Referee Says Quick Free Kicks Happen Every Day

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By Resident Referee
December 15 2004

I am astonished that the controversy over Henry’s free kick against Chelsea still rages on some three days later. Arsenal learnt the hard way a few seasons ago, against Leeds that this kind of free kick is permissible. O’Leary was the manger of Leeds at the time.

Last season Henry returned the compliment at O’ Leary’s Villa. Ironically, O’ Leary moaned on and on, poacher turned gamekeeper. By now, anyone who seriously follows the beautiful game should know this happens and how the rule works. However for those who are not clear on the rule Arsenal Times got its resident qualified referee to explain.

 

Quick Free Kicks Happen all the Time

 

As a referee-dealing with free kicks outside the area it is a routine event in all games. Put simply-you ask the player taking the kick if he requires the defence to retreat the necessary 10 yards. If the reply is 'yes' then the 10 yards are paced out and the kick is taken.

 

If the free kick is to be taken quickly, and that is entirely up to the player, after all the free kick is for his benefit. Therefore, the taker of the free kick has options when taking free kicks, one OR the other.

 

 The referee is not obliged to inform the defence or blow his whistle to indicate when the free kick has to be taken. Now some Chelsea players claim that Graham Poll said he would indicate with his whistle when the free kick would be taken and they would be right to be outraged if he said this, but that would be an absurd position for a referee to take and would correctly be called cheating. For all we say about referees (incompetent, incapable or not good enough) they do not cheat. The issue is simple: if you want to take a quick free kick and it hits a defender standing close-by that is the chance you take. You cannot ask to take the free kick again.

 

On the other hand if a defender prevents a quick free kick being taken then a caution should be given as this is one of the 7 specific cautionable offences (a couple of seasons ago Robert of Newcastle received such a caution against Arsenal preventing Bergkamp taking a quick free kick).

 

 In the course of any game quick free kicks are taken all the time without the referee ever having to inform the defence. Simply put, Chelsea stupidly conceded a sloppy goal and instead of blaming themselves are making the referee a scapegoat.