WOMEN’S JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Comments from the perspective of the Rules and Referee Commission
- Part 5-
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The “rest day” after the finish of the preliminary round is the time for some of the teams to change cities and for all of them to refocus for either the main round or the consolation round. The same thing is true for the referees, where 7 pairs have been nominated for the 3 days of the main round while the rest will have to use the matches of the consolation round to convince the Referee Commission about their ability to move up and handle some top games towards the end. The whole referee group was meeting to review the experience of the first week, to “recharge the batteries” and to set the priorities for the coming games. Consistency and concentration are two of the key words. Strong control of the matches and a fair balance between defense and offense are key objectives.

One of the reminders given to the referees was the following: It is a common approach early in the game, after the first player on each team has been given a ‘yellow card’, to concentrate on finding the next player on each team who deserves a yellow card, and so on, until the cards have been used up. This approach overlooks the fact that it is often the same player(s) who got the early yellow card(s) who continue to use illegal methods. This means that they get the message that the initial card did not mean much, because they can carry on without punishment. This is not what we want to see. Similarly, the focus on distributing yellow cards can also make a referee overlook that a foul is in fact so serious, early in the game, that it should not lead to the next yellow card but to a direct 2-minute suspension or even a ‘red card’.

Today’s comment about the new rules: There is a new rules interpretation if the ball is on the floor in the goal area. In all cases, the ball is in the possession of the goalkeeper’s team and, for instance, that team is entitled to request a team time-out. However, there is a small but importance difference between the situation where the ball is rolling in the goal area and the situation where it has come to rest. In the latter case, the ball is ‘out of play’, as we know that the next thing that must happen is that the goalkeeper picks it up. If the ball is rolling, it is logical that it is still in play. This makes a difference if a court player picks the ball up. If it is a player of the goalkeeper’s team, and the ball is rolling, this is sanctioned with a free-throw. In all other cases it remains (or leads to) a goalkeeper-throw. (Also, in the unusual case of a faulty substitution on the goalkeeper’s team right at the moment when the ball is on the floor in the goal area: if it is stationary and out of play, the goalkeeper’s team keeps possession; but if it rolling and therefore in play, then the result is a free-throw for the opponents.)