Question Number: 31973

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 11/1/2017

RE: Competitive Under 18

Salvador Flores of Ligonier, IN United States asks...

Question 1:
If an attacking player is dribbling the ball inside the penalty area and a a defender is running just behind the attacking, but the defender slips and trips the attacking, is it a foul on the attacker?
Question 2:
Should you give advantage when there is a foul inside the penalty area?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Salvador
Intent is not a requirement for a foul. The defender slips and trips the attacker then it is a foul punished by a penalty kick.
As regards advantage the referee should allow advantage when it benefits the team that has been fouled. Inside the penalty area the better advantage may be a penalty kick so the referee should just wait a second or two to see whether advantage will happen. If not then he should call the penalty kick.

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Salvador,

The law says it is an offence to trip an opponent in a manner that is careless, reckless or uses excessive force. So if the referee considers this threshold is met, it would be a foul regardless of whether it was an accident or not.

When it comes to playing advantage inside the penalty area, it is generally considered that the only thing more advantageous than a penalty, is a goal, so it is only if a goal is clearly about to be scored within the next couple of seconds, that you should let play continue. Most referees will wait a couple of seconds or so to see what happens and if a goal is not scored, award the penalty.