Question Number: 18992

League Specific 5/5/2008

RE: Adult Amateur and below High School

Gil of Ann Arbor, MI USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 18967

This question [18967] says "Rec, Select, High School". If the question were, in fact, around High School (NFHS) rules, there is no provision for disqualifying a player for denying a goal scoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball. Rule 12-8-3-b-2 talks about a "foul by a player against an opponent who is moving toward his/her offensive goal with an obvious opportunity to score," but there is no similar rule for DOGSO for handling.

So, High Schoolers, go ahead and swat that ball out of mid-air on its way in. PK and a caution, but no send-off.

I suspect that most High School refs around here (who seem to all be USSF certified as well) would, in fact, DQ the player, setting up a valid protest case for misapplication of the rules.

Just more grist for the mill for those of you that think the NFHS rules are crazy.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

There is a slight problem in your logic Gil. The match was played in Canada and they use the Laws of the Game NOT NFHS rules for high school competition. Further fouling up impeccable logic is the following sentence from NFHS 18-8.3.d.1:

a player anywhere on the field [other than a goalkeeper within his/her own penalty area] who deliberately handles a ball to prevent it from going into the goal;

This is part of the paragraph about serious foul play. Referees writing up a player for serious foul play in that the player illegally used a hand or arm to prevent a goal would be correctly disqualified and not replaced.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Only in Canada you say?
Pity
Mind you I have seen the sin bin idea in some Canadian high school programs to rest the wicked after receiving a caution to sit for ten minutes so even up here we add or take liberties with the laws theoretically for the benefit of the students.
Cheers