Corner flags

[Zimmyman]

I’m getting mixed up confusion on corner flags are they compulsory ?????? Can’t find the answer on my course I’m sure I was told they weren’t ( you can bet what my first question in the exam will be !!)

 

[Tino Best]

yes they are but nets are not by the LOTG, but nets are normally mentioned in league rules.

 

[GraemeS]

Depends on the context.

Are you in a LOTG exam? Then the answer is yes.
Are you on a field with 22 people staring at you wanting to start a match? Then the answer is no!

 

[Tino Best]

I agree with GraemeS. Better to have nets rather than flags in my opinion

 

[cwyeary]

Last night I had a U16 match without corner flags. I was a rebel and played the game anyway.

 

[Middle Man]

The golden rule for me is to always try and find a reason to play a game, provided there is no dangers. Missing flags or nets is inconvenient and you should always arrive in good time before KO to give the club every chance to get all issues sorted but, I call off a game if they were missing. For instance, there was a missing corner arc for one of my recent games, I asked the club to paint it but they couldn’t in time for KO. I got agreement of both teams (this ‘agreement’ was me really just warning them that I call where the ball is placed) and played the game. I then reported that the pitch was not properly marked (it is an option on my match card).

 

[Ben448844]

Game on 3g pitch last Saturday morning, no corner flags present. I ask the home team manager where the flags were and he didn't know (first time they'd hired this pitch as there's usually kids that play on it on a Saturday morning, caretaker of the school we were playing on had gone for a bacon butty!). I said not to worry let's just get playing.

I did have a similar issue during the final league game of an u18 league season in May where nobody could find the key to the cupboard where the nets were kept. Home team manager asks "what do we do if we can't find the key", "play without them mate, they manage to do so all over the world so why not here". The key was found but we would've played it without nets, they're not in the LOTG

 

[Ben448844]

Also, I did 10 friendlies pre season and only a couple of them went ahead with corner flags because the ground was so firm!

 

[Padfoot]

If you were being assessed, would you play a game without corner flags?

 

[RefJef]

If you were being assessed, would you play a game without corner flags?

Yes, but I’d make sure I asked the question to the home team (“Do you have corner flags?”) and also make sure I highlighted their non existence to both teams - captains, and management- and I would flag it up (pun intended) to my assessor so they were aware of my thought process and decision making.

As an assessor, what would be your verdict on the above, versus not playing the game for lack of flags?

 

[Ben448844]

If there weren't any and its low standard Sunday League stuff then yes. I would explain that I know that the LOTG state that there must be corner flags, but also the IFAB advice for low standard games is to play without them as the game should be encouraged at lower levels. I would also explain that i would be reporting the incident.

 

[Ben448844]

I looked this up in a changing room once last year when I'd just qualified as a level 7 and the pitch I was at had no corner flags lol

 

[WilliamD]

If you were being assessed, would you play a game without corner flags?

Yes*. *If the game is at grassroots level ifab calls this out in the LOTG good book as an example of spirit of the game.

 

[Padfoot]

Would you play a game without players wearing shin pads?

Or without lines?

 

[JamesL]

If you were being assessed, would you play a game without corner flags?

You're damn right I would.

 

[santa sangria]

Would you play a game without players wearing shin pads?

Or without lines?

Is it OK if I play with my ball in the garden, or do you want to take it home with you?

 

[WilliamD]

Would you play a game without players wearing shin pads?

Or without lines?

Shin pads are a rather different topic involving safety. Corner flags are for our convenience. I’ll go with ifab guidelines on this one. Hope my observers are up to speed on these.

 

[WilliamD]

You're damn right I would. View attachment 2496[/QUOT

 

[Padfoot]

Shin pads are a rather different topic involving safety. Corner flags are for our convenience. I’ll go with ifab guidelines on this one. Hope my observers are up to speed on these. View attachment 2497

Glad you posted that.....wanted to see if anyone had read that far in the book!

One final conundrum.....’appropriate authorities ‘.....which is?

 

[RustyRef]

When I was going through promotion I was observed several times at a particular complex where there are two artificial pitches. One observer, who was also in charge of the promotion scheme, would always ask "why shouldn't this game have been played". The answer was no corner flags (as no holes to put them in), and that was all he was looking for and it was never mentioned on the report.

Thousands of games have been played on artificial pitches with no corner flags, just get on with it. On a grass pitch be seen to try and get it sorted out, but lack of corner flags shouldn't see a game called off. There is zero player safety risk, the only risk is you may give a goal kick instead of a corner or vice versa.