Question Number: 32717

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 9/17/2018

RE: Competitive Under 16

James of Bakersfield, CA United States asks...

I am trying to get a grasp on what makes a push a foul. I.E. how is 'careless' defined?

I've read the actual definition, but there seems to be a lot of room of interpretation there.

Bottom line, can a player push another player and not have it be determined to be careless, and therefore not be a foul?

In my example, a player was shielding the ball, and the defender managed to get to her side. The attacker moved the defender away with an outstretched arm. It didn't seem careless to me, so I didn't call it. It seems that maybe I should have, but I'm not totally convinced yet.

Since the 'careless' qualifier exists in the Law, is it possible for a push to not be careless, and therefore not be a foul?

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI James ,
A Push can be doubtful or trifling it can also be be a bit of both players doing it at the same time. I would say a careless foul that is trifling or doubtful maybe one the opponent rides through and still maintains solid possession. It maybe both are pushing or pulling one another so it kind of evens out in a way.. However when a foul UNFAIRLY affects play it generally is realized & called or advantage applied. This is a foul that can be done a varying speeds and with varying degrees of force and safety considerations

I stand beside you use my arm or hand to shove you away to get to the ball it is a careless use of force. Or while chasing you I trip over my own feet and while falling I push you accidently with my free arm causing you to lose your balance. NO intent but STILL a careless foul!

While we are both chasing the ball and I stiff arm hard you so you fall or go stumbling away it is more a reckless use of force and a caution show a yellow card.
I am on a high speed run and I stiff arm you as you are standing still so you go flying or are flattened it is excessive and likely a red card send of for SFP or VC.

Yet it is also a foul that can be considered tactically as USB. You are about to make a pass and as you draw your foot back. I give you a gentle shove in the middle of your back so you lose balance you, muff the pass. I did not flatten you with a pie driver BUT it was ENOUGH to cause you to lose possession or affect your ability to control the ball. It still could be cautionable as an act of USB for a tactical foul just like a shirt pull.. If you were about to shoot or score it could be a DOGSO & a red card send off. Every foul has to be evaluated on its overall affect on play.

As to foul recognition if one player has a better position to control the play or ball thus is shielding it or holding it up for his team mates to join him and the other is NOT using a side to side shoulder fair charge but using the arm in a pawing motion or pushing motion to knock his or her way into gaining possession, hard not to see that as a foul? A larger stronger player can easily shrug off a weaker smaller player unfairly just as they can FAIRLY step in side to side and ease them off the ball .

Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi James
When players are shielding the ball there is a tendancy to use arms to keep players away from the ball. Those are rarely see as a foul although technically they could be. There are many actions in the game that on a strict interpretation would be a foul yet they rarely get called. Another example is shielding the ball when it is not within playing distance such as the ball is going out over the goal line and a defender steps across into the path of an opponent. That on a strict interpretation is holding yet rarely gets called.
For me pushing is one of those fouls that has to be clearly obvious. Referees hear *In the back ref* *Hands all over him* yet many times they are not fouls.
So I would only penalise deliberate certain use of the arms where a player has without doubt moved an opponent away from the ball with the use of an arm.

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi James,
It is true that when it comes to foul recognition, there is a lot of room for interpretation. For me though, the very use of the word 'push' is enough to get my antennae vibrating. There is often a fair amount of physical contact when players are challenging each other for the ball or jockeying for it and the arms are often involved. If the arms are used in a more passive manner, to simply feel for the opponent or just held out to protect oneself, that would usually not be seen as a foul. If the arms are actually used to actively push the opponent away, that is much more likely to be judged as an offence as far as I'm concerned.