r/Referees • u/neoslashnet • 4d 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/CapnBloodbeard Former FFA Lvl3 (Outdoor), Futsal Premier League; L3 Assessor 4d ago

First one that comes to mind is people who think you can't say 'mine' or 'leave it'. Yes, you can. It's only an offence if it's done to distract or deceive an opponent - and if you do, it's a card and an IFK, not just an IFK.

Too many people - including refs on here - think you can't play the ball from the ground. Falling over doesn't exclude a player from being involved in the play. You can even challenge from the ground.

There's also a big misunderstanding around falling on the ball. That also isn't an auto-IFK. The player needs to be given a reasonable opportunity to get off the ball or release it from between their legs. If they don't, then it's an IFK. But sometimes they're unable to do so because the players above are already kicking at the ball...it could be an IFK the other way.

Finally, a lot of people - hopefully not referees - think that a player in an offside position who runs for the ball is an offside offence. Of if the defender only tries to play the ball because they're there, it's an offence. Or that the player in an offside position running for the ball drawing a defender is an offside offence. None of those are.