Question Number: 31773

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 9/10/2017

RE: Under 18

john of new orleans, la usa asks...

This question is a follow up to question 31770

This question wasn't really answered too clearly for me, hoping for some clarification

This situation happens frequently, where a team is losing, scores a goal, and the scoring player runs into the goal to retrieve the ball to run it back to midfield so the game can restart ASAP. The player obviously does this assuming the keeper/defending team will try to bring it back to midfield slowly and run some time off the clock (not in a delay fashion necessarily, just as a normal restart usually happens a bit slower)

I am fine with this if there is no confrontation with the keeper defender. But if there is, and say the keeper and attacker start pushing each other, I would always caution only the attacker for UB since he has no right to go into the goal like that, even if it is a widely practiced action, and frequently causes confrontations like that

Thoughts?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi John
My advice is to look at the action of all the players not just the player retrieving the ball which may have caused the confrontation. The action also requires an effect to end up as a confrontation as if the player is left alone nothing happens. Goalkeepers and defenders can be overly aggressive in their action which can be also deserving of a caution. The player might in fact have the ball *unchallenged* and he is then moving away confronted by a defender who is just getting involved to perhaps cause a ruckus resulting in a delay. The best solution is to be proactive and move in to deal with it the moment it starts to happen. Strong words to the players, use of the whistle and perhaps requesting the ball can help. Many times it may not require any card just management of the situation.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI John,
often in any match players will do things in a manner which irritate the opposition sometimes they react to it causing confrontation forcing you as referee to react, sometimes they let it go. Our suggestion is to be proactive and prevent these altercations by being observant when situations as you describe occur. Nothing seriously evil about a player wanting to get the ball back quickly into the center spot for kick off. Often the keeper is not interested in the fact the scorer collects the ball & runs it up field. Other times he or she could be feeling like crap or will deliberately want to calm things down and try and kill the opposition momentum thus will OBJECT to their trying to grab the ball from the back of HIS net!
I agree with your thoughts that the attacker is the primary instigator but misconduct begets misconduct if you DO NOT intervene you might be cautioning the attacker but sending off the keeper who relents to the grab my pushing the ball directly into the opponent face. Saying, 'You want it here take it!'
It is best to head of the aggressive actions rather then watch it occur and then escalate because you do not react quick enough! Your wanting to apply punishment ONLY to the attackers zeal if it is a tug of was as USB is fine but it is likely the keeper doing the swinging by resisting and if he flat out knocks the opponent VC is VC
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi John,
As with many situations in the game, it is not always possible to give a definitive answer to every single scenario. While it is true that in most cases, the forward would probably be the one at fault here once the confrontation starts, the actions (or more accurately the reactions) of the goalkeeper also become a factor.

As with any confrontation between two players even though the one who started it bears the initial responsibility, if the other player retaliates, that must also be dealt with.

This is why, as stated by my colleagues it is better to be proactive and try to head off any confrontation. However assuming the confrontation occurs and the goalkeeper over-reacts to the actions of the forward, even though the forward may well be deserving of a card, the keeper cannot automatically be given a free pass for any and all actions that might ensue.