I was doing a u-11 boys and orange passed back to the keeper in the goal box. I blew the whistle and had the ball brought out to the top of the box. Immediately two players on the blue team ran to the spot and asked if they could go. Players from the orange team just stood around and watched. I allowed the kick to take place and blue scored. The coach of the orange team asked me to come over to talk. He said since these were 10 year olds I should have told his team where to stand and set up the restart. I told him that the blue team had no issues with what to do. My thinking was blue was well coached and wanted the quick restart, while orange had NO clue and wasn't taking any position. To me they were not well coached and it was not my place to take away an advantage from the blue team. If I had done anything at that point I would have been coaching the orange team and we all know coaches don't want us coaching their team. Okay take your shots.
I stumbled on this by coincidence - this thread makes perfect point when talking about "soccer" culture in the US... This is not even "coaching" here, but pure soccer instincts which normal 10 yrs. old from Europe and SA would know by heart! They would start to set the wall automatically (at least I remember I would have done so at 10 without anyone needing to tell me), or go delaying Blue play by kicking the ball away/arguing with ref etc., as they would have seen hundreds of pro games at this stage of their life, where it was done. But on the side, I think you acted correctly. Ten years old should know what to do here. If they were 6 I may have been maybe more keen to give them advice, but at 10 they should have know this, and the spirit of the game simply was to go and let the Blue play, since Orange had no interest in doing anything...
One question. Did you say it was an indirect kick? This age should be old enough to know the difference between direct and indirect, but not able to pay attention to see if the referee's arm is raised before the kick. I had a similar situation where it was an indirect kick and I actively told the defenders they could set up a wall. But they were U-9s. At U-11, I think you were right to not stop play to get a wall set up. But they do need extra verbal help to know what the situation is. If you did say it was indirect, then that is the most you could have done. They should be coached better by that age.
Yes it was an indirect kick. I raised my arm and blue 1 touched it laterally to blue 2 who buried it into the net. The keeper was on the goal line defending to the best of his ability.
The coach probably shouldn't spend a ton of time on this during practice. They likely wouldn't listen all that great to a potential situation that might happens a few times a season at this age. But I guarantee that at their next practice, they'll "get it" in about 5 minutes.
By the box do you mean the goal area? There is a difference between coaching and what you do as a referee when managing a restart but this line can become less clear with young players. In my opinion your actions to spot the ball so close to goal would make for a defacto ceremonial restart although it isn't clear what happened after you spotted the ball. You do not indicate if you blew the whistle to restart play but if you didn't, it could have been unclear to the defending team when play was allowed to be restarted. If it was clear to the defending team that you were not making the restart ceremonial, fine. But if your actions confused the defending team into thinking the restart was ceremonial then you probably didn't handle it the best. Age and level of play is also a factor. This isn't the World Cup.
Yes it was the goal area. I was thinking about a ceremonial restart but the blue players were right on the situation and asked if they could go. If any of the orange players had been making an attempt to get involved I would have said wait for a whistle and gone with a ceremonial restart. At this point I felt that getting more involved would be to disadvantage the blue team, who wanted a quick restart.
On the occasions that I have had this happen with the restart at the upper edge of the goal area, (or where players would by the nature of the restart be placed on the goal line itself) I have always been on a ceremonial restart. I will always make sure the defenders know where they can and cannot be and make sure everyone knows it's indirect with a verbal warning. I do this regardless of age group.
I was working a tournament U12G final. There was an indirect kick inside the PA, and both teams were standing around looking at each other not knowing what to do (Rec). I got the ball, placed it and whispered to one of the defenders that her team could defend from the goal line in order to move the game along. I then made sure the kicking team understood the kick was indirect. The kick went over the goal. It was a state tournament, so there was an accessor watching. He dinged me because I had been too involved. I nodded my head in agreement, but still felt like I hadn't done anything wrong in the situation. The exact opposite in a U14 game. Indirect kick in the PA about twelve yards out. One defender about six yard from the ball, and the keeper between the ball and goal. Kicker asks for ten yards. I looked at him and said, "Are you sure?" He repeated the request. I obliged as more defensive players came and joined the wall.
At U-11 (or U-10 or U-12) if both teams are clueless, I make this very educational. But, if one teams knows what to do, I let it ride. One time, girls U-little, I forget what age, only one player knew what to do. She tells her nearest teammate to get ready, then kicks the ball. I let that one go, too. The other players should learn pretty quick.
To me this is worse that the first example, even though it had no effect. It's not your job to direct players to a better choice. He asked - you do it. I think that as soon as he asked for 10 you are required to make the kick ceremonial. You can't give him a do-over.
U littles get a lot of leeway with me. Most of them know exactly what to do, but I usually explain rules before something happens. "Here's how a dropped ball works..." "You can take the kick whenever you're ready, kiddo." (Lots of kids waiting for a whistle for free kicks and get confused as to why I'm holding my hand up for indirect. And on indirect kicks I always ask "You know what indirect means, yes?" Obviously, the higher-level and bit older kids know what's up and I don't bother, but the teenies U8, U9 get rule refreshers when it looks like they need them. Coaches are always happy, it gives no advantage, I'm not coaching. If I see a kid wearing a pinney in GK and they NEVER leave their goal area with ball in hand for build out line, I wait for the next stoppage and explain that the whole PA is where they can go, unless their coach doesn't want them to. I don't see it as coaching, I see it as making them aware of what they're allowed to do. I NEVER tell them to DO anything, just let them know what they can and cannot do. I coach my son's club team. They scrimmages a girls' team from our club. The boys lost 1-0 because my own son, who was standing one yard from me, had a spaced-out moment and didn't mark the girl in the middle of the area on a free kick. She scored. I couldn't coach him, but the whole time in my head I'm thinking "Dude, DUDE< MOVE YOUR BUTT! MARK UP. #7 IS WIDE OPEN, DUDUDDUDUUUUUUUUUDE!" Was a tough night.
That's why I hate reffing anything below U13. I like to just blow my whistle and point. Usually, the players already know the rest.
It is not a referee's right, privilege or responsibility to take away a quick restart unless required specifically to do so. Especially when the attacking team realizes they don't need or want it to be ceremonial.
My standard on teaching (or "coaching" if you must) is that if it's a tournament or a league with tryouts, you just don't do it. If it's purely recreational, everyone plays, no standings for advancement, yada yada - then I'll consider a teaching moment if it comes up. By the time they get to 11v11 on a full-size field, teaching is over regardless of the league. It's up to the coaching staff entirely at that age level.
Well, and then there's those HS "varsity" games where it looks like nobody on the field, including the coaches, has ever seen a soccer ball in real life before. I occasionally do a bit of 'splainin' in those games too.
I am a bit torn on this one. to me I WHTBT to address it properly. For one, the foul itself seems to scream that the orange team was probably under-coached (I know not our problem). I mean was it a quick pass in a congested area with blue hovering around so the keeper picked it up knowing he would be called? Like Cech just did in that Arsenal match? Or was it just a slow pass back that you are thinking as it rolls back to the keeper "Don't pick it up, don't pick it up"... Damn it! If it was the later and being inside the PA I would probably have just automatically gone ceremonial at that moment. Because blue really wasn't disadvantaged because that kind of foul didn't take away a possible scoring opportunity. Other things would've factored in as well. Was Blue already dominating the match or was it early and or competitive with no score. Yes technically we shouldn't coach, on the other hand, these are 10 and 11 yr olds, this game isn't going to mold their life, either tough lesson learned by orange, or a teaching moment for orange by way of ceremonial restart. Interesting discussion, but at this age I don't think there is a black and white answer. Like Bubba (correctly) stated above most of us have had HS level games that would be confused by this.