Question Number: 22069

League Specific 9/24/2009

RE: Competitive High School

Scotty of Syracuse, NY USA asks...

While watching a high school match, BLUE midfielder sent a great pass through the defensive line, and a BLUE forward pursued it at top speed alongside a RED defender. They ran side-by-side into the penalty area, and neither had possession of the ball.

As they approached the ball, the RED player had maybe a half-step advantage, so BLUE player slid on the ground to kick the ball, putting it in the corner of the goal. The BLUE player hit the ball first, but also made slight incidental contact with the defender. There was no tripping.

The referee blew the whistle, cautioned the BLUE player for dangerous play (tackling from behind), and the RED team took a IFK from the spot of the foul.

Was this the proper call? I'm not aware of any rule forbidding sliding from any direction, so long as a player touches the ball and does not endanger an opponent.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Scotty
From what you describe this would not normally be called as a foul. However the referee must have seen it differently and in his/her opinion the contact with the player was first. Always a difficult call.
I assume as well that when you indicated that the restart was an IFK, indirect free kick that it should have been a DFK, Direct free kick as it was a contact foul, or maybe there was something else there?
You are correct as well that a player can challenge from any direction as long as it is not careless, reckless or endangers the safety of an opponent. In determining the seriousness of an offence (such as kicking, tripping, jumping at, striking, pushing, charging an opponent), referees take into account:
The element of intent or malice
The speed of the player's action
The tackler's chance of playing the ball
Is a player endangering the safety of the opponent?
Particular emphasis is placed on the elimination of challenges where a player gives no consideration to the safety and welfare of an opponent. Any challenge involving excessive force, from any direction and therefore endangering the safety of an opponent, must be considered as serious foul play and the offender must be sent off.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

It's not clear what the referee saw.

The only time I've seen dangerous play/caution called in this situation is where the defender's tackle endangered the safety of the player (straight leg -sometimes the trailing leg, cleats up, aimed over the ball at the opponents legs) but the defender completely missed the opponent's leg. (Note: the player who executes a tackle that endangers the safety of an opponent can be sent off even if she misses.).

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Besides, in NFHS rules dangerous play is not a cautionable offense. Dangerous play as defined by NFHS is punishable by an Indirect Free Kick only. There is nothing in the NFHS rule book that prohibits a tackle from behind. In Rule 12.1.3 NFHS has this to say: Situation: A2 approaches B2 from outside B2's normal peripheral vision and executes a sliding tackle. Ruling: Legal, if in the referee's judgement it is properly executed. So tackling from anywhere is allowed as long as properly executed.

Had the Blue player endangered the safety of the Red player a send off and red card would be awarded not a caution. Had the Blue player tripped or kicked or in the opinion of the referee, attempted to do either, the punishment still is not a caution unless considered to be reckless, but the restart would be a direct free kick.

I don't know what the referee saw or why he actually cautioned the Blue player but it should not have been for dangerous play.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

As you can gather from the responses each of us are trying to decipher what the referee may have seen based only on what you describe!

Slight contact ? A bit of a thigh brush or a cleat nip on the ankle? One is likely dismissed the other can be very painful and not dismissive in the least! Did the opponent have to jump out of the way at some point?

The match referee actually cautioned and showed a yellow card to the player for the tackle we assume for the reckless attempt that disregarded the possibility of unsafe contact given there was none! It could be an attempt to trip or kick more than a PIADM but contact does make it a DFK foul! ANY player who executes ANY tackle from ANY direction that endangers the safety of an opponent can be sent off even if NO contact occurs! Yet ANY tackle if correctly and reasonably done that is a legitimate attempt for the ball needs to evaluated by one who knows the difference. Inexperience or simple bad positioning given the high speed of play and a bad viewing angle can lead a referee to jump to a wrong conclusion!

Admittedly I find the PIADM indfk could be more of a biased referee opinion that "I do not like slide tackle from behind and basing my call on the potential if you did it again it might go horribly wrong I will stop you from doing it again!' Not correct in law but since the match referee has the whistle it tends to stop play regardless.
Foul recognition is as much art as science but also the gut feel of I need to deal with this! Sometimes the gut instinct gets it wrong!

I am curious what was the reaction of the players themselves?
Cheers

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 22097