Q1) Should offside be enforced in the U9 age group?
Yes. We start teaching the offside law in the U9 age group. It is probably appropriate to give a little leeway on the close calls in the U9's, but by the following year they should be familar with the law. Of course, it's awfully hard to call offside if you don't have assistant referees. Therefore, we'd like to see full 3-person ref teams at the U9 level and above.
Q2) Should U9 fields have penalty areas?
Yes. At U8 and below, only goal areas are marked. However, starting at the U9 age level we award penalty kicks for penal fouls committed by players in their own penalty area. Therefore, penalty areas must be marked. At U9 and U10, fields are somewhat smaller than full size. The penalty areas are scaled down accordingly.
Q3) What should I do with game cards after the game?
There is no formal policy for collecting game cards. If the Division Commissioner or referee coordinator wants to collect them at the field, fine. There also might be special rules for Inter-Region play (in the older age groups). Otherwise, just keep the cards for the remainder of the season in order to settle any possible disputes. There are several situations that must be reported, with or without a game card:
Yes. Law 11 states that the ball need only be touched by an attacker. If the second attacker participates in play after being in an offside position at the moment the ball is touched, she is offside. However, if the ball had been deflected by a defender, then offside would not apply.
It is totally within the Laws to play the ball over the goal or touch line. However, the Referee can and often should add time if there is significant delay in retrieving the ball. In addition, if in the opinion of the Referee a player attempts to delay the restart of play by kicking the ball a disproportionate distance, then the Referee can caution the player for delaying the restart, or for unsporting behaviour.
Q6) Can a player receiving a throw-in be offside?
No. Under Law 11, an attacker who receives a throw-in directly cannot be offside.
Yes. Offside is judged at the time the ball is passed. The attacker is still offside even if she is in an onside position when she plays the ball.
Goal. Law 9 specifically states that the ball is in play if "it rebounds from a goalpost, crossbar, or corner flagpost and remains in the field of play." Remember, the ball has to be entirely across the touch line or goal line to be out of play. Since Law 1 requires that the goal posts and goal line be of equal width, goal posts are within the field of play.
In practice, the goal line might be drawn more narrowly than the width of the goal post. However, despite such incorrect markings, you should still consider the goal posts as part of the field of play.
Q9) Where should the players stand for a penalty kick?
The keeper must stand on the goal line, and cannot move backwards or forwards until the ball is kicked. All the remaining players, other than the kicker, must stand outside the penalty area, behind the penalty mark, and at least 10 yards from the penalty mark. A well-marked field will have a penalty arc that indicates the area that is outside the penalty area yet within 10 yards of the penalty mark.
Some fields will be drawn without a penalty mark. If there is no mark, try to envision the spot that is midway between the edge of the goal area and penalty area, and directly in front of the goal. This will be 12 yards out on a regulation field, but might be closer on a reduced size field for younger players. A careful referee will attempt to draw a penalty mark before the match if there is none (it helps if you carry a can of spray paint).
Q10) Can the keeper come out of the goal area before punting the ball?
Yes. The keeper can handle the ball anywhere within the penalty area. After fielding the ball, the keeper can take 4 steps in any direction as long as she stays within the penalty area. She must release the ball into play without undue delay, (the law actually specifies 5-6 seconds, but don't be too strict about this for younger players), and she cannot handle the ball again unless it is touched by another player.
Q11) Can an attacker stand inside the opponent's penalty area on a goal kick?
No. Attacking players must stand outside the penalty area on goal kicks. Moreover, on a goal kick, the ball is not in play until it exits the penalty area.
Q12) How picky should I be about correct throw-ins?
A correct throw-in is taken facing the field, with both feet on the ground and at least partially on or outside the touch line, with both hands on the ball, and with the ball delivered from behind and over the head. It is not illegal to put spin on the ball, or to throw the ball at an angle to the direction the player is facing.
Referees differ on the importance of perfect throw-ins. On average, throw-ins have little impact on the outcome of a game. Referees often choose to overlook trifling violations in order to keep the game flowing. On the other hand, a team must never gain an advantage from a foul throw-in. Moreover, AYSO is an instructional league, and referees can enforce throw-in infractions so as to encourage correct throw-in technique. To this end, it might help to give inexperienced players multiple chances to get it right.
Q13) Does it really matter if coaches and spectators crowd the touch line?
You bet. Control of the touch line is one of the hardest tasks facing the inexperienced referee. Crowds on the touch line interfere with players and block the vision of the ARs, Furthermore, coaches and parents are often tempted to come out on the field, if only by accident. Substitutes right on the touch line can also be mistaken for field players. It is always advisable to keep spectators in the spectator area, if it is marked, or at least 2 yards off the touch line if it is not. If you can get the spectators to back off, then the coaches won't feel obliged to stand right on the touch line, and everyone will have more room!
One of our experienced refs carries a 40-50 yard rope in his kit bag. When there is no spectator area marked, he lays down the rope and tells spectators that the area between the rope and the touch line is for coaches only. The central 20 yards of the rope is colored differently from the rest. The colored area marks the extent of the coaches area (10 yards from the halfway line).