Question Number: 22684

Law 3 - Number of Players 12/30/2009

RE: Various High School

Dan Paolini of Eastampton, NJ USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 22673

>>'...Assuming play has not restarted, the goal cannot count...If the 12th person is someone that was not on the roster, or a player or substitute that had been sent off, the restart is a dropped ball. on blue's 6 yard line...'

Assuming that play has not restarted after the goal, isn't the restart in this case a goal kick or a corner kick? Play was stopped because the ball entirely crossed the goal line but a goal was not scored. While the nature of the infraction has changed what would have been a kick-off, I am not clear how it is changed to a drop ball if ball is out of play when 12th player was detected.

Thanks for all of your work. This is a great site. Best wishes for a safe and secure New Year!

Answer provided by Referee Tom Stagliano

Referee Paolini is referring to a High School game in the USA.

Under high school rules (NFHS), if the 12th player is noted after ball is in the goal, but before the game is restarted, the Clock is Stopped (would be already because the ball is in the goal), the 12th player is cautioned and removed from the field, and the game is restarted, per Rule 3 Section 1 (3.1.1 Situation B): 'game is resumed according to how it was interrupted'. In order not to give an advantage to the team that had the 12th player on the field, I would restart this high school game with an IFK from the defending team's goal area.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

Under the laws of the game, the current notion is that it is an infringement of Law 3 when an extra player/substitute enters the field of play when the goal is scored, and, thus, the restart is an IFK (not a goal kick or corner kick). The infringement occurred before the goal, though discovered until the ball went out of play. I recall some questions on this in 2004 when FIFA answered a Q&A with this restart (at the time, the dropped ball restart was used for the Law 3 infringment). The previous advice had been that the restart would be a goalkick, and this is still the restart for high school.

A dropped ball is the correct restart if the extra person on the field of play is an outside agent AND the extra person interfered with play. It would be a very unusual incident indeed if the extra person interfered with play after the ball was out of play.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Under FIFA laws a restart is based on the decision there were 12 not 11, BEFORE the goal was scored.

It is ONLY a drop ball if the person who was acting as a 12th player was NOT really a member of the teams' available substitutes he is classified as an outside agent . Something like a fan dressed in a player's uniform who snuck on! These guys are removed or the game is abandoned since the referee has no authority over these individuals who are not part of the teams' eligible participants

The INDFK is the prescribed restart for an illegal entry onto the field by any rostered personal. Which by logic occurs prior to the goal being scored if there are truly 12 on the field at that time? These individuals could be cautioned as they are legitimately under the jurisdiction of the referee.

I suggested you can not just guess, the 12 person has to be verifiably on the field when the goal was scored. I have seen celebrations or substitutions made after a goal but before kick off which if dome improperly could create the reality of 12 before the kick off to be the same as an illusion of 12 before the goal!

The corner kick or goal kick restart cannot be held as the reason for stopping play as an offence by the attackers predates either possibility.
The ball was last playable inside the goal area hence that is the restart location subject to the law 13 special circumstances where any free kick (in this case an indfk, in favour of the defence is placed anywhere within that area. The attackers must withdraw from the penalty area and the ball must travel outside the PA boundaries to be in play!

Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

A while back, the convention was that it would be a goal kick. The ball went out of play over the goal line, last touched by the attacking team, and a goal was not scored (because of the 12th man infraction).

But there was a Q&A that came out specifying that the restart is an indirect free kick if the 12th player is someone on the roster. The rationale is that the offense of the 12th player happened before the ball went out of play, even if it wasn't noticed until the ball was out of play. Since Law 3 says the location of the IFK is at the site of the ball and the ball was not on the field when the infraction was discovered, it turns into an indirect free kick from anywhere inside the goal area.

The restart would be a dropped ball if the 12th person was an outside agent, someone not on the team roster, or was a player who had previously been sent off.