Question Number: 30496

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 6/8/2016

RE: Competitive High School

Hurley of Malvern, PA USA asks...

If I Tackle a player, and he falls onto the ground, am I allowed to intentionally kick the ball at him.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Hurley
Why would you want to do that? The game is to play the ball in such a way that goals can be scored against the opponent.
Now referees are not mind readers so we look at the circumstances of play. There will be times where the ball will be kicked say at a free kick at a defensive wall. Is the kick aimed at the players in the wall or to try to score a goal? Another example is the kick forward that hits an opponent in the way. That will look like normal play. Now compare that with a player with the ball who does something that is totally at odds with normal play such as turning away from his expected kicking direction and deliberately kicks the ball at an opponent. The player has used the ball to commit violent conduct and he is disqualified. It is no different from throwing the ball, water bottle etc at an opponent during play and it will look deliberate to the referee.
Referees may also look at the prior circumstances surrounding the incident and opine if it is normal play or if it is a player taking retaliation against an opponent using the ball. I have seen player kick the ball at opponents when it has been out of play and it always results in a sanction most times a caution as the kick may be from a distance and miss the target or it is toe poke of the ball against the players shin. I have dismissed players for throwing the ball at players heads while it was out if play. That is violent conduct.

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Hi Hurley,
The fact that the ball is in play doesn't entitle you to use it as a weapon.
While there's always a fair possibility that a player on the ground will find themselves struck with the ball, if the referee believes that it was done in a clearly deliberate fashion then he can certainly caution or send off the player, depending on the force involved and where it struck the opponent. The restart would be a direct free kick or a penalty kick if a defender does it in his own penalty area.