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ASK THE REF, GRAHAM FRANKLAND 28-9-07
Graham Frankland is the ComeOnBoro.com man in the black - I said MAN in the black - and is here to answer your questions and settle your arguments.
If you have a question for the ref, just fill out the form at the bottom of this article or email us here.
Question one from Gord Quinlan
A player steps off the field unintentionally and is standing off the field approx ten centimetres. The ball is then leaving the field of play and hits this player, keeping it on the field of play.
What action if any does the referee take?
The ref says...
My first problem here is understanding the question but if you are asking what I think you are asking, then the answer is, that unless the whole of the ball has crossed the whole of the touchline or goal line then the referee shall do absolutely nothing except continue with play as the payer has not deliberately left the field of play and therefore no offence has been committed.
If you didn't ask that then blame the editor... he's new yer know!!
Question two, also from Gord Quinlan
A ball is lying on the eighteen yard line and part of it is out of the penalty area and part is on the line. The keeper reaches out over the ball and pulls the ball back in by making contact with the ball on the part that is out of the penalty area?
Is it handball or not?
The ref says...
The lines of a football pitch (or field of play if ever you are talking to a pedant) form part of the area that they define and therefore the answer is once again that no offence has been committed as the ball is partly on the penalty area line and is therefore deemed to be inside the penalty area so the goal keeper has every right to handle it.
Question three from Dave Green
Hello Graham. What happened to the back ten yards for dissent in free-kicks, as in rugby applied a couple of years ago. It just seems to have disappeared? Also the clampdown on players harassing officials after decisions against i.e. fouls etc it was not to be tolerated and bookings and sending offs were to be enforced!
The ref says...
I have to admit that as a referee I used to love being able to move the ball forward ten yards (9.15m to the pedantics) just to see the annoyance on the player's faces which gave me more of a kick than a handful of speed but sadly it was only introduced into English football as an experiment for a couple of seasons and for whatever reason FIFA decided against introducing it into the Laws of the Game and the experiment was scrapped.
As for players harassing or crowding around a referee, then this situation is still something that is reportable to the FA rather than a referee throwing the cards around like confetti at the snarling masses even though the latter course of action would probably have more effect and certainly more comedy value.
The FA does come down hard on any culprits and fine them the equivalent of a bag of dolly mixtures so they will soon get the message..... have you seen the price of dolly mixtures these days?
Question four from Carey Baird
What should you do if the ball hits you (the ref) and rebounds off against the player, perhaps giving the other team an advantage they would not have had if the ball had not struck you?
The ref says...
Its dead easy really Carey. If a team look like gaining an advantage from your intervention then blow your whistle and just pretend to be hurt and roll around like a little girl as if shot... if it's good enough for the players then its good enough for the ref surely?
In all seriousness though there is nothing you can do but apologise because the referee is part of the field of play and if the ball hits him/her then that's just tough shit. It really does annoy the players though so it does have its good points.
Question four from AS Emambux (Surrey County Referee)
What is the procedure if a goalkeeper takes a goal kick and the ball doesn't pass the penalty area and a defender touches the ball in the penalty area?
The ref says...
Quite simply the goal kick has to be retaken, as the ball is not in play from a goal kick until it has left the penalty area. Mind you, most players are so thick that if you awarded a penalty kick against the defender and sent him off for being a silly billy I don't think any of them would bat an eyelid!
Thanks to all those that have sent in questions. I hope that you are satisfied with my answers but if not write to FIFA and complain cos I don't really care since I packed in a few years ago and can now go and watch my beloved Boro every week, eat pies and drink beer. Things that I couldn't do when refereeing every week.
Until the next time.
Enjoy your football and lay off the referee. He's doing his best really.
FILL THIS FORM OUT WITH YOUR QUESTION FOR GRAHAM, or just email us here.
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