Question Number: 29480

League Specific 6/14/2015

RE: Intermediate Under 13

Phil of Tarzana, CA United States asks...

This question is a follow up to question 29477

Same issue...different game. I was wondering what all of you thought about the yellow card & penalty kick in the 2015 World Cup game between Japan & Switzerland.

The incident in question is at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPI3MR6kj6U

To me it looked like a 50-50 ball. Both were running toward each other (to the ball) & both jumped in the air. The Japanese attacker got to the ball a fraction of a second first & kicked the ball, while both she & the Swiss GK were in the air. The GK actually blocked the ball with her hand while in the air. Then they had a horrible collision.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Phil
It wasn't really 50:50. For me the Japanese player played the ball first in a fair manner whereas the goalkeeper while she got the ball was reckless in her follow through with raised knees and boots. That is why the referee booked her for the reckless manner of her challenge.
So my take on it is that the referee made the correct call. Blue player posed no risk to her opponent whereas the goalkeeper certainly did. It why we constantly say that playing the ball is not a free pass at being reckless.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Phil,
your confusion/concern is understandable given what the German keeper in the 2014 men's WC final managed to not receive even a yelling at for cleaning out the Argentinian striker in the head with his knee.

A red card Send off certainly was the opinion on many who saw it I held the opinion it was borderline excessive/definitely reckless and DESERVED at MINIMUM a yellow card!

The official referee explanation it was ok at that ....level of play... as an expected keeper save. sigh

This incident in the WC 2015 Women's was not looked at in that light and I say good for that. The officiating has been suspect in many of the matches but I liked this one by the referee. The Swiss keeper threw herself into the guts of the Japan striker in as a curled up ball of knees and feet. I have to think her intentions I will try for ball but player not getting by! I judge it on the actions of how she curled her body in anticipation of the collision once she jumped forward.

Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Hi Phil,
At first glance, I thought the same. I thought the keeper was coming across, dived to reach the ball and the collision was just one of those things. But the shot from behind the keeper is a much better view. While I believe the keeper was only going for the ball, she actually jumped at the opponent. She was jumping for the ball, but also through the ball into the opponent. It may have been an unintended consequence, but a foul is only careless at minimum - and jumping with your full body weight directly into the path of an opponent certainly fits that category. So for me, it's the jump - and the fact that the jump was actually made towards the opponent - that makes it a foul.

There's no red card for DOGSO here because the attacker's touch on the ball was quite heavy meaning there's a good chance the covering defender would have reached it first. I'd want to be certain of the attacker being able to retrieve the ball to even consider DOGSO.

SFP is certainly possible - intent isn't required, merely excessive force and endangering the safety of an opponent. The argument could be made here that a lot of force was involved, as well as her knees coming into the gut of the opponent as a result of the jump. We may be a little sympathetic to the keeper here given the nature of their role involves jumping at the ball moreso than anybody else. I don't think it was forceful or dangerous enough for a red card for SFP, though I can see the justification for it. Definitely a caution for the recklessness though.