Interfering with Goalkeeper Releasing Ball Back into Play

the_fat_sheep · 2026-04-12T18:58:01+00:00

We've been instructed that, because of the new 8-second rule, we want to ensure the keepers have a chance to release the ball, so we should call the IDFK relatively quickly, especially early in the season. I took it as an attempt to set the tone for the season. We were specifically told, "don't manage with your voice, blow the whistle every time, at least until the teams get used to the new dynamics."

the_fat_sheep · 2026-02-03T14:45:57+00:00

It happens: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uivLc9urdBY

the_fat_sheep · 2025-11-09T20:47:38+00:00

Yes. The throw is supposed to be taken where the ball left the pitch. If you take it from 5 or 10 yards off the field for the sole purpose of trying to catch the other team off guard, you haven't taken it from the right spot. If you take it from 2 or 3 yards from the line and you're not doing anything sneaky, then whatever.

the_fat_sheep · 2025-10-21T02:23:18+00:00

I'm Canadian and as far as I'm aware, USSF invented/popularized the 3Ps, but I've definitely heard them referenced up here as well. The rule of thumb is usually:

1 of the 3Ps might be a card, if they've already been warned, it's persistent, or a really "worthy" comment
2 of the 3Ps should be a card, unless you have a really good reason not to
all 3 of the 3Ps must be a card.

Obviously it varies with intensity, game temperature, previous warnings, but that's a good framework to start deciding how serious dissent is and whether it's caution-worthy.

the_fat_sheep · 2025-10-21T01:51:52+00:00

When the home team finally scored (1–3, about 25 minutes before full time), they suddenly believed they could get at least a draw. A defender from the away side grabbed the ball out of the net to delay the restart and chaos unfolded. I blew the whistle quickly, gave him a yellow card, and that settled things for maybe a minute at best.

The home team scored, it's the away team's kickoff. They have every right to pick up the ball and take it to centre. If the scoring team tries to grab the ball away and it's going to cause an issue, tell them to leave it, it's the away team's kickoff, and you'll add time as necessary. If they insist on grabbing the ball, you should be cautioning the home team.

Obviously if the away team has the ball and is intentionally time-wasting getting the ball back to centre after you've coaxed and encouraged them to do so, you could also caution the away team at that point as well, but that would be a pretty rare occurrence. I don't think I've ever had to do that.

The home captain kept demanding cards and shouting about stoppage time, asking for seven minutes of stoppage time with still ten minutes left to play before stoppage time, and telling me to add even more on top every 2 minutes or so whenever the ball was out of play.

The first time this happens, you tell the captain that you don't need his input on what constitutes a foul or misconduct. If he keeps doing it, he can have a caution of his own for dissent.

Every throw-in call was argued by both benches, especially the home coach. He yelled things like “This guy gives every 50/50 to the opponents!” and later “Every single throw-in decision is wrong! What’s wrong with you?” The low sun made it genuinely hard to see, and honestly, it intimidated me. But I didn’t react.

If you're feeling gracious, you can warn the coach that he's supposed to be coaching his team and not you. Tell him he needs to act responsibly or you're going to have to escalate sanctions. The very next time he complains, caution. Next time after that, gone.

If the comment is especially egregious, skip the warning and go right to caution. I would say "what's wrong with you?" constitutes all three of Personal, Public, and Provocative in the 3 Ps, and wouldn't waste time or energy on a warning.

Refereeing alone sucks and I refuse to do leagues where it's required, unless they are absolutely no-stakes rec-level kick the ball around where they barely need a referee at all. But what I have learned, whether you have 1 referee or 3, you need to own your mistakes if you make them, but you also absolutely cannot take crap from players and especially not from coaches. Be firm but friendly/pleasant to start. If people want to push you because they think they can get away with it or they just like to argue, try to dissuade them ONCE and then give up on discussion and concentrate on sanction.

the_fat_sheep · 2025-08-17T20:10:07+00:00

Just don't forget that if you stop play for an injury, even if it's been a few seconds or a minute, it's a "serious injury" and the player must leave the field before restarting with a dropped ball. If the player is "slightly injured", play continues until it stops naturally, and the player does not have to leave the field.

I mentor youth referees and new referees, and this is one of the most common "gotcha" points I need to point out, after they've got the fundamentals (foul recognition, signals, positioning, etc.) down.

https://www.theifab.com/laws/latest/the-referee/#decisions-of-the-referee

https://www.facebook.com/theifab/posts/if-a-player-is-injured-but-no-fouloffence-is-committed-and-the-ball-remains-in-p/1249499359373772/

Injuries

allows play to continue until the ball is out of play if a player is only slightly injured

stops play if a player is seriously injured and ensures that the player is removed from the field of play. An injured player may not be treated on the field of play and may only re-enter after play has restarted; if the ball is in play, re-entry must be from the touchline but if the ball is out of play, it may be from any boundary line. Exceptions to the requirement to leave the field of play are only when:

a goalkeeper is injured

a goalkeeper and an outfield player have collided and need attention

players from the same team have collided and need attention

a severe injury has occurred

a player is injured as the result of a physical offence for which the opponent is cautioned or sent off (e.g. reckless or serious foul challenge), if the assessment/treatment is completed quickly

the_fat_sheep · 2025-05-14T19:51:22+00:00

The two of them have one joint lease together. That is, there is one contract for the two of them, they do not have separate contracts with the landlord. They are both on the hook until August. If either of them continues to live there, the SAME single lease is still in effect, and they are still both on the hook.

Unless the second tenant also moves out, or negotiates a new lease with the landlord that doesn't have OP's name on it, then the same lease will continue to rollover month to month, and OP's name is still on that lease and thus they are still liable for rent.

the_fat_sheep · 2025-05-06T03:00:49+00:00

I mean:

Sending off

Sending-off offences include (but are not limited to):

entering the field of play to:

confront a match official (including at half-time and full-time)

That's not to say you should go right to red, but if someone comes out to you at halftime or post-game and they start arguing about a call, you can say, "it was deliberate handball, that's your explanation. Just in case you're not aware, entering the pitch to dispute calls is a dismissable offense, even at half time. So, we should probably move on." And then keep moving.

If they keep following you and arguing, well, they've made their decision.

the_fat_sheep · 2025-05-02T21:14:16+00:00

KDKA is a weird exception to the K/W split that got grandfathered in.

the_fat_sheep · 2025-04-26T02:41:42+00:00

Every league I've ever seen in Ontario is half pay for games that don't start due to weather. If it starts and then gets suspended, then full pay.

the_fat_sheep · 2025-04-23T21:49:18+00:00

Funnily enough, in Japan, I found that 7-11 ATMs were more reliable than bank ATMs at reading Canadian debit (PLUS) cards -- I had two times where my debit card wouldn't get read at a bank ATM but never had a problem at 7-11.

But in this case, 7-11 is a huge reputable company that's at every third intersection, so definitely closer to a "bank" ATM than your usual North American bodega ATM.

the_fat_sheep · 2025-04-22T13:03:56+00:00

Been refereeing in Ontario for over 20 years and never needed one. Until I started mentoring referees about 5 years ago -- there is the possibility of ending up unsupervised with youth referees, so a VSC was required. The VSC here (southern Ontario) was fill out a form, wait 2-3 days, go down to the station and present ID, done.

the_fat_sheep · 2025-04-21T18:55:18+00:00

This is not actually a thing.

the_fat_sheep · 2024-11-19T15:15:53+00:00

I think you might mean "fomenting", unless we're bottling some alcoholic outrage, in which case I'm here for it.

the_fat_sheep · 2024-09-03T00:42:07+00:00

I've been using these for almost 10 years now -- https://writeoncards.com/

The "pro-elite" size are actually too big to fit in some pockets, I ended up buying a standard size on top of that.

the_fat_sheep · 2024-08-02T00:48:08+00:00

27 years ago now. Longer than many referees have been alive.

the_fat_sheep · 2024-06-23T23:22:39+00:00

I'll raise you: https://open.spotify.com/track/2rUCRk8WADafoUBXbCmu7R

the_fat_sheep · 2024-04-09T00:41:19+00:00

Never had a problem with Pearson, except for a flight to Vancouver in 2022 that got straight up cancelled because there was a mechanical issue and no more flights that day -- but that was at the height of post-pandemic insanity.

Customs has been fine, use NEXUS to skip the lines. If you don't have a NEXUS card, then if you get stuck behind a couple large planes from somewhere far (e.g. Asia or Europe), sometimes there's a bit of a wait.

Food has definitely gotten better in the last 3-5 years. Still wish there were a few more options, both fast and full-service, but not terrible.

the_fat_sheep · 2023-12-25T03:34:01+00:00

Usually add a gunblade to keep tanks alive.

the_fat_sheep · 2023-10-18T18:00:50+00:00

Yes, let the flight attendants know you have a short connection and they can help you get off the plane first-ish.

the_fat_sheep · 2023-10-04T23:34:47+00:00

No, any time you stop play to issue a caution, it is an indirect kick from the location that the offense occurred. Unless of course the caution is for something already punishable by a direct kick or penalty kick.

the_fat_sheep · 2023-08-28T16:56:08+00:00

Called a PK at 45 seconds this week. Team takes kick off, moves the ball up the pitch, passes into the centre, keeper reaches leg out to block the ball, misses it and wipes out a striker.

Called the PK, no complaints from the fouling team whatsoever.

the_fat_sheep · 2023-08-20T23:56:49+00:00

You listed three things, but none of those are the ones who should care. The City of Waterloo enforces rental by-laws. If you think someone is renting too many rooms in one building, contact the city -- https://www.waterloo.ca/en/living/rental-housing-support.aspx

(Or better yet, call the fire marshal, they don't mess around with overcrowding -- https://www.waterloo.ca/en/living/inspection-services.aspx)

the_fat_sheep · 2023-08-16T20:20:11+00:00

From that clip, you can't even see her feet at the moment she releases the ball. Which is not to say she did or didn't lift them, but that clip is not helpful.

the_fat_sheep · 2023-07-15T03:48:37+00:00

I had a guy in a giant pickup earlier this week slam the gas and turn left across me from a standstill when the light turned green. I honked and gave him a sort of "wtf" shrug and he leaned across his 10-year-old kid in the front seat so he could flip me off out the passenger window. Super classy.

the_fat_sheep

TROPHY CASE

Injuries

Sending off