Your refereeing queries answered by Graham Poll

Graham Poll is back in The Club House to answer your queries over refereeing decisions in your grassroots matches.

If you've been left stumped by a decision in your weekend match, or you've been arguing over the rules with your team mates, let Club Website's refereeing expert clear things up for you right here in The Club House.

What better way to settle a debate than asking the UK's top referee of the last decade! To submit a question to Graham, email grahampoll@clubwebsite.co.uk and you'll be entered into a draw for a Club Website football.

Graham's answers to the best questions appear here in The Club House each month, with a personal signed copy of Graham's bestselling book 'Seeing Red' going to the person who asks our 'Question of the Month', as selected by Graham himself.

Your questions continue to come in thick and fast, so thanks to all of you who have sent one in - please keep them coming!

Every question we receive is put into the hat for our monthly prize draw and one lucky winner bags themself a brand new football. Congratulations to Doug Sayers of Westerham Football Club who wins the football this month.

So here we go - six of the best refereeing queries from the last month with the definitive answers to them from our very own refereeing guru, Mr Graham Poll.

Graham's Question of the Month - submitted by referee Andy Polkey

This scenario happened during a recent under 13 game I refereed. Two players went in for a hard 50-50 challenge ten yards outside the penalty area. One player cried out in agony so I stopped the game, although the ball hadn't gone out of play.

There was no question of a foul - it was just a hard challenge. The injured player was removed from the pitch and I restarted the game with a drop ball near to where the incident occurred. I instructed the players it would be uncontested so the attacking team could just roll it back to the keeper which everyone agreed to.

I dropped the ball which the attacking player then decides to blast towards the top corner of the goal, obviously trying to score. Fortunately the ball hit the crossbar and went out of play. Needless to say mayhem ensued.

My question is what would have been my course of action if the ball had gone in. Does the goal stand? Could it have been disallowed? Should the offending player be cautioned? Hope you can help.

Graham’s verdict: The goal would have counted as the referee has no rights to decide how many players from each side should contest a drop ball. I do not believe that you can judge the attacker's actions as unsporting as you have set the drop ball up incorrectly. The advice is not to arrange uncontested drop balls.

Congratulations to Andy who wins a personal signed copy of Graham's bestselling book, 'Seeing Red'.

This month's other top questions

In a recent match the ball got pumped into our box and our centre half controlled the ball with the intent of then clearing it down the field. As the ball was controlled the keeper, who was stood behind the defender, shouted for it and then jumped onto the ball. The referee gave a back pass.

There was no actual pass and the keeper was behind the defender at the time he controlled it. The referee said that it was deliberate otherwise the defender would have just cleared it. Should this have been given or should the referee have let the game continue?

Graham’s verdict: As the defender played the ball with his foot and the keeper then gathered it then the referee was perfectly with his rights to award an indirect free kick as in his opinion the act was deliberate. However, another referee could have a different opinion and allow the game to continue.

Thanks to Dave Woodall of Parrswood Celtic FC for submitting this question.

In an under 14 game recently the referee had started the second half when one team made a substitution. It is ‘roll on/roll off’ subs at this level but the ref did not check to see how many players were on each side. The team who made the change now had 12 players on the field and went on to score a great goal which the ref allowed.

When the ref came close I pointed out the number of players on the field, so he stopped play and asked one player to leave the pitch. This was about five minutes into the second half.

Please advise what action should have been taken. I believe the goal should not have been allowed and the game should have started again from half time with 11 players each and the original half time scoreline. Is this the case?

Graham’s verdict: If a team scores a goal when they have 12 players then the goal must not count. The extra player should be cautioned and leave the field. However, if the team with 12 concede a goal then it does count and then the referee issues the yellow card and removes the excess player.

Thanks to Bill French for sending in this question.

I recently had a dispute with a fellow referee regarding the wearing of jewellery. My interpretation is that as long as the jewellery is not a danger to the player or other players then - at the referee's discretion - it would be okay to wear it. I am thinking specifically of small studded earrings and officiating at grassroots football.

Law 4 states: 'A player must not use equipment or wear anything that is dangerous to himself or another player (including any kind of jewellery)'. So if there is no danger it should be okay? My colleague insists that all jewellery must be removed no matter how small and, on further reading of the Laws of the Game, I notice it says that all items of jewellery must be removed and that taping is no longer acceptable.

My problem in officiating in grassroots games is that players claim they are often unable to remove the small studs or have problems with their ears. As the lone referee this can then cause problems or delay the kick-off as I get into a dispute as to why they have to be removed and of how they might be a danger.

Your advice would be greatly appreciated.

Graham’s verdict: Players should not be permitted to wear jewellery, as you now know from your re-reading of the updated Laws. It is difficult but players know the Laws and I cannot advise against them.

Thanks to referee David Isaac-George for submitting in this question.

Defenders often 'hold off' players while letting the ball go out of play with no intention of playing the ball. At what point does 'seeing out' a ball stop being that and becomes a foul and obstructing a player?

Graham’s verdict: Shielding the ball is legal as long as the ball remains within playing distance of the defender, i.e. within his reach. If not then the referee should deem this as impeding the opponent.

Thanks to Aaron Bowes-Shorten of Wensum Albion FC for sending in this question.

Given that the area behind the goal line is technically outside the field of play, would it be possible for a goalkeeper to stand behind their line, effectively allowing their defence to play the offside trap with one defender still between the opposing attacker and the goal?

I've never seen it happen, so presume it is outlawed?

Graham’s verdict: This would be a clear case of unsporting behaviour and the goalkeeper should be cautioned. Interestingly, the International Football Association Board have discussed a Law change this week which states that a player off the field behind the goal line should be considered as on the goal line when judging offside.

Thanks to Peter Lidstone of New Haw Wanderers in the Guildford & Woking Alliance League for this question.

Ask Graham a question for your chance to win a prize!

Think you can come up with better than the questions you've read here? Fancy your chances of setting Graham a tougher test? Well here's your chance!

Email your questions to grahampoll@clubwebsite.co.uk with all relevant information about the incident. All entries are put into a prize draw for a Club Website football, while Graham's 'Question of the Month' wins a personal signed copy of 'Seeing Red'.

The fully updated paperback edition of 'Seeing Red' - a Sunday Times bestseller - is available in all good bookshops or online at www.harpercollins.co.uk.

FourFourTwo magazine: "Poll's fascinating response to years of criticism as one of England's top officials is far more interesting than the standard fare trotted out by most players these days - it also evokes the rarest of things in a football fan: sympathy for the referee."

Daily Mail: "England’s number one match official has lifted the lid on the disillusionment shared by many colleagues."

Graham Poll images courtesy of the Daily Mail. Graham Poll's 'Official Line' column appears in the Daily Mail every Saturday. He also appears as a pundit on BBC Radio Five Live, Setanta Sports and the New Football Pools podcast.