Question Number: 13335

Law 18 - Common Sense 7/13/2006

RE: Rec Under 9

Greg Burgess of Jarrettsville, MD USA asks...

In a U8 soccer game, the ball was kicked at the face of the defender. The defender brought his hand in front of his facet to protect it and did not swat at the ball.

Deliberate handling of the ball was called. Is this the correct call?

Thanks

Greg Burgess
Jarrettsville, MD 21084

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Sigh...The Laws of the Game were not written to punish 8 year olds for protecting themselves. Get used to it. Handling is the single most wrongly called foul in youth soccer. Tell your players that what the referee says goes and not to argue any calls.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Decisions such as this one happen all the time, especially at the U-little level because there the referees are the least experienced.

For me a player trying to keep his head attached is not deliberately handling the ball, he's deliberately keeping the parts attached and that ain't foul play.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

I agree with referee Fleischer. I would keep all sorts of things in mind here. First off, the age level of the players favor the no call to me. I also would consider the distance and/or time player had to react. If they had time to move out of way, but decided to block ball with hand I would more more likely to call it. Of course, your referee was backed up by the laws for calling it as the hand did move to the ball here.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Greg,
as part of the USSF ATR (advice to referees ) it specifically addresses that instinctive protection reflex actions do NOT constitute deliberate actions. The lower the age and the skill the greater the need for a referee to understand the difference of deliberately trying to play a ball and reacting to a dangerous situation.
The description you gave appears to NOT fit the criteria of a foul but referees are often inexperianced at the youth level to the same extent as the players. Hopefully time and a good mentor will change this referee's thinking. My colleagues point though as an OPINION of a fact concerning play a referee that considers the time and reason a player reacts and even if you or I might not make such a call in law he is not wrong to do so! CHeers