Question One For the Referees Out There

[londonblue]

Before the game started last night I noticed Smith very carefully put a mark the edge of the six yard box to show the middle of the goal. I know nearly all 'keepers do it, but is it actually allowed?

Also, what is the sanction for a goalkeeper holding onto the ball for more than six seconds, and why is it never enforced?

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

I think the answers are no and indirect free-kick, but I'm sure Mick will clarify.

 

[Neil 24]

good question. i beleive the markin of the pitch by smith is allowed purely because this has been happening for years. regarding the 6 second rule i suppose its up to the refs discretion.

 

[GNH]

Yeah, i'm fairly sure there is no penalty for marking the pitch but not entirely sure.

As far as the six second rule, I believe that it is open to interpretation by referees, but if the feel the need to blow the whistle they would award in indirect free kick to the attacking team from the spot the keeper was standing. If he was standing inside the 6 yard box the free kick would be taken on the 6 yard line parallel to the spot he was standing. Thus the wall would be only 6 yards away on the goal line

 

[dannypav]

Before the game started last night I noticed Smith very carefully put a mark the edge of the six yard box to show the middle of the goal. I know nearly all 'keepers do it, but is it actually allowed?

Also, what is the sanction for a goalkeeper holding onto the ball for more than six seconds, and why is it never enforced?

You're right in that many do this.
I guess it's not seen as a major crime , so refs just let it go , if indeed they ever spot it.
Whenever I see this happen though , I always think that surely the penalty spot is a better and bigger indication as to the centre of the goal , so why the need to mark
the 6 yard box ?

 

[Ayrshire Blue]

Before the game started last night I noticed Smith very carefully put a mark the edge of the six yard box to show the middle of the goal. I know nearly all 'keepers do it, but is it actually allowed?

Also, what is the sanction for a goalkeeper holding onto the ball for more than six seconds, and why is it never enforced?

Because it's not actually a rule.

 

[South Bucks Shrimper]

Because it's not actually a rule.

It is not a rule, it is a law:

Law 12: "Indirect free kick An indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team if a goalkeeper, inside his own penalty area, commits any of the following four offences:

• controls the ball with his hands for more than six seconds before releasing it from his possession
• touches the ball again with his hands after he has released it from his possession and before it has touched another player
• touches the ball with his hands after it has been deliberately kicked to him by a team-mate
• touches the ball with his hands after he has received it directly from a throw-in taken by a team-mate

http://www.thefa.com/football-rules-...isconduct.aspx

Most refs just choose to ignore it.

 

[Mick]

As stated above, it's a Law which is honoured more in the breach than in the observance. More than most Laws, this one definately is used more in the spirit of the Law than to the letter of the Law. It was brought in to prevent blatant time wasting by the keepers and remains as an rarely used sanction in extreme cases.

Another Law which is largely disregarded is encroachment at penalties; 9 out of 10 penalties should be retaken.

I think it's a bit much when refereeing authorities can choose which Laws to enforce and which not to !!

 

[londonblue]

As stated above, it's a Law which is honoured more in the breach than in the observance. More than most Laws, this one definately is used more in the spirit of the Law than to the letter of the Law. It was brought in to prevent blatant time wasting by the keepers and remains as an rarely used sanction in extreme cases.

Another Law which is largely disregarded is encroachment at penalties; 9 out of 10 penalties should be retaken.

I think it's a bit much when refereeing authorities can choose which Laws to enforce and which not to !!

Don't you mean 9 out of 10 unsuccessful penalties should be retaken? There's no need to retake a successful one because the 'keeper encroached.

Whilst we're on the subject of other laws that seem to be ignored, how about throw ins? I see probably one or two a match that should be given as foul throws because the "thrower" doesn't have both feet on the ground. I saw one at Roots Hall a few weeks back where the back foot was about 6 inches off the ground...

 

[Mick]

Don't you mean 9 out of 10 unsuccessful penalties should be retaken? There's no need to retake a successful one because the 'keeper encroached.

Whilst we're on the subject of other laws that seem to be ignored, how about throw ins? I see probably one or two a match that should be given as foul throws because the "thrower" doesn't have both feet on the ground. I saw one at Roots Hall a few weeks back where the back foot was about 6 inches off the ground...

No I don't.

Keepers don't usually encroach; there's an Assistant especially watching for that. It's the other players and, nearly always, at least one, usually more, player from each side encroaches sometimes significantly. If players from both sides encroach, the kick should be retaken, regardless of the outcome.

Regarding the "foul throws", be sure you are watching the feet at the precise moment the ball is released - before or after doesn't matter. I don't find it quite as prevalent as you are suggesting.

 

[Maldon Blues]

I always find it strange that if a 'keeper picks the ball up an inch outside the penalty area a free-kick will be given, yet they often stray two or three yards out of the area with the ball in their hands taking drop-kicks with no punishment.

 

[OldBlueLady]

It's the length of time in the hands one that gets me, you so often see GKs wasting time in excess of 10 seconds with the ball in their hands. I'd really like refs to be a bit stronger on this flagrant flaunting of the law.

 

[davewebbsbrain]

It's the length of time in the hands one that gets me, you so often see GKs wasting time in excess of 10 seconds with the ball in their hands. I'd really like refs to be a bit stronger on this flagrant flaunting of the law.

Another thing not often picked up on is players gaining 5 or 10 yards on throw ins. Happens every game time and time again. I know Clohessey tries it on a bit but it seems the opposition always push and mostly get away with it.

 

[fbm]

I always find it strange that if a 'keeper picks the ball up an inch outside the penalty area a free-kick will be given, yet they often stray two or three yards out of the area with the ball in their hands taking drop-kicks with no punishment.

They usually release the ball from the hand whilst inside the box though, so although the kick may take place well outside the box, a handball hasn't!.

 

[fbm]

Another thing not often picked up on is players gaining 5 or 10 yards on throw ins. Happens every game time and time again. I know Clohessey tries it on a bit but it seems the opposition always push and mostly get away with it.

Because we notice the opposition and we don't yell at the ref if our players do it (which they do).

 

[londonblue]

No I don't.

Keepers don't usually encroach; there's an Assistant especially watching for that. It's the other players and, nearly always, at least one, usually more, player from each side encroaches sometimes significantly. If players from both sides encroach, the kick should be retaken, regardless of the outcome.

Sorry, I realise what you mean now. For some reason I was thinking encroachment was about the 'keeper coming off his line!

Regarding the "foul throws", be sure you are watching the feet at the precise moment the ball is released - before or after doesn't matter. I don't find it quite as prevalent as you are suggesting.

I'm pretty sure I am looking at the right time. I used to take throw ins for my Sunday league team many moons ago, and got quite into the art of them, and (I know, it's sad) used to study different throw in takers. That's why I pay particular attention to them even now, basically it's force of habit.

 

[bucket&spade.f.c]

It is not a rule, it is a law:

Law 12: "Indirect free kick An indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team if a goalkeeper, inside his own penalty area, commits any of the following four offences:

• controls the ball with his hands for more than six seconds before releasing it from his possession
• touches the ball again with his hands after he has released it from his possession and before it has touched another player
• touches the ball with his hands after it has been deliberately kicked to him by a team-mate
• touches the ball with his hands after he has received it directly from a throw-in taken by a team-mate

http://www.thefa.com/football-rules-...isconduct.aspx

Most refs just choose to ignore it.

strange because I have been told by many ref (ESL refs too) that it is no long in place and just not take the pee..

i will hold on to the ball until the ref tells me to kick it which normally well over 6 sec

 

[sufc_dave]

The 6 second rule is never enforced, whether its an 'actual' rule or not.

The thing that bugs me is that when a keeper is deliberately wasting time at the end of the game when his team is winning he may get a yellow card from the ref. However, if he keeps on doing it after recieving the yellow, the ref always seems reluctant to give another yellow and subsequently a red. I've personally never seen a red given when a keeper is still wasting time after receiving a yellow.

 

[A Century United]

No I don't.

Keepers don't usually encroach; there's an Assistant especially watching for that. It's the other players and, nearly always, at least one, usually more, player from each side encroaches sometimes significantly. If players from both sides encroach, the kick should be retaken, regardless of the outcome.

Regarding the "foul throws", be sure you are watching the feet at the precise moment the ball is released - before or after doesn't matter. I don't find it quite as prevalent as you are suggesting.

Lord Football addressed both these issues in an earlier thread:

Quite correct. There is no rule about 6 seconds. There is also no offside rule, no handball rule, no rules about goals.

THEY ARE LAWS!!!!!! :)

However, Law 12 still there, and still refers to what you call "the six second rule". Thing is... when was the last time you saw it applied? I've never applied it.

There are plenty of cases when Law isn't applied. How many foul throws do you see in a game, for example.

My view is fairly simplistic. If the Law is there for the benefit of the game, it should be applied.

For example, I don't give foul throws unless its a really, really poor one. If I did, the game would be a constant stream of retaken throws. No one enjoys that, no one wants to see that.

The six second rule is really there to stop obvious and persistent time wasting. It's not used by anyone at any level of the game. But then again, how often do you see a goalkeeper actually hold the ball for six seconds? The other difficulty with it is really when to apply it. The referee is not going to look at his watch everytime the keeper claps his hands on the ball nor is going to count - he has far too much to think about than that. By the time you start to think "get on with it", the keeper in most cases is in the process of getting rid of the ball. And goalkeepers know this. So, its pretty much unenforceable.

What I would like to see however, is something introduced that speeds up dead ball time. It really only takes a matter of seconds for the ball boy to give the ball to the keeper, the keeper to place it and then kick it. What you actually get is the slow walk across the six yard area to take it from the other side, the long protracted run up (usually involving the keeper banging his toes into the turf), some pointing at team mates, a look around the ground and then he finally starts his run. It kills time, and kills momentum and in my opinion is far more annoying that the keeper holding onto the ball for a few additional seconds.

Oh, and I'd also like to see substitutes banned in the last 5 minutes unless a player is injured.

 

[Juggler90]

What happens if a team gets a corner late on and nobody rushes to take it? Who gets booked for time wasting? The whole team? The Captain? The player who ends up atking it?

What happens if someone is being subbed and as they walk off (very slowly), the ref books them for time wasting and it's a second yellow? Can the sub come on as that person is no longer on the pitch (you can get a red card after all off the pitch?)

I only ask this because in the last few weeks I have seen both possibilities happen and didn't know what would happen in these circumstances...