Question Number: 29989

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 12/10/2015

RE: Rec Adult

George of Parangarecutirimicuaro, CA Sacratomato asks...

A defender is challenging a ball at his 18. As both defender and attacker are engaged in a clean physical battle for the ball, a second defender comes in hard. Since the second defender is much bigger and taller than the other two players (by about a foot or so), he ends up landing an elbow on his teammate breaking his nose. Ref stops play so that the team can tend to the injured player. Once the player with the bleeding, broken nose is substituted, referee restarted the game with DFK to attacking team. Is this the correct call?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi George
A player cannot commit a direct free kick foul on a team mate. So as described the restart should have been a dropped ball.
Now without seeing the incident the referee could deem that the second defender in his tackle did so in a manner that was careless, reckless etc ON THE OPPONENT and that he just happened to make heavy contact with his team mate in the challenge, sort of collateral damage. That can still be called as a foul although reasonably rare. For example if a goalkeeper came out hard to say punch a ball involving an opponent and a team mate and he misses the opponent making heavy contact with his team mate that would rarely if ever be called as a foul.
Here is an example
https://m.youtube.com/watch?t=0m15s&v=upLkZeqIAC0
Blue has kicked his team mate in the head injuring him. Neither of the White opponents were close enough to be affected by this so there is no foul and the restart is a dropped ball. If White 6 was somewhat closer and affected by Blue 3 then it could be playing in a dangerous manner which has an IDFK restart.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi George,
Hmmm attempting to strike might be a possibility but this sounds like a drop ball situation for an injury? There was no card shown? accident?
Do not really understand the restart unless the opponent was contacted in the scrum in some careless manner. perhaps a reckless charge? Only the match referee can explain, his match his decision his reputation based on what he thought was needed. For a foul the opponent must be personally affected by the action while the ball is in play on the field of play. If it was viewed as an attack on a teammate as deliberate then it would be an INDFK restart and a card shown for sure
Cheers