Question Number: 20250

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 10/14/2008

RE: Travel - Premier (Select) Under 15

Steven Grosser of Montebello, NY USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 20223

If the keeper is on the ground and hit in the head with the opponent's foot (there are questions as to whether it was a kick or just hitting the head when leaping of the keeper) is that a definite yellow card (with possible red based upon the criteria you provided in the prior response)?

BTW - This is a great service. I have provided your URL to the coaches (3 teams) and they have passed it on to their respective clubs and leagues).

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

By your description - questions whether the player kicked the goalkeeper or not - it may not even be a foul. If it isn't a foul, it certainly isn't misconduct. A caution in this case would be for a reckless foul of kicking. A send-off would be serious foul play for the excessive nature of the foul, or it could be violent conduct if the challenge was made without making a play for the ball.

It seems this may just be an unfortunate collision. In that case, play would continue unless it had to be stopped to deal with an injury.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Steve,
you are too general in the circumstances for a definitive answer. Each situation is based on the actions of those involved.
A keeper who is on the ground gets kicked in the head by an opponent it could be VC as an act of violent conduct or a badly timed attempted to play the ball in an excessive manner as SFP (Serious Foul Play) both of which are straight red cards and a send off with the DFK (direct free kick) out .

If the contact was only considered as reckless by the opponent then a caution show the yellow card DFK out.

Cheers

If the contact was careless then only the DFK out.

All the above assumes live play, not a whistled stoppage then the contact.

The keeper may have even placed himself in harms way and we could have been contemplating an INDFK for PIADM (Playing In A Dangerous Manner) by the keeper only to see the accident unfold before we can react. Or the accidental impact is no foul at all but we stop play to attend to an injury in which case the restart is a drop ball.

I will tell you this, EVERY player, keeper included, must exercise some restraint when things are obviously unsafe to follow through or continue to challenge when the opposition is better positioned to play the ball. I got ball is no excuse to clean out the opponent. . An opposing stiff legged challenged into a downed keeper or a keeper who leads with his knee by jumping forward are both dangerous actions when challenging for the ball.

The keeper generally cannot be run into or over as he is unchallengeable when he has the ball in his hand possession.

The opposition must consider the keeper's vulnerability when he is stretched out reaching for a high ball or the ball is under a collapsed keeper after a ground diving save that the opponent is simply not going to get too. The opponent must turn away or seek to avoid contact in these cases.

We look at the body language, the eyes and the force applied. Was the challenge reasonable given the opportunity to play the ball?

Answer provided by Referee Steve Montanino

A foul requires certain criteria to be met, the same is true of misconduct (red/yellow cards)...

The information you have provided doesn't really tell us what category the scenario described falls into.