I have a quick question. Since I've only been a soccer fan since last year, I still don't understand everything about the game. In that last game, when they went to that penalty/kick thing that ended up with the Rapids scoring the 2nd goal of the match, why did the first one not count? It wasn't too clear to me why it didn't count. What was it that the ref decided about it?
Correct me if I'm wrong. I didn't see the game. I didn't see the match but I think they probably didn't allow the play to continue because he didn't wait for the restart whistle before he took the free kick. When there is a free kick awarded in a fouling situation like that and there is encroachment, you have to wait for the ref to whistle before you put the ball back into play so he can move the encroaching players back 10 yards and then he will restart play with a second whistle. If you put the ball right down and kick the restart within two seconds of the first whistle, then it's a go and play has resumed legally. If you stop and wait and request your 10 yards of privilige from the opposing team then you wait while the ref steps it off and gets everyone in place, including himself.
There's two ways a team can take a free kick: They can either step right up and kick it or they can ask for a "formal" restart where the referee makes sure that no opposing players are within 10 yards of the ball. If you request the ref's assistance, then you can't kick the ball until he signals by blowing his whistle. In the case of the Rapids first free kick, Hercules did not wait for the whistle. So then he had to kick it again. By the way, I remember a USWNT game against Brazil in Denver where the Brazilian keeper picked up a back pass. The whistle blew. She was standing there arguing with the ref when a US player grabbed the ball out of the keeper's hands, set it down, and kicked to another players who put it in a wide open goal. It counted.
Why when the Rapids played Valencia did Valencia not have to wait for the whistle in a similar situation?
I believe by default, there is no need to wait for a whistle. That can change if the ref requires them to, usually indicated by him pointing to his whistle, typcially done when he has to move the wall back.
when you have a free kick and you ask for the correct distance then you must wait the referee to blow the whistle (meaning he authorizes you to take the free kick) anyway if you want to know the rules of the game, here's a PDF from FIFA: http://fifa.com/documents/fifa/laws/LOTG2006_e.pdf I didn't see the match but every free kick can be taken quickly by stoping the ball from moving on the spot where the foul was comitted. usually teams would have a player or two infront of the ball so you can't take the kick quickly and will have to ask the referee for the 9,15 metres giving the other players time to make a wall or take a defensive position. in short, the rapids maybe gave them some space to take the free kick quickly without asking for distance from the wall
You don't have to wait for the ref to blow the whistle, unless he tells you otherwise beforehand. He can also call a free kick back if he sees the side taking the kick do something wrong, like obstructing the keeper. With the Rapids v RSL game, it looked like the ref had told them to wait for his signal but they took it anyway, so he called the kick back. If the wall is too close, but a player wants to take the kick anyway, provided the ref didn't tell him to wait, he can still do it.
I think the 2 seconds mentioned above may be a Florida High School rule but it is not in the LOTG if I am not mistaken (for once). High School rules take on various additions and modificatons to make the game 'better' (yea right). A referee should signal with his hands and whistle above his head (immediately) if it is to be a 'ceremonial' restart with 10 yards defined and enforced by him otherwise it is a free fire zone. Also, it is (or used to be) considered an unsporting practice (by NSCAA training anyway) to stand over the ball and force a ceremonial restart however the practice has become quite common and IMHO f's up the flow of the game. Again IMHO quick kicks should be preferred if there is a tactical advantage to them and ceremonial ones asked for if there is not with the attacking team deciding and the defending team having to react rather than stand over the ball and influence the decision. A yellow card could be given for USB in that case but please tell me the last time you saw that happen? Simply put the team that commited the foul shouldn't be allowed to be a part of the quick/ceremonial restart decision but they generally are these days ...
Perfect answer. This is exactly how we got touched at Valencia. While we were trying to get organized, they played. Good Goal.