SOCCER
COORDINATOR: JOHN VAN DE VAARST
jvandevaarst@referee.com
RULES, MECHANICS, TECHNIQUES
ON THE FRINGE
No Defined Number Defines Persistent Infringement
By George Wilhelmsen
P
be careless, so the referee correctly blows the whistle and issues the direct free kick restart. Ruling 1: After the second foul on B1 by A2, the referee should look at the context of the fouls — where are the fouls happening and against whom? Some preventive officiating here with A2 can prevent future issues. A quick discussion before the restart by the referee with A2 about the foul could resolve the matter. “Number 2, that’s your second foul against B1. You need to change your
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SUBMITTED PHOTOS
ersistent infringement of the rules/Laws is one of the tools in the referee’s match-control kit. When used properly, penalizing for persistent infringement can be used to maintain both the safety and fairness of the match. NFHS and NCAA rules define persistent infringement as “persistently infringing upon any of the rules of the game.” It is similarly defined in the IFAB Laws
as “persistent offenses (no specific number or pattern of offenses constitutes ‘persistent.’)” To better understand how to use the persistent infringement tool, the following are examples of when to penalize for persistent infringement: Play 1: B1 is a starter in the match and has a reputation as a playmaker and top scorer. Team A clearly knows this and has been targeting B1 every time she is in possession of the ball. The fouls in this case are carefully executed to
HESTON QUAN
Steve Lane, Garden Grove, Calif., can manage a match successfully if he deals with players who consistently violate, or infringe, the rules/Laws of the game. This may require a discussion with a player to avoid such offenses escalating into persistent infringement.
