The keeper must have their toes on the line till the ball is kicked </li></ul><ul><li>The ball is live after it is kicked </li></ul><ul><li>The kicker must wait for the whistle </li></ul>Penalty kicks are given for defensive fouls in the box, and to decide games tied at the end of regulation.

If Tackler makes contact with
the ball first and then the player trips it is Not a Foul!

Captain’s Pre-Game Meeting <ul><li>Inform captains
that: </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Only the captains may talk to the officials (they may ask questions of the rules not the judgment of the refs) </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Captains are responsible for the conduct of their players </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Players must keep their arms down (Low/no contact) </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Game ends on officials whistle not when the clock reaches 0:00 </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Make sure they know the goalie rules </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Make sure they know what constitutes the boundaries </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Make sure there are no other questions about the rules </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Coin toss (winner chooses ball or side to defend) </li></ul>Call one captain over from each team and give armband:

Advantage <ul><li>Allows play to continue
</li></ul><ul><li>when the team against </li></ul><ul><li>which an offense has been </li></ul><ul><li>committed will benefit from </li></ul><ul><li>such an advantage and </li></ul><ul><li>penalizes the original </li></ul><ul><li>offense if the anticipated </li></ul><ul><li>advantage did </li></ul><ul><li>not ensue at that time. </li></ul>

Recognizing Advantage <ul><li>Once an Advantage
call is determined, the official will declare, “Play On!” and give the advantage signal. </li></ul><ul><li>If the advantage materializes, the foul will “go away” </li></ul><ul><li>If not, the foul will be called and a restart will be granted. </li></ul><ul><li>Play deserving of a card never “goes away”, but must be granted after the conclusion of the situation. </li></ul>