Question Number: 30108

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 2/15/2016

RE: AYSO Under 15

Jeff Banks of Captain Cook, HI USA asks...

I have been teaching my defenders proper positioning with a dribbling attacker. Part of it is a good distance of an arm's length either in front or back of the attacker. I have taught them to visualize an arm's distance. However, is it a foul to have an arm up in front of an attacker or when they are behind an attacker?
I was watching Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid and a defender had his hand on the back of an attacker, but was not pushing. It appeared to be more for determining in what direction the attacker was going. The referee did not call it. Maybe he did not see it.
Mahalo

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Jeff,
used passively the arm/hand as a gauge or warding tool to keep him from backing into you or getting a read on his direction is fine as long as you are not giving a push as a straight arm shiver or grabbing and pulling on the jersey, shoulder or arm of the opponent as a form of holding. Each referee is a match condition and may view certain things differently, however, I hold the opinion as long as the arm is not flung out with force into the opponent or the hand closes on the jersey or player I see no issues. Gentle nudges! The downside if an opponent senses any contact, expect they could try to sell a foul.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Jeff
It is not unusual at the highest level for players to raise their arms towards an opponent when both are static and in close proximity. It happens all the time and both ways with attackers also using an arm to keep the defender at arms length behind him. Now most times these are not given as fouls as the referee does no see any impact on the player from the contact and as such it is then trifling. However quite often now though we see players go down easily in such situations and the referee responds with a foul. Case in point is the defender that feels the attacker behind him and on contact goes down easily and exaggerate the impact.
Is it a good tactic to raise an arm. Personally I dont think that it is because it asks a question of the referee who may see the raised arm as a push. Case in point was a recent game. Defender raises his arm behind the attacker. The contact is minimal and the attacker falls forward on his face. My first reaction was that the level of contact was minimal, certainly not enough to move 12/14 stone on to his face should he decide otherwise to stand his ground. AR flags for a push and I give the foul. Now the Laws do not spell out what amount of force is required for a push foul. I have seen much more stronger, honest players take bigger pushes with little or no effect saying to the defender that they are stronger and more physical, more able to take any contact that comes their way.
Also one has to consider the circumstances as well. What might be okay when players are static will not wash when there is movement. An attacker running at speed at a defender who raises his arm towards the attacker is quite likely to be called for a foul should the attacker be impacted by that raised arm.

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Hi Jeff,
Referees at the top levels will let a LOT more go than they would in U/15. For instance, players are constantly pushing and holding each other at that level, but in youth football, that's probably going to be a foul straight away.
Putting an arm up to the back of an opponent isn't, strictly speaking, a foul - the foul is for pushing or holding an opponent, and if they're not doing anything to affect the movement or balance of the opponent then it isn't a foul.
But.....it might look like a foul. An arm touching the back and the attacker loses his footing and stumbles? As I'm sure you can imagine, that would look like a foul. Some referees incorrectly penalise, it seems, for even just putting your arms anywhere near an opponent's back - so your players may be penalised by an overly strict referee there.
I often see scenarios where a defender has put his arm up to hold/push an opponent in the Penalty Area, and as soon as they touch the opponent the attacker goes down. Maybe the foul was legitimate, maybe it was a dive - but the question I always think about it is - as a defender, why would you put yourself in a position where it even looks like you've committed a foul? I find it hard to be sympathetic towards a defender who has suffered a penalty from a dive in that scenario, because the arm shouldn't be like that to start with. Not justifying a dive by any means, but in the Penalty Area in particular, do you want to risk doing something that has the potential to look like a foul?
If you're still going to ahead with coaching this technique after considering these risks, then perhaps consider coaching your players to ensure it's just fingertips to try to make it clearer that it's just a touch, or to touch and take the hand back off.

Having said all that, I often see adult players put their hands on the back of an opponent. Not pushing, but just placing the hand there. Not sure what the reason is. People always scream about the hands in the back, but simply doing this isn't a foul unless there's holding or pushing.