Question Number: 20419

Character, Attitude and Control 10/31/2008

RE: High School

Lee of Oliver, B.C. Canada asks...

This question is a follow up to question 20403

KL EY observes what many coaches & players expect...'soft fouls' not to be called in the penalty area.

Thank you for your reminders and insistance to we refs that we be consistent, to acknowledge unfair play where-ever on the field it happens. I've been determined to call those 'regular 'ol fouls' within the 18x18x44ft, hopefully after a couple of seconds to see if advantage. (I'm still working on that delayed whistle within penalty area!)

I had an interesting revelation this week. In my 10 most recently reffed highschool boys matches (in 3 different towns), I realized that on one particular town field, I'd conducted quite a few (4-5) PKs during each match there. (shared on both ends w. both teams)

Yet only a couple PKs called total over all other 7 games total in the other towns. (mixture of same opponents)

So....I've come to realize that that particular field is so narrow that those typical 'corner area' shananigans drawing fouls happen instead inside of that field's penalty area (which is so close to the touchline) PKs resulting. I feel a bit better.. and the school is looking forward to a wider & bigger field in future.

PS: does anyone know where feeds for the U17 NZ World Cup matches are being shown? cbcsports.ca is streaming our Canuck matches...but any others? Thanks, Lee

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

It is far easier to say it then do it but you are 100% correct !


TV U-17 World Cup will be on Galavision & ESPN-U (Not ESPN, On ESPN-U)

ESPNU, the 24-hour college sports network, and ESPN360.com, ESPN's customized broadband service, will continue its exclusive English-language coverage of FIFA events this summer by combining to present all 52 matches of the FIFA Under-17 World Cup from eight Korean cities, Aug. 18-Sept. 9.


ESPNU will televise 23 matches, including the championship on Sunday, Sept. 9 live at 5:45 a.m. ET, while ESPN360.com will offer 29 matches live from the round robin stage.


ESPNU's coverage of the FIFA U-17 World Cup will kick-off with the opening match - Korea DPR vs. England -- Saturday, Aug. 18 at 12:45 a.m. from Jeju World Cup Stadium. In all, ESPNU will feature all U.S. team matches in pool play, plus the entire round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals and championship match from Seoul, Korea's Seoul World Cup Stadium. ESPN2 will simulcast the USA vs. Tunisia match on Aug. 23 at 3:45 a.m.


ESPN360.com will feature matches from the opening round, beginning Saturday, Aug. 18 with Costa Rica vs. Togo and Brazil vs. New Zealand at 3:45 a.m. and concluding Sunday, Aug. 26 with Germany vs. Trinidad and Tobago and Colombia vs. Ghana at 5:45 a.m. Both ESPNU and ESPN360.com will utilize the English-language world feed and commentators provided by FIFA throughout the event. In addition, all live FIFA U-17 World Cup events on ESPNU will be re-aired at a later time to accommodate U.S. viewers.



Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Hi Lee. Trifling fouls shouldn't be called anywhere in most instances. The reason a penalty kick is awarded for direct kick fouls committed inside the penalty area is once the attacking team is that close to the goal, their chances of scoring go up greatly and when the defending team fouls them this close they are disadvantaging the attacking team to a far greater degree than if they foul them 25 yards away. That's why you need to call fouls inside the penalty area. To ignore them is a disscervice to both teams