Question Number: 23672

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 7/15/2010

RE: Recreation Under 6

James of Orono, ON Canada asks...

I recently reffed a game in which a handball occurred in the box. I immediately called a penalty shot. Mind you these are 5 year olds.... Was I supposed to call a direct free kick instead????

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

I've never heard of any U6 League that even had a penalty area

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

You will have to check your local rule modifications - and I'm sure there are some. U6's don't play 11v11 on a full-sized field; there typically are many other unique modifications for the youngest players.

In our local recreational league, all kicks at U8 and below are indirect. That way no restart has an attacking advantage.

There has been some emphasis by US Youth Soccer (which of course does not apply in Canada) to have all free kicks be direct, but no penalty kicks. The thought there is that indirect kicks are too confusing for the little ones to understand.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Referee James
This is a question really for the competition organisers. At this age level there can be special rules on penalties, direct free kicks etc.
For instance some Leagues operate indirect free kicks only, no penalty kicks etc
In a regular game if the ball is deliberately handled inside the penalty area it is a penalty. There cannot be a DFK inside the penalty area.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

James, a handball is a small rubber ball used in an indoor game on an enclosed court. In soccer, the offense of using the hand/arm to knock the ball off course is known as 'handles the ball deliberately'. As a referee, you should use proper terminology, please?

At under 6, giving a penalty kick seems extremely harsh since they are just babies learning the game. However, if that is what the local rules call for, you don't have much choice - as long as the hand to ball contact was deliberate. And that is the question the referee must answer - it doesn't matter what happens to the ball after it is touched by the hand - that doesn't enter into the equation. What matters is whether the referee decides after viewing the action that the player acted deliberately to use his hand to play the ball. Accidentally is not the same as deliberate, and if it was accidental, no offense has occurred, no whistle should sound.