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Ready
to score yourself on the Laws?The
answers below are keyed to each question number. Each situation is
restated and the correct answer appears below in the form of a citation of
the rule from the "Laws of the Game". Where necessary an
interpretation of the situation presented as well.
The MYSA 'Laws of the
Game' Quiz Answers
QUESTION 1
The attacking team has been cited for an offside offense, only three
yards in front of the defending team's goal. The referee awards an
indirect kick to the defending team. Where is the indirect kick taken
from?
| b) |
From any point within
the defending team's goal area (six-yard box). |
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Law 13 - Free Kicks:
Position of a Free Kick
A direct or indirect free kick award to the defending team in
the goal area is taken from any point inside that area. |
QUESTION 2
The defending team commits a foul in their own penalty area. The
referee awards the attacking team a penalty kick. Upon taking the kick,
the ball is shot directly at the crossbar of the goal and deflects back
onto the field. The player who took the penalty kick then shoots the ball
into the goal. How should the referee restart the match?
| b) |
The kicker has
committed an infringement. The defending team gets an indirect free
kick. No goal is awarded. |
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Law 14 - The Penalty
Kick: Infringements/Sanctions
If, after the penalty kick has been taken, the kicker touches the
ball before it has been touched by another player, an indirect free
kick is awarded to the opposing team, the kick to be taken from the
place where the infringement occurred. |
QUESTION 3
The referee has stopped play so that one of the coaches can attend to
an injured player. At the time of the stoppage it was not clear that
either team had possession of the ball. The referee restarts play with a
dropped ball, at the point where it was located when play was stopped. One
of the two teams was NOT near the dropped ball when the game was
restarted. Did the referee comply with the Laws of the Game?
| a) |
Yes. There is no
requirement for both teams to have equal access to a dropped
ball. |
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Law 8 - The Start
and Restart of Play: Dropped Ball: Procedure
The referee drops the ball at the place where it was located when
play was stopped. Play restarts when the ball touches the
ground |
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Interpretation:
There is no specification as to who must be standing near the ball
during a dropped ball. Entry level referee classes make this point
as they discuss Law 8. |
QUESTION 4
The defending team is awarded a throw-in. As a member of the defending
team prepares to throw the ball in, the coach instructs a different field
player to take the throw. As the new defender approaches the sideline the
first defender tosses the ball to him with one hand. What should happen
next?
| c) |
The original thrower
has committed an improper throw. The attacking team is awarded a
throw-in from the same location. |
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Law 15 - The
Throw-in: Procedure
At the moment of delivering the ball, the thrower 1) faces the field
of play; 2) has part of each foot either on the touch line or on the
ground outside the touch line; 3) uses both hands; 4) delivers the
ball from behind and over his head. The thrower may not touch the
ball again until it has touched another player. The ball is in play
immediately when it enters the field of play. |
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Interpretation:
The referee is not charged with interpreting the real throw from a
casual toss to another player. If the player was on or outside the
touch line when he threw the ball, then it IS the throw-in. He he
executes the throw-in improperly, then the other team is awarded a
throw-in. |
QUESTION 5
The attacking player has broken past all but one of the field
defenders and will almost certainly have a goal scoring opportunity. As
the attacking player takes a shot, the last field defender (not the
goalkeeper) reaches up and deflects the ball with his hands. What
should happen next?
| d) |
The defending player
has denied an obvious goal scoring opportunity by deliberately
handling the ball. The player is shown a red card and must leave the
game. |
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Law 12 - Fouls and
Misconduct: Sending-Off Offenses
A player is sent off and shown the red card if he commits any of the
following seven offenses: ... 4) denies the opposing team a goal or
an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by deliberately handling the
ball (this does not apply to the goalkeeper within his own penalty
area)...
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Interpretation:
The Laws have very little patience for players who attempt to have
an immediate impact on the score by purposely committing a foul.
This rule requires some careful interpretation by the official
however, and the "Laws of the Game" booklet provides
several illustrated examples. |
QUESTION 6
Deep in his penalty box, a defending player kicks the ball to clear
it. The ball strikes the referee and deflects into the goal. How is
play restarted?
| a) |
The defending team
takes a kick-off from the center circle because the goal is
valid. |
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Law 9 - The Ball In
and Out of Play: Ball In Play
The ball is in play at all other times, including when: 1) it
rebounds from a goalpost and remains in the field of play; 2) it
rebounds from either the referee or an assistant referee when they
are on the field of play. |
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Interpretation
A game official is part of the field of play, as is the field
equipment, the grass and the dirt. An easy way to remember: referees
are like dirt. |
QUESTION 7
The defending team is awarded a goal kick. The goalkeeper takes the
kick. before the ball leaves the penalty area, another defending player
deliberately kicks the ball back to the goalkeeper, who picks the ball up
and punts it to the halfway line. What should happen next?
| d) |
The ball was never put
into play. The defending team is allowed to retake the goal
kick. |
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Law 16 - The Goal
Kick: Procedure: Ball In Play
The ball is in play when it is kicked directly beyond the penalty
area.
Law 16 - The Goal
Kick: Procedure: Infringements/Sanctions
If the ball is not kicked directly into play beyond the penalty
area, the kick is retaken.
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Interpretation:
There are several situations in which mistakes simply result in a
repeat of the intended restart. In all of these situations, the mistake
must occurs
before the ball is "in play". By definition, game offenses cannot occur if
the ball is not in play. In the situation described in question 7,
the ball was not "kicked directly into play beyond the penalty
area," so the kick is retaken. A similar situation is a
throw-in that never goes onto the field of play. It is retaken. |
QUESTION 8
An attacking player is moving the ball down the left side of the
field. A player on the far right is running down the field and is in an
offside position (he has only the goalkeeper between himself and the
goal). The player with the ball sees this, and so deliberately avoids
passing the ball to the offside player. Instead he shoots the ball
directly at the goal. It deflects off crossbar toward the player who was
in an offside position at the time the shot was taken. Has an offside
offense occurred?
| d) |
The offside
player was involved in active play and gained an advantage by being
in an offside position when the ball was played by a team-mate. An
offense occurred. |
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Law 11 - Offside:
Offside Offense
A player in an offside position is only penalized if, at the time
the ball touches or is played by one of his team, he is, in the
opinion of the referee, involved in active play by: 1) interfering
with play; or 2) interfering with an opponent; or 3) gaining an
advantage by being in that position. |
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Interpretation:
Although the shooter attempted to keep he team-mate from being
involved in the play, it is clear the right-side player was in a
perfect position to take advantage of a rebound. And he was in this
position when the ball was played by his team-mate. Had the ball NOT
rebounded, he would not have had an advantage.
In this situation, the referee
would have been correct to watch the play evolve before making the
call. A referee may, at his discretion, take several seconds to
allow a play to evolve before making a call. This allows him to
determine if either team gains an advantage from a situation that
has taken place. If the team that committed the offense gains an
advantage he will stop play and assess a sanction. If the opposing
team gains an advantage he will call "play on" and no
sanction will be assessed. |
QUESTION 9
A goalkeeper comes out of the goal and takes the ball from an attacker
within the left side of his penalty area. He then runs to the opposite
side of his penalty area and punts the ball up the field. He had
possession of the ball for 4 seconds and took 14 steps to cross his
penalty area. What should happen next?
| c) |
Play should
continue. No offense has occurred. |
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Law 12 - Fouls and
Misconduct: 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 five offenses: 1) takes
more than six seconds while controlling the ball with his hands
before releasing it from his possession;
2) touches the ball again with his hands after it has been released
from his possession and has not touched any other player; 3) touches
the ball with his hands after it has been deliberately kicked to him
by a team-mate; 4) touches the ball with his hands after he has
received it directly from a throw-in taken by a team-mate; 5) wastes
time. |
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Interpretation:
This was a tough question. The rule is new and you may have a
"Laws of the Game" handbook dated 1999/2000 (like mine)
which list the first offense the old way, limiting the goalkeeper to
four steps rather than six seconds.
Under the revised 2000 FIFA rules,
the goalkeeper in this situation did not take more than six seconds,
and so no offense has occurred. |
QUESTION 10
While his team-mate takes a penalty kick, player #10 on the attacking team is outside
the penalty area, but in front of the penalty mark. He IS NOT beyond the last
field defender (he has MORE than one defender between himself and the goal).
The shot hits the crossbar and deflects back onto the field. Player #10 on
the attacking team then collects the rebound and attempts a shot on goal. What
should happen next and why?
| d) |
The
defending team should be awarded an indirect free kick. Offensive
players cannot move in front of the penalty mark during a
penalty kick. |
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Law 14 - The Penalty
Kick: Infringement/Sanctions
An infringement has occurred if the referee give the signal for a
penalty kick to be taken and, before the ball is in play one of the
following situations occurs:
... A team-mate of the player
taking the kick enters the penalty area or moves in front of or
within 10 yards of the penalty mark.
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Interpretation:
The description of the infringement is pretty clear: a player on the
kicking team cannot move in front of the penalty mark during a
penalty kick. Deciding what to do about the offense requires more
reading. Law 14 continues as follows:
- The referee allows the kick to
proceed
- if the ball enters the goal, the
kick is retaken
- if the ball does not enter the
goal, the kick is not retaken
- if the ball rebounds from the
goalkeeper, the crossbar or the goalpost and is touched by this
player, the referee stops play and restarts the match with an
indirect free kick to the defending team.
This is another situation where the
referee must allow the play to evolve before making a determination
on what sanction, if any, to apply. And although a player has
infringed on the rules of a penalty kick, the referee should not
stop play unless or until that player touches the ball.
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Want a copy of the
Laws for your game day bag?
The FIFA
Web site contains a continuously updated version of the "Laws
of the Game". You can also download Microsoft Word or Adobe
Acrobat PDF versions of the Laws from that site.
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A 95-page printed
booklet of the Laws is published by FIFA. You can buy this book from
most soccer equipment catalogs, or on the Web at Eurosport
Online. The book can be purchase in English or Spanish
for about $7.95.
This booklet is
normally distributed free to individuals taking an entry level
referee course. If you're interested in becoming a referee, see our
schedule of local referee courses on the "For
Coaches" page.
The SOCCER-COACH-L
Web site contains a special section called the LOTG
Project, devoted to analysis and commentary on the Laws of the
Game. There you'll find a thumbnail sketch of each Law, a commentary
for coaches about the implications and workings of the Law, and an
FAQ connected with problems arising from the Laws. |
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Other Web sites also support in-depth
information about the Laws and their interpretation. Ask the Ref is a Web
site that allows you to post a questions about the Laws. They also provide
extensive lists of previously asked questions. About.com
maintains a reference section called Refs
and Rules, which lists a range of links for people who may be new to
the game but want to know more about the Laws. If
you know of information that is not listed here, or have ideas on how this
page can be improved, please send an email to this
page's content manager.
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