Question Number: 31952

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 10/28/2017

RE: Rec Adult

Roy of Nanaimo, BC Canada asks...

Why are bicycle kicks inside the penalty area leading to a goal not penalized for dangerous play especially when defenders obviously duck out of the way to avoid being kicked in the head.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Roy,
in my experience the vast majority of bicycle kicks are spectacular when effective rather funny if missed but RARELY are they PIADM .
In these videos there is not single kick I would see as PIADM?
Keep in mind the direction, whether the player actually refuses to commit due to the flying feet and how close is to he to try making a play on a ball that often the bicycle kicker is partially shielding?

I can grant you there maybe a cause for concern in a crowd at a high foot a head level but the referee would need to see it as such his match, his decision, his reputation. You best be sure especially taking away a goal from a well executed timed play that perhaps no one else was going to get to it except the kicker.



https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=youtube+video+soccer+biycycle+kicks+&view=detail&mid=33690FEA0A0201432AE633690FEA0A0201432AE6&FORM=VIRE


https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=youtube+video+soccer+bicycle+kicks&&view=detail&mid=D7CF86CF5B3EDDBAD5FDD7CF86CF5B3EDDBAD5FD&FORM=VRDGAR

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Bicycle+Kick+Top+30&&view=detail&mid=262826C82E49F674838E262826C82E49F674838E&FORM=VRDGAR

cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Roy
Each kick must be evaluated on its own merits. I have seen free kicks awarded for such actions. As we have said many times a high boot in not necessarily dangerous every single tie and the referee has to opine whether the boot prevented a defended from playing the ball posing a risk to the player.
Many times the defender is behind the kicker which means that unless the defender goes to head the ball the boot comes nowhere near the player.
Have a look at this sequence of kicks. Look at the reactions of most of the defenders
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qW-tLQtFkAo
None look like they were affected negatively by the kicks. Maybe in one or two there is a possible risk yet not enough to warrant a foul.

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Roy,
I think the answer is that they are - at least sometimes - and sometimes they are not. Which is how it should be. The law specifically says the following:

''A scissors or bicycle kick is permissible provided that it is not dangerous to an opponent.'' So the deciding factor is whether the action, in the context in which it is performed, poses a danger to the opponent - or not.

I can think of a number of bicycle kicks that have been penalized as dangerous and a number of others that were permitted.

Here is an example of one that was disallowed that I remember well as it involved the team I support, Middlesbrough:

https://youtu.be/2z9seBFdABc