(an unofficial archive in service to the community)
Last updated
August 27, 2009
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Position papers are in black, those appearing on the Laws page in green, and never posted items in red.
Additional items in purple found in the 2008 US Soccer Guidance collection.
USSF official sites where this listing is mostly collated from: Position Papers, Law, Soccer Guidance
Note: Referee Directives and Referee Week in Review available since Fall 2008 seem to be replacing
most formal Position Paper postings. Please make sure to consult these as well.
Click on any column head to sort ascending by that column. Click again to reverse the sort order.
Order shown is from the USSF site. Restore the initial order by refreshing the page in your browser.
| Title | Attach | Date | Law * | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7+7: Sending off and Cautionable Offenses (.pdf) | Doc (.pdf ) | 5/14/2009 | Position, Laws | |
| Abandoning a Match Due to Insufficient Number of Players (.pdf) - updated 11/22/2002 | 10/14/1998 | Position | ||
| Advantage and the Penalty Area (.pdf) | YouTube | 4/11/2008 | Position | |
| Allowance for Time Lost (.pdf) | 4/22/2008 | Position | ||
| Automatic Suspension Following an Expulsion from a Match (.pdf) | 11/14/2003 | Position | ||
| Availability of Water During a Match (.pdf) | 4/06/2002 | Position | ||
| Behavior in the Technical Area (.pdf) - posted 1/12/2007 | 3/26/2006 | Position | ||
| Cardable Offenses and the Restart of Play (.pdf) | 8/26/2003 | Position | ||
| Ceremonial Restart after Misconduct (.pdf) | 10/26/1999 | Position | ||
| Changes in the Laws of the Game for 2005 (.pdf) - Pro-league Advisory (6-250) | 3/29/2005 | Position | ||
| Contact with Game Officials (.pdf) | Google: Clip1, Clip2, Clip3, Clip4 | 8/09/2006 | Position | |
| Corageous Call (.pdf) | 2/13/2009 | Position | ||
| Dealing with Severe Weather (.pdf) - posted 4/27/2005 (6-268) | 4/6/2005 | Position | ||
| Disallowed Goal from a Passback Violation Restart (.pdf) | YouTube | 7/31/2008 | Position | |
| Electronic Flags (.pdf) | 2/1/1999 | Position, Laws | ||
| Feinting at the Taking of a Penalty Kick (.pdf) | 4/05/2001 | Position | ||
| Field of Play, The (Equipment and Devices) (.pdf) - Pro-league Advisory (6-249) | 3/29/2005 | Position | ||
| Fouls, Misconduct and Restarts (.pdf) | 8/21/2006 | Position | ||
| Gesturing for a Card - Misconduct (.pdf) - posted 4/5/2007 | 3/23/2007 | Position | ||
| Handling Offenses (.pdf) (6-269) | 4/27/2005 | Position | ||
| Head Injuries (.pdf) | YouTube | 3/30/2009 | Position | |
| Headsets in the Technical Area (.pdf) | 4/29/2009 | Position | ||
| Impermissible Behavior by Team Officials in Professional Matches (.pdf) - posted 3/22/2006 | 3/8/2006 | Position | ||
| Increasing the Communication Effectiveness of The Officiating Team (.pdf) - posted 2/28/2007 | 02/21/2007 | Position | ||
| Instructional Documents (Memoranda and Position Papers) (.pdf) | 1/13/2003 | Position | ||
| Instructions to Referees & Resolutions Affecting Team Coaches and Players (.pdf) (6-267) | 4/27/2005 | Position | ||
| Jersey Sleeves Rule Suspended (.pdf) see also | 11/4/2002 | Position | ||
| Kicks from the Penalty Mark (.pdf) (6-131) | 10/14/2004 | Position | ||
| Kicks from the Penalty Mark, "The Reduce to Equate" Principle (.pdf) | 6/11/2002 | Position | ||
| Law 11 - Offside - Interfering with Play and an Opponent (.pdf) | 8/25/2006 | Position | ||
| Law 15 - Throw In, Regarding - Enforcing the Minimum Distance (.pdf) - posted 3/26/2006 | 1/18/2006 | Position | ||
| Law 4 - Players Equipment (Jewelry) (.pdf) | 3/17/2003 | Position | ||
| Law 4 and Hair Control Devices (.pdf) | 6/8/2009 | Position | ||
| Managing Match Time (.pdf) | 3/04/2003 | Position | ||
| Mandatory Suspension Following Dismissal (.pdf) | 10/22/2002 | Position | ||
| Mass Confrontation (.pdf) | 3/14/2003 | Position | ||
| Match Reports and Discipline (.pdf) | 4/07/2008 | Position | ||
| Medical Alert Jewelry and Law 4 (.pdf) | 10/29/2001 | Position | ||
| Misconduct and Display of Cards (.pdf) | 8/26/2002 | Position | ||
| Misconduct Involving Language/Gestures (.pdf) | 3/14/2003 | Position | ||
| Misconduct by Attackers at a Free Kick (.pdf) - updated 11/22/2002 | 1/26/1999 | Position | ||
| No Replacement for Player Sent Off after the Game Has Started (.pdf) - updated 11/22/2002 | 5/14/1999 | Position | ||
| Objects on the field (.pdf) | 4/3/2008 | Position | ||
| Obvious Goal-Scoring Opportunity Denied - The 4 Ds (.pdf) | 9/16/2002 | Position | ||
| Obvious Goal-Scoring Opportunity - Advantage (.pdf) - posted 6/12/2006; clips never posted | Clip1, Clip2 (never posted) | 6/2/2006 | Position | |
| Obvious Goal-Scoring Opportunity - Opinion of the Referee (.pdf) | YouTube | 9/25/2007 | Position | |
| Offside and Interfering with Play (.pdf) | YouTube | 7/26/2007 | Position | |
| Offside - Law 11 (.pdf) (6-348; see Offisde, 9/8/2005) | Slides (.ppt, pdf) | 8/24/2005 | Position | |
| Offside - Interfering with Play (.pdf) | YouTube | 3/25/2009 | Position | |
| Offside - Is Touching the Ball a Requirement? (.pdf) | YouTube | 04/18/2007 | Position | |
| Offside - Classic Offside Situation (.pdf) | YouTube | 05/04/2007 | Position | |
| Offside (see Offside - Law 11, 8/24/2005) (Slides pdf posted here) |
Slides (.ppt, pdf) | 9/8/2005 | Position | |
| Offside Issues (.pdf) | YouTube | 10/16/2007 | Position | |
| Offside On A Corner Kick (.pdf) | YouTube | 4/24/2008 | Position | |
| Padded Goal Structures (.pdf) | 03/14/2008 | Position | ||
| Pass Back Violation (.pdf) | YouTube | 5/21/2008 | Position | |
| Penalty Kicks and the 2005-2006 Law Changes (.pdf) - posted 9/6/2005 (6-364) | 6/13/2005 | Position | ||
| Penalty Kick Deception (.pdf) | 8/25/3009 | Position | ||
| Player-Coaches (.pdf) | 11/11/2008 | Position | ||
| Player Dress (.pdf) - updated 11/22/2002 | 5/14/1999 | Position | ||
| Player's Equipment (.pdf) | 3/07/2003 | Position | ||
| Player Jerseys (.pdf) | 10/21/2008 | Position | ||
| Players Temporarily off the Field Involvement of Fourth Official (.pdf) | 4/23/2001 | Position | ||
| Players Wearing Non-Compulsory Equipment (.pdf) | 9/03/2003 | Position | ||
| Positioning at Free Kick Restarts (.pdf) - updated 11/22/2002 | 10/1/1999 | Position | ||
| Priority of Assistant Referee Responsibilities (.pdf) | 3/24/2009 | Position | ||
| Quick Free Kicks versus Ceremonial Restarts (.pdf) - posted 4/18/2007 | YouTube | 04/10/2007 | Position | |
| Quick Free Kicks (.pdf) | YouTube | 06/22/2007 | Position | |
| Removing the Jersey While Celebrating a Goal | Slides (.pps) | 6/29/2004 | Position | |
| Rescinding a Card (.pdf) | 6/28/2008 | Position | ||
| Rescinding a Displayed Card for Misconduct (.pdf) | 1/06/2003 | Position | ||
| Restarts after Striking, Throwing or Spitting (.pdf) - updated 11/22/2002 | 1/1/2001 | Position | ||
| Sequential Infringements of the Law (.pdf) - updated 11/22/2002 | 5/14/1999 | Position | ||
| Send-Offs for Receiving a Second Caution (.pdf) (6-132) | 10/12/2004 | Position | ||
| Serious Injuries (.pdf) | YouTube | 3/26/2009 | Position | |
| Shinguards (.pdf) | 3/20/2001 | Position | ||
| Status of Sent Off Players (.pdf) | 7/7/2006 | Position | ||
| Striking (.pdf) | YouTube (never posted) | 7/3/2008 | Position | |
| Technical Area and Signage (.pdf) | 4/21/2009 | Position | ||
| Throw-In to Keeper by Teammate (.pdf) | 1/01/2000 | Position | ||
| Use of Elbow (.pdf) - posted 1/15/2007 | 8/31/2005 | Position | ||
| Violations of Law 14 (.pdf) | 8/1/2007 | Position | ||
| Proper Positioning (.pdf) (6-335/344) | Slides (.ppt) | 7/15/2005 | Laws | |
| Assistant Referee Mechanics (.pdf) | 6/5/2006 | Laws | ||
| Revised Procedures and Signals (.pdf) | 5/13/2008 | Laws | ||
Interpretations of LOTG and Guidelines for Referees (.pdf) |
11/12/2008 | Laws | ||
| USSF 2008 Memorandum Supplement (.pdf) | Doc (.pdf), Slides (.pps, pdf) | 11/13/2008 | Laws | |
| USSF 2009 Memorandum on 2009-2010 Guide to Procedures Updates (.pdf) | 5/04/2009 | Laws | ||
| Violent Conduct (.pdf) | Clip1, Clip2 | 6/29/2005 | Never Posted | |
| Obvious Goal Scoring Opportunity (.pdf) | Clip1 | 7/9/2005 | Never Posted | |
| Obvious Goal Scoring Opportunities (.pdf) | Clip1, Clip2 | 8/10/2005 | Never Posted | |
| Applying Law 11 (Offside) Correctly (.pdf) | Clip1 | 4/02/2006 | Never Posted | |
| When Fouls Continue (.pdf) | 4/30/2007 | Never Posted | ||
| USSF 2007 Memorandum (.pdf) -- via email | Slides (.pdf, .ppt) | 5/31/2007 | Never Posted | |
| Offside Myths (.pdf) | 10/17/2007 | Never Posted | ||
| Duties and Responsibilities of the Fourth Official | Slides (.pps) | 5/8/2008 | Never Posted | |
| Kicks From The Mark Checklist (.pdf) | Checklist | 4/2/2009 | Article only | |
| When Defenders Leave the Field (.pdf) | 8/12/2009 | Never Posted | ||
| 7+7: Sending off and Cautionable Offenses ( .pdf ) | Replaced by new post each year | 5/1/2008 | Position, Laws | |
| 2008 US Soccer Guidance additional items coming soon | 5/15/2009 | US Soc Guid |
This is possibly the only collected archive of USSF communications, letters, clarifications and papers. As we find these important, original communications, we will catalogue and post them here. Also identified is if the communication has been promoted to something more formal such as a USSF Position Paper, USSF Laws page entry, or maybe the collection of "video case studies" as initially informally collected at CNRA.net, for example. Those not posted on a USSF site are in Red. There are now many additional finds that were included in the 2008 USSF Soccer Guidance publication. The videos included there were not copied into this list. See that online document (or its358MB local archive copy here) to view the videos.
Like with our historical and current collection of key documents, we welcome any and all submissions of past communications to create as complete and accurate a historical archive as possible. We will continue to catalogue them here unless some other source becomes available for these many important works of historical and educational interest.
So what is the source of this content -- especially ones in red listed as never posted? The USSF Referee organization routinely sends out dated, official communications. Today, these are often in the form of emails to the State association key staff. National referees and instructors are often included. These communications are often clarifications in the way USSF advises referees to interpret the laws or practice game mechanics to help standardize refereeing in the USA. The communications may be immediate changes that will appear later as updates in key documents such as the Advice to Referees (ATR) or Guide to Procedures for Referees (GTP). Often now the communications come with attachments such as a powerpoint presentation or video clip.
Very rarely are these official communications with attachments transferred down to the local administrators and instructors. They are sporadically posted to the US Soccer website -- sometimes 2 to 3 years later. Sometimes, they never make it to the USSF website nor passed down to local staff. Hence a main reason for collecting them here as we become aware of them. Thanks to those on State and National staff for aperiodically letting us know of missing, important documents.
The main source of the archives, the USSF position paper list on their website, is in alphabetical order based on the title when posted. So the list is difficult to use for finding new submissions or submissions on a specific topic. Often the titles start with a preposition and are sorted with that word instead of the key topic it covers contained in the title. Hence there was a need for creating this single-source list that can be sorted by date, title and topic. The second largest existing source, the Laws page, has a completely aribtrary order and things are posted and then removed as well. Most are not date stamped when posted. Some of that content is captured on the main page of this socref.net site in the Laws section and not replicated here unless necessary. What wasn't captured in either page is put in this table at the end.
A key communication that we all know about is the Memorandum. It is generally provided on the main Laws page but included here if not provided in its entirety on the USSF website. By entirety, we mean the collateral material such as the powerpoint presentation of the text memorandum.
Where possible, a USSF original site link is provided. As always, we try and make a local archive copy available in case the source from USSF becomes unavailable. Recently, USSF is posting the videos to google (2006) or youtube (2007 and onwards) and not always including them as attachments in the original emails. We will try to remember to grab the videos for archive as well before they disappear.
Randy Harr,
Your socref.net content editor