Question Number: 32731

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 9/19/2018

RE: House Under 16

Jamaal of Maple ridge , British Columbia Canada asks...

Just preface I am the goalie in this scenario. There was a bunch of players from both in the goalie box fighting for control of the ball. Im standing back a bit waiting to see the ball. I see the ball and dive for it getting and end up with the ball firmly in my hands. While I had the ball, I was curled up to protect myself and end up getting my neck stepped on. The referee gave they player a red card. Just wondering what the refs here would have done in this scenario

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Jamaal,
This is definitely a 'you had to be there' (YHTBT) situation. Without seeing the actual incident as it occurred, it is difficult to say what a referee should do here. If the referee judges that a player has used excessive force or endangered the safety of an opponent while challenging for the ball, or committed violent conduct while not challenging for the ball, the player should receive a red card. On the other hand, a referee might judge that the contact did not even rise to the level of carelessness and did not require punishment - or something in between the two extremes.

I would say that stepping on any part of a prone player's body is quite commonly punished by a red card and stepping on a player's neck is particularly dangerous. There is a part of the law that says any strike to a player's head or face with the hand or arm is a red card unless only negligible force is used. While stepping on a player's neck is not specifically mentioned, I think there could be a 'spirit of the law' argument that the same standard should be applied here.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Jamaal,
It is a risky job being a keeper diving into the fry head first where they come in feet first. However the LOTG are VERY clear if the keeper HAS ball possession all must cease . Once your hands were about the ball the opposition needed to pull away. Even IF the ball was briefly available, they need to take care in how they attack the ball. If the intent is to try and play it THROUGH you in an unsafe manner they could be held accountable. ANY player who stomps on another a red card for VC is s certainly applicable. Given the referee in your match did so he must have seen the action as excessively unsafe or as VC. You obviously received a DFK out. The opposition went down a player . To ask us what we would do, hopefully protect your from being stomped on if we could. IF it was seen as a deliberate stomp or an excessive action from which safety was absent then a red card likely to follow. That said without seeing it first hand perhaps he was pushed or slipped and it was an accident as you through yourself forward as he was coming down? We do not use PIADM when a keeper try's to go low to grab a ball in the PA. I will say that BECAUSE a keeper hands face or body goes down to the ground I take a dim view of an attacker thinking a foot first tackle into their body is a fair way to win a ball knowing they must bail out of a challenge IF the keeper HAS ball possession. Timing & some very good jumping over skills are necessary. I have on a rare occasion blown a u littles game dead with keeper lying vulnerable in a scrum and dropped the ball back to the keeper
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Jamaal
As described I would have no difficulty with the referees decision to dismiss the offender for serious foul play. Obviously the referee felt that the players actions endangered the safety of an opponent namely yourself the goalkeeper so it is a red card.
I could envisage other situations where the action of the goalkeeper say bumped an opponent who then accidentally and unintentionally treads on the opponent. That might end up as nothing.
A story of a player falling on a team mate was recounted to me recently where the player broke his team mates arm in the incident by treading on him. No malice, no intention just an accident. It was recounted because it was a goalmouth scramble and the referee was berated for not stopping the game instantly. It took I believe 5/7 seven seconds during which a goal was scored before the game was stopped.