Question Number: 2068

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct

RE: competition Under 16

Frank Uccello of Richmond Hill, Ontario asks...

Could you define Plays in a dangerous manner and serious foul play. Can you give some examples or the difference between the two. And how would you caution playing in a dangerous manner do you award the indirect kick and caution the player or is it just a indirect kick without caution.

Answer provided by Referee burbidge

Dangerous play can be play that is dangerous to the player herself or to others. The result is an indirect FK, no caution is shown. Cautions are for: persistently infringing the rules, unsporting behaviour, dissent, delay of game, leaving field, entering field, & not respecting required distance. Serious foul play is a foul that results in a red card send-off. An example is when a player cheats like a goalkeeper actually tackles a player to prevent a shot on net or a player does this.

Answer provided by Referee Starr

This is a common question. Dangerous play is an act that would have potentially resulted in an injury to the opponent or to the player who was playing dangerously. The penalty for this act is an IFK. The difference between "dangerous play" and "serious foul play" is if there were any contact between the players. Unless there was contact no foul has been committed (unless the referee has determined that the guilty party was "attempting" to kick, trip, or strike his opponent. As the game cannot tolerate play of this kind, it is considered dangerous play if the player does not make contact with his opponent but rather puts his opponent (or himself) in a dangerous situation. Examples are:.high kicks near to the opponents upper body, playing the ball while on the ground with opponents nearby, attampting to kick the ball in the goalkeepers possession or with the goalkeeper on the ground at the feet of his opponent attempting to gain possession of the ball. There are others but these are the most commom. The important thing is that there be no contact for "dangerous play".

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

In order for Playing In A Dangerous Manner (PIADM) to be called, three things have to happen 1. The act must in itself be dangerous even if only to the player performing the action, 2. an opponent must be nearby and 3. an opponent must somehow be disadvantaged. Remember PIADM is a FOUL and a foul by definition is against an OPPONENT. Thus, there is no foul known as a "high kick" or "playing the ball while on the ground", two things that commonly are mistaken to be fouls in and of themselves. PIADM results in an IFK as no contact occurs. If contact occurs it elevates to kicking, tripping,striking etc and then the referee has to decide if this foul is reckless which would result in a caution and yellow card or with excessive force which would result in a send off and red card. Serious foul play occurs when an opponent is challenging for the ball and uses force with no regard to the opponents safety. Violent Conduct also results in a send off and red card but the action occurs off the ball. Serious foul play has to occur between opponents but Violent Conduct may be directed against anyone including teammates and referees