Question Number: 29991

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 12/10/2015

RE: Competitive Under 16

Aaron Speca of Virginia Beach, Virginia United States asks...

Two situations, two similar looking plays in the same game ... both appear to me to be fouls by Orange players but no foul was called. I admit to being biased since my daughter plays for Blue (and she was the one unceremoniously dumped on the second play), but I of course want to learn if what I think I see is actually what I see.

If these should be fouls, these are the kinds of plays I worry about not getting called because of the danger of the back of the head striking the ground and resulting in a concussion. Although I also realize that this is a physical sport where players do go down and no foul occurs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oesHiFwhmnw

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Aaron
Thanks for the video. In the first challenge I have looked at it many times and I still unsure if there is a foul here or by whom . Neither player seemed to play the ball and there seemed to be a coming together with Blue coming off worse probably caused by a body push by Red. So yes I think it could be a foul on Blue yet equally Blue does help either as she does not play the ball intersecting Reds movement and that could be seen as a foul as well. It is not clear cut and the referee from his angle of view with the ball staying close to the players perhaps saw it as a coming together.
On the second one it is not a foul. Red plays the ball away and then there is a coming together of the players with Blue off balance going to ground on contact.
Now as to the dangers here in my opinion the tackled players have somewhat contributed to the situations. Their body positions are extremely poor in the challenges and their balance is questionable. One would expect here to draw contact and to act accordingly through bracing and stronger body postures. The contact does not appear excessive and I could not consider that the Red player has acted with complete disregard to the danger to, or consequences for the opponent. If fouls were called I could not see those decisions impacting on player safety.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Arron
I concur, the first incident is screened but it looks as if blue is cutting across the path of red and I see no real contact with the ball that compels me to see this as anything but a 50 50 with blue coming off 2nd best though body position and balance. Intersecting runs do not usually end well reaching in a leg is always risky teach you daughter to square the hips get balance and force an angle on the dribbler. If you lunge in off balance, well, she knows!

The second one she kind of lunges in to knock the ball away with a shoulder ram into the chest of the off balanced blue player who was in a terrible position to protect the ball as she pivots from side to front chest just ahead of the challenge . I suspect the referee made no call on either incident from what I can determine I suspect I would not either
Cheers

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

See Question: 29993