Failure to Respect the Required Distance

There were more games on Saturday and we went to them both.  One was at 8:00 and the other was at 12:00.  We got up and said morning prayer and then walked to the gas station for breakfast.  I had a giant thing of delicious orange juice and Stefanie had a coffee thing that was just like a Starbucks frappucino that you can get in, well, a gas station.  We both had carby pastry things to eat, and they were so good and so sweet.

The first game was not so good as the second game.  The first game was the lower level team and they got their grits ground.  The second game was the older boys and mostly people who don't live at the Hogar.  The game ended in a draw, but it was much more competitive and the referee was on it!  He was not afraid to show a player a card and the game ended 10 v. 10.  Our guy was sent off for receiving his second caution, and the other guy just for hard fowling.  If I'd been calling either game there may or may not have been a lot more yellow shown for failure to respect the required distance.

Law 13 (The Free Kick) says that opponents have to be 10 yards away from the ball for a free kick.  That the kicker has to ask for 10 yards is a fable that I am hellbent on beating into the ground.  10 yards is 10 yards.  If players aren't good at eye-balling 10 yards a referee can enforce it, but standing less than a foot from the ball isn't even trying to respect the required distance.  While they backed up when the referee moved them, there was no need for them to even try to stand that close.  A caution or two early in the game might get the message across.

Furthermore, by standing so close they're delaying the restart of play since they have to be backed up.  Take your pick, there's grounds to give a yellow for players to practically stand over the ball on free kicks.  Anyway, the games were good, though I got a lot of sun.  I didn't realize we were going to be gone the whole time (more in the next entry), or I would have put a lot more sunscreen on.  I have a tan line where my Sperrys don't cover the top of my feet.  Yeah, that much sun. I'm not feeling so burnt now nor am I looking it.  I think my nose never stopped peeling from the last burn and I wouldn't be surprised if my scalp starts peeling tomorrow.  Better work next time?