Question Number: 31375

League Specific 3/20/2017

RE: Recreational Adult

Luis Medina of Windsor, California United States asks...

I play for a recreational coed league and we have a 'no slide tackle' rule.
If a player slides with no opposite player around, is that a slide tackle?
I have seen players sliding to either try to score, save a goal or try to keep the ball from going out of bounds. Some players take it as no sliding at all, and some others say that it is okay when there is no opponents around. What is the correct interpretation?

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Luis,
This is not a permitted modification under the Laws of the Game as published by the IFAB/FIFA so an official answer is not possible. Speaking strictly from a linguistic point of view however, if the slide does not involve a challenge for the ball then logically, it is not a slide tackle.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Luis,
ROC (rules of the competition) adaptations of the no slide rule are usually to prevent injury for the older or very young players. It is not a FIFA sanctioned change but it is understandable . We all have to go to work in the morning after a Sunday park run about.
lol
I agree with my colleague Referee Grove if the slide is done to save the ball as long as NO opponent is endangered or in close proximity as to be a challenge then let the carpet sweepers do their thing.
lol
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Luis
This is a Rule of Competition and only those referees that implement that rule can interpret what is meant.
Like Referee Grove I am of the opinion that if the wording states no Slide TACKLE then only tackles are sanctioned. A player sliding to stop the ball entering the goal or going out of play is not a tackle. I base that on the rationale for this type of rule is to prevent injury in tackles only
Having said all that I suspect that a slide may raise shouts from the opponents and it asks the question of the referee. We all know that referees have differing opinions on some ROCs as there is no official position on same. I would ask the referee on each game to confirm his opinion of sliding. If he says that he does not permit any sliding then play needs to be modified to take account of that. If he says that it is only tackles that he sanctions then that is fully understood by all.
I might add that if players get into the habit of sliding in these games then I am not sure that is a good policy to encourage. Learning to play the game without going to ground needs to be the norm for play. With the exception of the save I see going to ground as asking a question of the referee which may have an answer that the team does not like. If that is called then the team knows the answer and needs to adjust accordingly.