Question Number: 32336

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 3/26/2018

RE: Competitive Under 14

Eugene of San Jose, CA USA asks...

In the situation described, why do you feel that the goalkeeper must be cautioned? If, in the opinion of the referee, the challenge didn't interfere with the shot taken, then there's no DOGSO, is there? If this was a careless foul, shouldn't a PK without a card issued suffice?

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Eugene,
I assume you are talking about the keeper contacting the attacker after the shot in his PA? ? You are correct. Absolutely, no card is an option. If you reread my answer I imply it as an option in the first and no card at all in the second.
I will point out as a careless foul that awards a free kick in the PA is not the norm as they are often tactical in nature but your point is well taken that the option for no card is present.

If anything on misses where the ball goes out of play and then contact occurs it almost seems the MISCONDUCT is ignored completely as the punishment for the miss itself. I would have carded several LATE Tackles where the attacker misses his shot and then is recklessly taken out. I mean if the ball is already gone, the sheer lateness of the contact screams card as much as the force used! It should not matter if the ball stayed in play or went out of play. A cheap shot is a cheap shot.

Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Eugene
The situation was described as a possible denying of an obvious goal scoring opportunity so the compulsory DOGSO red card gets downgraded to a yellow card caution with the penalty award. Once the referee pulls play back to the penalty kick then if the conditions existed for a DOGSO at the time of the foul then the chance does not negate that so there has to be a card.
Now the amended laws tells us that a caution is required when a players commits a foul which interferes with or stops a promising attack except where the referee awards a penalty kick for an offence which was an attempt to play the ball. So if there is no DOGSO then there is no caution once there is a genuine attempt to play the ball with a penalty kick awarded.