Question Number: 15727

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 6/8/2007

RE: Under 14

Murphy of Montreal, Canada asks...

During a youth league level match U12-13 boys, the goaltender clears the ball into the centre area with a high kick, the defender from the opposing team is all alone with only his own team mate is within 15 feet of him, the defender yells "I got it" and plays the ball back into the opposing teams area; the referee blows his whistle and calls "dangerous play" and awards the opposing team a DFK.

What would the referee have considered to be dangerous play?, my assumption is that the player yelled" I got it" and even if he did call dangerous play or even unsporting behaviour, it should have been IFK.

Your thougts,

Murph in Montreal

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

H Murphy,
it is MYTH of the game perpetuated as a form of verbal impediment that simply has no basis in actual law. The misconception lies in this imaginary delusion that simply SAYING the words creates USB and or a need for a stoppage!!

Frankly considering it as PIADM (playing in a dangerous manner) has even added more myth to an already overloaded one!
The added insult of a DFK upgrade takes it to new heights of redundancy and lack of understanding of penal fouls.

A player simply warning a teammate to butt out as the ball will be challenged for by him has NOT, I repeat NOT, done anything to UNFAIRLY disadvantage an opponent.

Using phrases like, I got it! MINE ! Leave it! My ball! are NOT an automatic offence . They are a form of communication! Not truly great communication as a COACH I prefer adding a name or a jersey colour Richard's ball White ball etc... or if my keeper takes charge KEEPER'S BALL!

What needs to be considered is not just what was said but how and why and where. If I scream Arrrrrrgh! into the ear of my opponent to distract or intimidate or I cup my hands and scream my own name or any of the phrases I just mentioned into an opponent's ear THAT is MISCONDUCT! It is a cautionary action followed by the showing of a yellow card because it was not a communication to my teammate but an UNFAIR attempt to deceive or distract an opponent!

Free speech is alive and well or at least it should be. The referee here could use a refresher course in what constitutes fouls and misconduct and correct restarts!

Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

If you heard the referee correctly, he's VERY confused. First, there's no such thing as "dangerous play". It's playing in a dangerous manner. Second, while there's no such offence as a high kick, it would be the high kick the referee would wrongly punish as "dangerous play". Third, yelling "I got it" is NOT an offence in and of itself and it's NEVER PIADM. What the referee messed up here was what he thought to be misconduct NOT a foul. If a player yells ANYTHING that unfairly disadvantages an opponent, it's unsporting behavior which is misconduct. Finally, the restart for this is an Indirect Free Kick, not a Direct. My thoughts are this referee is in serious need of an assessment and retraining if he ever got properly trained in the first place.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

You ask if the "referee" has taken a correct decision and restarted play correctly. The answer to both is a resounding NO!

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Jon [With held]

However, he is the referee and although in technicality made an error which needs to be corrected, the time and place is not on the field of play. He is a match condition and what he says goes. If you argue he could caution you, if you carry on arguing he could give you a second caution and your part in the game is no more.