On 11 Nov 2001, at 12:15, jack barry wrote:
> Jim: Have Hunter S. Thompson and BSW ever been seen at the same place
> and time? One never knows, do one.
One of the two is the evil twin of the other
>
> ("Paging Nurse Ratchitt, Paging Nurse Ratchitt")!
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Discussion of Topics for Soccer Referees
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Jim Gordon
> Sent: Saturday, November 10, 2001 7:54 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: GK Handling outside the PA
>
>
> Peter Gray encountered (and called) a couple of instances of keepers
> holding onto the ball outside the PA before punting "a yard over the
> line" and "2 yards outside of the PA". As noted, it is customary for
> refs not to call trifling examples of this handling infraction (i.e.,
> if the infraction is very minor and there's no significant advantage)
> or if it's caused by something external (like badly marked lines that
> a keeper can't see). Brain-fart by a keeper would not normally be a
> reasonable excuse to ignore this, unless it was also trifling --
> players are supposed to observe the Laws.
>
> Peter didn't specify the level of play, other than to say it was a rec
> league, but most youth soccer is finished in the DC area, so I assume
> it was adult players. These players can get fair distance on a punt
> any way, but that cuts both ways -- crossing the line doesn't add
> appreciably to their distance, but they don't need to push the
> envelope, either. And a yard or two IS enough to be noticeable. I
> don't presume Peter was focused solely on the keeper's release point,
> so if the handling was indeed a yard or two over the line, he was
> justified in accepting the little gifts and showing his readiness to
> blow the whistle.
>
> I do urge Peter not to refer to boxes on the field, as these are
> dangerous to the players. And just because a local team has some guy
> making a comeback is no reason to toss around basketball terminology
> when discussing soccer -- "nothing but net" is easy when you're aiming
> at a soccer goal.
>
> <Curmudgeon mode on> [I sat next to Brian S-W at part of the junior
> college semis, today]
>
> There is no goalkeeper anywhere that has been playing for a season or
> so, who doesn't know that he's supposed to refrain from handling
> outside the PA, and that for goal kicks the ball is supposed to be
> placed on the GA line or inside it. The effort to stretch these
> limits is motivated by unsporting impulses to take a bit of unfair
> advantage, even an inch or two, or to get over on the referees. There
> really is no reason why these people deserve another warning to mind
> the lines. In the case of a goal kick, our simple recourse is to have
> the kick retaken properly, which is a waste of everyone's time caused
> by the players' disregard of the Law. In the case of handling outside
> the PA in the course of a punt, we can call the foul. This is usually
> enough sanction, but it would go a long way to encourage due care if
> refs were occasionally to consider willful disregard of the infraction
> to be USB.
>
> </curmudgeon mode off>
>
> Regards,
> Jim Gordon
>
> Don't wear your federation badge for unaffiliated matches:
> <http://home.att.net/~JKGordon/badge/generic_referee_badge_page.html>
>
