Question Number: 31299

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 2/26/2017

RE: Varsity High School

Daniel of Dallas, Texas United States asks...

An attacker, free from all other defenders, has only the goalkeeper to beat, who is standing 20 yards from the goal line, just outside the area. The attacker cheekily chips the ball over the goalkeeper, with the intent of retrieving the ball behind the keeper and scoring. The keeper, after being chipped, dives to the feet of the attacker, holding him back from the ball by the ankle (i.e. obvious DOGSO, assuming a goal is not scored). The referee, who sees this foul, also notices that the bouncing chipped ball is rolling slowly toward goal, with no one there to stop it, so he delays his whistle to see if the ball will enter the goal. BEFORE the ball enters the goal, however, the attacker, mad about being held, stomps on the goalkeeper with his free foot (VC).

I know that, all other things aside, an 'attempted' or 'failed' DOGSO is a yellow card. Here, though, the attacker fouled before the ball entered the goal, though the keeper fouled him first. My interpretation is that the referee should call the first foul (DFK for attacking team), and then both players receive red. One for DOGSO, one for VC.

What are your thoughts? It's a very unfortunate scenario.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Daniel
Yes an unfortunate situation and your interpretation is 100% correct.
The only possible decision is to stop play, send off the goalkeeper for denying an obvious goal scoring opportunity, send off the attacker for violent conduct and the restart is a direct feee kick to the attacking team at the location of the holding DOGSO foul.

Answer provided by Referee Joe Manjone

Daniel,
You are correct. The Goalkeeper would be disqualified for committing a foul while attempting to deny an obvious goal-scoring opportunity and the goal is not scored (12-8-2-d3) and the attacker would be disqualified for Violent Conduct (12--8-2a and 18-1-1-tt). The restart is a direct kick for the attacking team from the point of infraction by the goalkeeper (13-2-1f). I hope that your high school season is going well.