Conference playoffs are starting today and the NCAA playoffs are just around the corner. Playoff officials should take a few minutes to review the tiebreaking procedure in Rule 7.1.2. NCAA-specific requirements include:
- Only players who are listed on the game roster are eligible to participate in the tiebreaker. Please note anyone on the roster may be designated to participate in the tiebreaker. There is no requirement for the player to be on the field when the second overtime period ends.
- Each team shall designate 10 players to participate in the tiebreaker. I strongly recommend officials require the team to designate these 10 players before the tiebreaker procedure begins.
- Once the kicks are taken, the order of the designated kickers shall remain the same. Kicks rarely go past the tenth kicker but if they do, officials must ensure the kicking order remains the same.
- As of the 2014-2015 NCAA Soccer Rules, the order of the designated kickers may be changed after the tenth kick.
- If a designated player is ejected during the tiebreaker, the opposing team has the option to reduce their list of designated players to match the number of remaining designated on the offending team or change their kicking order.
- The visiting team calls the coin toss. The winner of the coin toss has the option to kick first or last. The referee will determine which goal is used for the tiebreaker.
- Once the goalkeeper is designated, he or she shall not be replaced unless injured or ejected. Injuries in this case shall be determined by the attending physician and/or a certified trainer. The goalkeeper may return to the tiebreaker if physically able.
Recent feedback from the national level indicates some officials are not administrating the overtime rule (Rule 7.1.1) properly for games tied after the regulation 90 minutes. The rule states that two sudden-victory overtime periods of 10 minutes each shall be played.
Please note the following aspects of this rule:
- The length and number of the overtime periods shall not be altered.
- Overtime MUST be played.
- The game is over when a legal goal is scored.
In several instances, coaches have asked the referee crew to shorten or eliminate overtime periods and the referee crew allowed it. Coaches may not alter this rule even if both agree to it before the match.
Rich Gramolini spotted this interesting NCAA rules interpretation in a recent issue of Referee Magazine:
During a penalty kick, a teammate of the kicker enters the penalty area before the ball is kicked. The goalkeeper deflects the ball over the crossbar. What action should the referee take? Ruling: For NCAA games, award a goal kick (AR 14.3.2).
This interpretation has been confirmed by Ken Andres, NCAA Secretary Rules Editor.
Rule 14.2 has been modified in 2010 to clarify that the player taking the penalty kick is permitted to use a stutter step or a hesitation move provided there is no stopping and there is continuous movement toward the ball. Should the kicker stop during his / her movement to the ball during the penalty kick, the kicker has violated 14.2. This does NOT automatically require a caution; even though Rule 14.3.3 states that the player SHALL be cautioned.
A complete NISOA/NCAA interpretation of the rule with restart outcomes is available for download as a pdf.
This interpretation was originally published on the NCAA Soccer Central Hub on arbitersports.com.
For most officials, the intercollegiate soccer season is just about over. However, for clinicians and assessors, continuing education is a year round requirement. Our web site collects quite a bit of information from news sources, message board and blogs. One recent entry from a personal favorite included a link to an article by Canadian and World Cup veteran assistant referee Hector Vergara. The article included personal observations as well as refereeing tips and techniques taught at the 2010 World Cup that merit further discussion. Read the rest of this entry »
A consistent point of emphasis during our chapter business meetings has been dealing with misconduct from the coaching and team area. It’s one thing to hear a clinician talk about generalities but I wanted to share this report from one of the match officials for a local intercollegiate match (details redacted since they are not really important). Read the rest of this entry »
Proper concussion identification, management and treatment is a point of emphasis by the NCAA in all sports. The 2010-2011 NCAA Soccer Rules Book specifies players indicating any sign of concussion (Rule 3.5.3.2) must be substituted for and not permitted to returned until after medical personnel has given clearance. Game officials must be aware of the signs of a concussion and ensure the player does not return until after having received clearance from medical personnel.
There are two major parts of this rule application:
- Know the signs of a concussion.
- Know who is the appropriate medical personnel that can provide clearance.
We strongly recommend officials view the online course, Concussions in Sports – What You Need to Know prepared by the National Federation of High Schools. The course is provided free of charge (you are required to register on their training web site) and will provide you with an understanding of how to recognize the signs of a concussion and the impact of a concussion on the health of a student athlete. Since 90% of all concussions do not result in loss of consciousness, recognizing signs of most concussions is subjective.
During the rules interpretation process, the definition of “medical personnel” has been a significant topic of discussion. While the definition might evolve over time, a “certified athletic trainer” is currently considered to be “medical personnel”. Please be aware that not all athletic trainers are certified by the Board of Certification. We strongly recommend the team of officials ask both teams to identify their certified athletic trainer or physician present at the game site before the match begins.
We will discuss concussions at each chapter meeting this year so we are all consistent in applying this very important rule.
