Question Number: 30644

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 8/1/2016

RE: Rec & Competitive Under 16

Robert of Oakville, Ontario Country asks...

Attacker falls to the ground inside the opposing team's penalty area for a reason that is not committed by a foul (i.e. injury). Defender accidentally steps on the attacker's hand. LOTG do not mention stepping on an opponent. I understand that you could card them depending on the severity but would you go to a IFK then? They don't exactly match up do they. Is there something I am missing?

Thanks! :)

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Hi Robert,
Sometimes we need to infer the intent of the laws. Stomping on an opponent would fall under 'kicks an opponent', given it's an impact with the foot.
Now, bear in mind that any foul needs to be careless at minimum. If you don't think that the opponent has, in any way, shown a lack of consideration to his opponent (such as if that player had no real chance to avoid stepping on the hand), then by definition that's not careless - a completely unavoidable accident is not a foul. Sometimes bad things just happen and it's nobody's fault.

The path of thought you were going down is 'stops play for any other reason to issue a card' (paraphrased slightly). This is when a player commits an act that is cautionable but isn't covered by a specific Law 12 offence. Given this was an accidental impact, you couldn't consider it cautionable. Play continues unless you stop play to attend the injury, then restart with a drop ball.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Robert
If it is an accident caused by the player on the ground then there is no foul. An opponent who finds a player in front of him on the ground and he does everything to avoid contact yet has to put his foot somewhere then that is not an offence if contact is made. Play can be stopped for the injury and the restart is a dropped ball.
If though the action is deliberate such as a stomp down then it violent conduct, a red card and a direct free kick restart. If the referee deemed it to be careless as part of a challenge then it is a direct free kick only while reckless elevates it to a caution
I had this situation last season in a game and a defender trod accidentally on an attacker after the attacker lost his footing and fell in front of the defender. It was purely an accident and as the ball had gone wide I did not have to stop play. After the injury was dealt with the game restarted with a goal kick