Question Number: 31168

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 1/11/2017

RE: Level 1 coach Under 11

John of London, Uk asks...

Hi,
I manage an under 10 boys team. One of my players slid in from the side and clearly won the ball before his momentum knocked over the opponent. The ref gave a free kick against my player. I was not sure he made the right decision. Can you please help clear this up.
Thank you. John

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi John
Two thoughts here.
1. Winning the ball cleanly is only one part of a legal challenge. The manner in which the ball is won is also a major consideration. As I referee I hear from players all the time *Ref I won the ball* and that may be the case yet the manner in which the ball is won can be careless or in many instances reckless where the tackler shows no consideration or regard for the safety of an opponent.
The relevant section of Law 12 states
*A direct free kick is awarded if a player commits any of the following offences against an opponent in a manner considered by the referee to be careless, reckless or using excessive force: .....
tackles or challenges.*
So a player that tackles for the ball in a way that there is every possibility of collecting the opponent or making heavy contact after the challenge can be certainly careless. Yes there can be a coming together of players in challenges and as long as it is only that there is no offence in those situations.
2. Some competitions at very young age groups do not allow or try to deter sliding challenges for safety concerns. Sliding by very young inexperienced players can be dangerous to both players.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

We all have heard players say, 'But ref, I got the ball.'

The answer to that is, 'Yes, and then you got the player.'

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi John,
slide tackles at this level, are not, in my opinion the best way to win the ball. It is a last ditched effort of a beaten defender to do so! You do very little defending while lying on the ground.
The execution and timing of tackles as well as the safety concerns at the youth level, generally referees cast a very close eye on collisions or players falling over one another. It is a MYTH of epic proportions that simply I GOT THE BALL precludes any chance at a foul. The manner, direction , and force applied that COULD endanger an opponent are applied regardless if the ball is contacted first! It is true there is less likely a foul present but it certainly does NOT rule it out. Just look at the repercussions at the tackles where players are littered about the FOP rolling around clutching legs and hobbling about. Slide tackle create big issues When a slide tackle is performed correctly, they do look spectacular and a 'WELL IN' is often roared out in approval but they are ALWAYS risky, ALWAYS looked at from the view was it a SAFETY concern? Was the direction into the player so he could not be avoided? Was it done at a high speed with considerable mass, becoming a lesson in collision physics as an unstable force?

When the well timed correctly applied leg in is applied so that it becomes a realistic slide challenge with the knee bent and the front leg extended attempted when too much ball was exposed thus the opponent simply falls over or into the player winning the challenge to poke the ball free or out of harms way. We still look to see if the tacklers arms reach up to grab and hold (instead of protect his face) or the free leg sweeps in behind to scissor the opponent creating a very foolish foul. given the ball is usually played away .


I will admit I do get annoyed when an attacker showing TOO much of the ball is slide tackled in a very FAIR and obviously no foul challenge yet because the opponent ends up FALLING down over the leg out in front that pushed the ball away it becomes a trip when in actuality the opponent is running over the player on the ground who played the ball away !
In cases where poor foul recognition or simply when so much concern is based on the players age and falling looks bad to error on safety many great tackles do wind up unfairly punished .

That still does NOT excuse a player charging in hard to get the ball going through the player and it was never in doubt that is what was always going to be the case ball or no ball.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi John,
As far as the letter of the law goes, it makes no difference whether a player gets the ball, nor whether the ball is played first or not.

The law used to say that it was a foul to tackle a player and make contact with the player before the ball. That was true as far as it went but unfortunately it led to the mistaken assumption that the contrary was also true - namely, that any tackle where the ball was contacted before the player, was not a foul.

That was never the intention of the law and so that part of the law was removed to avoid any possible confusion (even though there shouldn't have been any confusion if people were reading the law correctly).

So now the only thing that matters is whether the tackle was careless, reckless or used excessive force. Admittedly, the fact of whether the player gets the ball or not (and in which order) can factor into the referee's decision as to the nature of the tackle but it is not the primary consideration.

It is also a bit of a truism that often the easiest way to win the ball is to take the player out as well. I'm not saying that is what happened in the incident with your player but it just reinforces once again that winning the ball does not exculpate the player for any other misdeeds they may commit.

I think the telling factor here may be the issue of momentum. You say that it was the momentum of your player that caused the contact to occur. If the referee felt that your player was not in full control of his momentum then that could lead the official to conclude that your player had been at a minimum, careless in his execution of the tackle. If, as Ref Dawson describes, the momentum of a player, after cleanly getting the ball, takes him past the front of the opponent without making any contact and the opponent then runs into the player who is on the ground in front of them, the call may well be different.