So I was watching my daughter's U14 match. One of the players on her team was called offsides directly off of a throw-in. I was walking past the ref tent at halftime and overheard part of the ref teams conversation. The AR who signaled the offsides said to the other others, "Are you serious. You cannot be offsides directly off a throw-in?"

This reaffirms my 95% rule.

Another example why most youth soccer refs are stupid:

Last night at my daughter's soccer match, the goalkeeper from her team was called for handling the ball outside the penalty box. (She was clearly inside the box) At any rate, as a result of the alleged foul, the ref awarded the opposing team a penalty kick.

For starters, the ref made a bad call. She was inside the box. Further, the ref made a second stupid mistake by awarded a PK. My definition, a foul of this nature can only occur...outside the penalty box. The correct call (assuming arguendo there was an infrigment) it should have been a free kick at the point of the foul--outside the box.

I rest my case. Most youth soccer refs demonstrate the 95% Rule.

so Mr. Soccer Boy...do you as the referee award a DFK or an IFK???

Neither. The goalkeeper handled the ball inside the penalty box.

Direct free kick (if it was handled outside the box).

O.k., I have one for you:
Defender has the ball at their feet, flicks the ball up and heads it back to the keeper. The keeper catches it.
Legal or illegal? If legal, how do you proceed? If illegal, how do you proceed?

thanks CL...
while SoccerBoy trys to hash this out in his head and not make himself look foolish...it's definitely illegal as this circumvents the "spirit of the law" regarding passbacks going to the keeper. Yellow card to the defender for trying to circumvent the rule and IFK against the keeper from the spot where he last handled the ball.

You are right, but with one change. The IDK takes place where the defender headed the ball not where the keeper catches it. The defender committed the infraction not the keeper.

Wait, so a passback is an indirect free kick if it's in the box, but it's a direct kick outside the box?

Refereeing is a hard job.

Edit: Oh. Nevermind. Passback is just hand ball outside the box. I should think before hitting submit.

Msilverstein47, I wrote the Laws of the Game. Let's see if HairyGrump knows the answer to this question:

HairyGrum and Soccer Boy are on the same team. HairyGrump hurts his knee and goes into play GK. I move up an play a #11. I am getting ready for a corner kick and I see Hairy Grump passed out back in net. I decide to have some fun. I kick the ball all the way to the other end of the field and it goes into my our net without touching anyone.

Is it a goal for the other team? What is the re-start?

PS: Throw out a question that is challenging.

I know it's not an own-goal, but I can't remember why. If it's not an own-goal then it crossed the endline so it must be a corner, right?