GAME DELAY

paulis · #1 (**permalink**) Sun Dec 16, 2001, 03:01pm

Boy, are soccer and basketball different! I have noticed that players are allowed to delay the other team from beginning play following the officials whistle. Players kicking or throwing the ball away from the team entitled to a throw in or free kick. What is up with that? In hoops, players are required to either not touch a dead ball or immediately retrieve it and give it to the official. If not, they are issued a delay of game warning for the first offense and hit with a technical foul for further violations. In soccer, it appears as though players can deliberately delay the game and prevent their opponent from re-starting play without recourse. Is this so?

Jim.Mantle · #2 (**permalink**) Wed Mar 20, 2002, 11:17pm

Soccer has a lot of culture to it - and in some cultures it is an accepted part of the sport to employ these tactics.

However, delaying the restart is one of the 7 listed Yellow Card offenses. The Laws are there, it just takes someone to enforce them.

In my games when somebody pulls a dead obvious delay, they get a whistle and a loud "I will not see any further delaying tactics in this game." I don't even wait for an acknowledgement from the perp, I whistle again and get the restart underway.

Sometimes I have to growl "Get outta there - NOW". And glare.

Smart players get the message. Dumb ones get a YC when they try it 2 minutes later. Apparently, everyone then knows I am serious.

I feel it would be a mistake to anil them with a YC first offense - there are too many games where it is part of the sport.

And there are games where it is totally inappropriate, because BOTH teams want to employ the delaying tactic. Got to be sensitive to *their* game.

Interestingly, FIFA has instructed the referees for the upcoming World Cup that they are to clamp down on delaying tactics. It will be interesting.

Jim

SeanWorrall · #3 (**permalink**) Sun Mar 24, 2002, 06:23pm

The higher the standard the more you see it, someone will scream 'stand on the ball, stand on the ball' when there's a free kick, to stop it being taken quickly.
(That's stand on the ball as in stand right in front of it....)