WSA Modified Laws of the Game (LOTG)

For all WSA Recreational players, coaches and Jr. Referees

Law I: Field of Play

• The field of play is to be what shape?

ADUHHHHHH!

rectangular

• The lines are part of the areas they describe.

Penalty Area

•Lines should not exceed 5 inches in width.

3

1

2

• SAFETY is key when inspecting the field.

Always inspect the field for potential hazards prior to game time

What else to inspect…The Goal

Most important aspect of the goal:

It must be weighted down

Field area and Markings• Identify the following markings, areas and

lines:

CenterCircle

Penaltyarea

Penaltyarea

GoalArea

GoalAreaGoal Goal

Corner Arcs

Sidelines or touchline

Goal Linesor end lines

Law II: The Ball

• The ball is to be spherical, properly inflated, and the proper size.

• The referee approves the ball before the start of the game.

Size of Ball for U8 (2nd grade) =

3

Law III - Number of Players

FIFA Law

• A soccer match is played with two teams, each consisting of no more than 11 players one of whom is a…

• A minimum number of 7 players is required for a team to play a game.

goal keeper

WSA rule modification• The following # of players are in the rule

modifications for younger ages; it still includes the :

• Number of players for U8 (2nd grade)=

7 v 7 (no less than 5)

What to do if there’s not enough players on one side????

• “coach, can this team borrow one of your players so that we can have a match?”

Substitutions

Substitution procedures according to WSA Rule Modifications:

The substitution REQUEST is made by whom?

When can a Coach request a

Substitution?

The coach

During ANYStoppage

In play

Substitution procedure continued:

According to FIFA:A substitute only enters the field of play after the player being replaced has left and after receiving a signal from the referee.

WSA Rule Modifications:Typically subs will start coming on the pitch as players are coming off. This is mostly due to the lack of stoppage time that can be added. Try to have the players exiting and entering the field quickly WITH YOUR PERMISSION.

Substitutions; continued

Where does the substitute enter the field of play?

What should the coach be told about substitutions prior to the match?

What about switching out the Halfway line

All subs must standat the halfway line

and await permission from the referee Before entering the field

Even when subbing out the goalie witha current player on the field, the

referee must be told and give permission to do so.

Law IV - Players' Equipment

Players equipment consists of:

•Jersey

•Shorts

•Socks

•Cleats/shoes

•Shin guards

Socks MUST be covering what?

•Shin guards

Who needs to wear a shirt or pinnie that distinguishes him from the

other players?

• The Goal keeper

What must be removed prior to the match?

•jewelry

Equipment Inspection: what’s first?

Equipment Inspection; what’s next?

Law V – The Referee

WSA Referee responsibilities:

• Enforce the laws of the game. • Promote/insure safety

• Educate and instruct

• Create a fun playing environment

Other Referee responsibilities

Lightening

• Apply the 30-30 rule:When to “call”a game…

When you see lightning, count the time until you hear thunder.

If this time is 30 seconds orless, seek proper shelter.

If you can't see the lightning, just hearing the thunder is a good back-up rule.

Hearing thunder means you are within reach of lightning

Minimize the risk of being struck:

Protect the safety of all participants by stopping game activities quickly.

(1)No place outside is safe near thunderstorms

(2) The best shelter is a large, fully enclosed, substantially constructed building. A vehicle with a solid metal roof and metal sides is a reasonable second choice. If there is not proper shelter, avoid Higher elevations; wide open areas, including fields and tall isolated objects.

The referee continued

• Any incident that occurs during a match falling outside of the norm should be reported.

• How does a referee report injuries or inappropriate behavior of a player/coach?

A referee report

The Referee’s favorite tool

Referees are reminded that the whistle is a tool of communication and not merely a convenient signaling device.

Whistles should be selected carefully for the match conditions, age of players and other factors.

It is neither required nor expected that the whistle be used for all stoppages and restarts of play. A whistle demands attention and should be blown when such attention is needed.

Uncontested stoppages (as when a ball clearly leaves the field) should not be whistled — a voice and/or hand signal by the referee will normally be sufficient.

Referees should also be alert to the need for variations in the length, force and tone in their use of a whistle to indicate different types of stoppages or different degrees of concern for the event that has just occurred.

Law VI - Assistant Referee. Job responsibilities of the AR or

linesman:

To indicate when the ball is out of play and which side gets the throw-in

To call offside

To indicate a foul has been committed when out of sight of the center referee

Assistant hand signals

Law VII - Duration of the Game

WSA Jr. Referee Match Times

• U8 (2nd grade): 4 10-minute quarters, totaling 40 minutes

Half time and Quarters

How much time should a Jr. Referee allow in between quarters?

How much time should a Jr. Referee allow in between halves?

About 2 minutes: enough timeFor the players to get a drink.

Indicate this by saying “2 minutes coach”

About 5 minutes (longer in hot weather).Remember… you need to stay on

schedule

Keeping Time

• When should a referee start his watch; according to FIFA

Once the ball is kicked

and moves forward during the kick-off

WSA Match Duration

• When should a Jr. Referee start his/her watch ?

Once the referee Blows his/her

Whistle…LOUDLY

Law VIII - Start of Play

• The Kick Off

Kick-off According to FIFA

Once the kick-off team is determined, where should the two teams be positioned

Where does the defending teamStand prior to kick-off?

defender

defender

defender

Where does the attacking teamStand prior to kick-off?

defense

Offense

Kick-off Procedure

• At what point can the defenders come in to the Center Circle

Once the ball is kicked and moves forward

Law IX - Ball In and Out of Bounds

• The ball is out of play when it has wholly crossed the goal-line or touch-line, whether on the ground or in the air

Field of play

On a throw-in:

• On a throw-in, if any part of the ball passes over the touch-line, the ball is in play

In this case, the whole ball does not need to cross the touch-line completely

Law X - Method of Scoring

Method of Scoring

When the whole ball crosses the goal line between the uprights and underneath the crossbar of the goal.

GOOOOAAAAAAAL???

Field

InsideTheGoal

Goal line, inBetween theCross bars

Law XI - Off-Side

To be in an offside position:

• A player is standing behind the second to last defender at the moment the ball is kicked by a teammate.

Who is typically the

last defender??

TheGoalkeeper

Identify the player in the offside position:

Goal

Blue players aredefending

Offside-continued

• The Trickiest Law

Despite the fact that it is a short Law,offside can cause a great deal of trouble and confusion.

Why is offside so controversial?

• Coaches and referees do not understand the law either teach it incorrectly or avoid it.

• Consistency and uniformity of application are difficult.

• Many spectators don’t understand the Law

Law XII - Fouls and Misconduct

According to FIFA Laws:

• How many fouls are identified as “direct-free kick” infractions?

10

Name the 10 violations (according to FIFA)

1.kicks or attempts to kick an opponent2.trips or attempts to trip an opponent3. jumps at an opponent4.charges an opponent5.strikes or attempts to strike an opponent6.pushes an opponent7.tackles an opponent to gain possession of

the ball, making contact with the opponent before touching the ball

8.holds an opponent9.spits at an opponent10.handles the ball deliberately (except for

the goalkeeper within his own penalty area)

WSA Rule modifications for DFKs:

• At what grade does the Jr. Referee begin rewarding Direct Free Kicks?

3rd

Grade

WSA rule modifications Continued

• What is the restart for the 10 DFK infractions at the younger age (U8) 2nd grade?

Indirect Free Kick (IFK)

Name the 4 IFK violations caused by the Goal Keeper, according to

FIFA Law When a goalkeeper:

takes more than six seconds while controllingthe ball with his hands before releasing it fromhis possession.

touches the ball again with his hands after it has been released from his possession and has not touched any other player.

touches the ball with his hands after it hasbeen deliberately kicked to him by a team-mate (unless it was done so by the head, chest or knee).

touches the ball with his hands after he hasreceived it directly from a throw-in taken by ateam-mate.

Additional indirect free kick fouls

An indirect free kick is also awarded to theopposing team if a player, in the opinion ofthe referee:

plays in a dangerous manner.

impedes the progress of an opponent.

prevents the goalkeeper from releasing the ball from his hands.

Any other infraction that causes play to stop i.e. a player coming on/going off the field without referees permission, too many players on the field etc.

Law XIII - Free-Kick

How many types of free kicks are there?

Free kicks: What are they?

Direct and Indirect Free Kick

Under WSA rule modifications, at what age can direct free kicks occur?

When is the ball in play for both indirect and direct free kicks?

3rd grade

When the ball is kicked and MOVES

What are the signals???

The Indirect Free Kick Signal

How long should the referee hold this position?

until thekick has been taken and the ball has

touched another player or goes out of play.

WSA Modifications

Because no direct free kicks occur below 3rd grade, how should players be instructed?

The ball must touch

another playerbefore it can

be shot on goal.

Direct Free Kicks

What is the signal for a direct free kick?

Law XIV - Penalty-Kick

WSA rule modifications

At what age can Penalty Kicks occur?

What type of kick is awarded below3rd grade?

3rd Grade

Indirect Free Kick

Law XV - Throw-in

What is a legal throw in?

Both feet must remain on the ground. Jumping up in the air when throwing in is illegal.

Ball must come from directly behind the head with both hands on either side of the ball. Turning hands one way or the other is illegal.

Player may step ON the touch line, but not over it.

WSA rule modifications

• U6/U7 (1st grade) has unlimited re-tries (with instruction)

• U8 (2nd grade) gets ONE re-try

• U10 (3rd grade) NO retries. It is important to call illegal throw-ins at this age, as they will need to know them.

Law XVI - Goal-Kick

When is a goal kick awarded?

When the attacking team kicks the entire ball over the end-line (but not scoring a goal), a goal kick is awarded to the defending team.

Signal for a goal kick

Where does the referee point in order to indicate a goal kick?

The Goal Area

Proper procedures for a goal kick

Where should the defenders stand?

Where should the attacking team stand?

Where can the kick be taken from?

Who can take the kick?

Anywhere on the pitch

Anyone on the Defending team

Anywhere outside the penalty area

The goal area

When is the ball in play?

When it leaves the penalty area

What is the correct re-start if it does not leave the penalty

area?Re-do

What if an attacker steps in the penalty area prior to the ball

leaving?

Re-do

•Goal kick:

Where can the ball be placed?Kicking team, where are they?Defending team, where are they?When can anyone play the ball?

Good to know

Law XVII - Corner-Kick

What causes a corner kick?

When the defending team last touches the ball and the entire ball travels over the goal-line (but not into the goal), a corner kick is awarded to the attacking team.

Placement of the ball (if corner arcs are present on the field)

Signal for a corner

Which corner does the referee point to?

The corner where The kick will be

Taken from

When is the ball in play?

When it is kicked and MOVES

Corner Kick Gone Awry:Ball goes over the goal line without

touching anyoneGoal kick to the defending team

Ball goes over the touchline without touching anyone

Throw in for the other team Kicker touches ball again before anyone

else touches it. IFK for the other team.

Good to know

WSA Pay Schedule

Jr. Referee (U8/2nd grade):$15 alone

$12 with a partnerGetting paid Insure that coaches sign off on your

voucher following every match

Send vouchers in to the addresson the sheet

Pick up extra vouchers from either Mrs. Dean or Mrs. Allers

Positioning on the fielddork

goof

doof

Remember:The best position is one that is flexible and intelligentbased on observed or known player tactics and teamstrategies!

Three conditions for best position:A = I can see play and the potential problem areaB = I can see my ARC = I am not occupying space the players need

Good to know

•The ball is still in play when it hits:

•The goal posts/crossbar•Corner flag•YOU

•It is not the referees job to chase after the ball. Why should the referee instruct the players to get the ball?

Good to know

• Do you need to blow the whistle for every stoppage in play?

• When are the only times the referee must blow the whistle?

• Kick Offs• Penalty kicks• Free kicks, IF the player requests ten yards

Good to know

NO

Mirroring your partner

Good to know

Drop ball

When, why and how?

Good to know

• IFK or DFK taking place INSIDE the defending teams penalty area are in play when?

Once the ball leaves the penalty are(just like a goal kick)

Good to know

Injuries

• For younger players, stop play right away.

• Have kids sit down (take a knee)• DO NOT tend to the injury yourself,

invite the coach on to the pitch by waving him on.

• Your restart is…..

Uniform

• There are how many teams wearing uniforms during the match?

3

2 opponents and the officiating team

The Officiating Team

Because they are a team, the officials must appear unified. In order to do so they wear the same attire. WSA Jr. Referees wear:

• Black referee top• Black shorts• Black shoes/cleats• Black socks

Prior to the game

• ARRIVE FIFTEEN MINUTES BEFORE KICK-OFFrequest the match ball, introduce yourselves to the coaches and captainsconduct coin tossReport the results of coin toss decision to coaches, announces direction and team responsible for initial kick-off

AR’sHave flags furled at sidePerform final check of netsPerforms final check of bench and technical areas, equipment and supplies and presence of only authorized persons

• PRE-GAME CONFERENCE

How does the coin toss work?

Offside

The attacker who receives the ball from his team--mate, number 8, is not offside because, when the ball is kicked, he islevel with the second last defender.

The attacker, number 9, is not offside because, when the ball is played to him by his team-mate, number 7, he is levelwith the second last defender.

A player cannot be offside from a throw-in.

The attacker who receives the ball from his team-mate, number 9, is offside since he is nearer to his opponents’ goal linethan the ball and the second last defender and gains an advantage by being in that position.

The attacker, number 9, is offside because he is involved in active play and is interfering with the goalkeeper.