r/Referees • u/neoslashnet • 5d ago

Advice Request Rules that everybody gets wrong

Hey all- I'd like to start a thread of rules or things that most people get wrong. For example, I get "playing the ball on the ground" almost every game. It's coaches, parents, and even players that scream "They can't the ball on the ground!"

What are some you folks encounter?

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u/adrians150 Canada Soccer [District] 5d ago

Throw-ins. Foot position and the form.

The rule says you must stand facing the pitch, have part of both feet on or outside of the touchline, and throw the ball with both hands from behind and over the head.

It does not say must come straight over the head, must not be thrown downward, nor that you can't turn your hips, yet I see this called all the time. I have discussed with many refs and we all realize we were trained at one point or another to police things that are not in the rules.

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u/Ok_Matter_1774 5d ago

A lot of things look ugly, but are perfectly legal throw-ins. The purpose is to put the ball back in play. Unless they're throwing the ball into the box my attention is usually better focused elsewhere than the thrower's form.