Question Number: 31608

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 6/17/2017

RE: fan College

Mazen of LA , california usa asks...

Is it allowed in soccer for a player to give his teammate a shoulder ride during a corner kick to head the ball into the net ? has it ever been done ?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Mazen
No that is nor possible. It is considered unsporting behaviour which is a caution and an indirect free kick from where the offence took place.
Now in a group of players with a player putting his arm on a team mates back might not be seen as leverage or gaining a significant advantage by the referee and as a result it might be allowed slide.
Once obvious though and used as measure to gain significant height it will be pulled up. The same would apply to a player using the bar to pull himself up.
Personally I have never seen either and it would be extremely rare.

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Mazen,
No, this is not allowed. I am not sure if it has ever been done but if it were, it would be penalised as unsporting behaviour.

This principle used to be specifically mentioned in the Laws of the Game but was removed (along with a lot of other things apparently considered to be self-evident or superfluous) when the IFAB undertook a major re-write of the Laws in 1997.

Prior to 1997, the Laws contained the following: ''If a player leans on the shoulders of another player of his own team in order to head the ball, the referee shall stop the game, caution the player for ungentlemanly conduct and award an indirect free−kick to the opposing side.''

Although that wording is no longer there, the idea that this is unsporting (what the old laws used to call 'ungentlemanly') is as true now as it was then.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Mazen,
it is a form of USB and the action is cautionable show the yellow card is why you do not see it! Although I have seen players climb up the back of opponents and team mates alike when heading a ball on occasion they do get away with arms on the shoulders when probably they should not to achieve some extra height. USB if teammate, holding if opponent!
Cheers