Question Number: 32824

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 10/22/2018

RE: Under 19

Jeffrey of Morristown, TN United States asks...

Can you guys settle a discussion? Someone posed this question in a FB group, and there are a lot of different opinions on how to handle it. I'd love to hear from the experts on this:

Attacking player has space around him at the top of the penalty box. Kicks up the ball into the air over his head and then catches it behind his head between his shoulder blades (no handling). No defender makes a play on him or the ball being trapped behind his head with his neck. He then runs into the goal with the ball positioned there, which fully crosses over the goal line.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Jeffrey,
I do not know if our opinions settle preconceived ideas that some have but thanks for the question. This is a very UNWISE Action for a player to take.

Most likely a PIADM if an opponent is close given only a charging foul could knock it free but surprisingly seen it done on a break away, the player casually juggled the ball before carrying it over the goal line, who did exactly that, flipped it up, played off of the knee to head, back of shoulder did a 180 backed up slightly into the goal and then stood up rolled the ball down his back off his butt while in the goal arms raised as if he was a special boy. sigh.

There was a Mexican player Blanco who used to try and trap the ball with his feet then jump in-between players carrying the ball wedged between the legs.

This was PIADM as the opposition could only kick at his legs to get the ball.

Another fellow I do not recall, used to head the ball, trying to balance it generally got the crap knocked out of him, it was legal, just unwise!

You could could say this was stunting a form of USB as an unsporting or taunting action? In USA high school it is doubtful it would be permitted as they are very strict about taunting or belittling the opposition . In USA high school I would be willing to bet its an INDFK & caution for USB.

Yet as some fun and a way of putting the ball into goal in a FIFA match I do not like it because the other team could see it as disrespect and target the player accordingly. Yet if he was by himself the opponents would need to be within playing distance & trying to challenge to see this as an INDFK for PIADM but no caution is required. A warning perhaps.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Hi Jeffrey,

Tough one - but it could happen!
This comes isn't clearly covered by the laws, so it really is a matter of judgement.

Personally I'd suggest that this player can be legally charged....however, let's think about the spirit of the game - and also think about the players.

I think there's an easy argument that this isn't really how the game is 'supposed' to be played. That alone doesn't make it illegal - the player isn't circumventing any particular law, but as it's so far from the norm, the other players aren't likely to know how to respond.

So if this were to happen on the field, I'd say it would be very likely that rather than do a legal charge, an opponent would just drop them with a hard, illegal charge that warrants a yellow or red card. So, it's creating a situation where legal play becomes unlikely, by virtue of it 1) being so unusual and 2) shutting down all possible challenges except 1 (the legal charge).

As such, I'd see a stronger argument for PIADM once the player gets anywhere near a player. I'd be very lenient on that distance requirement too - because you want to step in before an opponent decides to flatten him (and if not doing that, the opponents are probably going to stand there in disgust looking at you rather than challenge). So, don't let the player go too far.

But why even let it get that far? A quick shout to not do that, and if the player responds then everybody is happy (as long as they haven't already carried it past opponents) - if the player doesn't, then it makes an IFK a very easy sell.

I see no reason to go to a card when an IFK handles the situation adequately.

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Jeffrey,
It sounds like an unlikely scenario to me - I can't imagine defenders allowing a player to run with the ball from the edge of the penalty area all the way into the goal without attempting some kind of challenge. However, I'll play along - assuming there were players close enough to challenge and they didn't 'make a play' on the ball or the player for fear of what might happen if they did, I agree with my colleagues that this would probably constitute PIADM, or at least come close enough to it to be treated as such using the 'spirit of the game' provision.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Jeffrey
First off the player could be legally charged by an opponent which means that the player is unlikely to get very far as he would need to be very strong to fend off opponents.
The second part is that by *holding* the ball in this manner that the player has allowed the ball to be played by him in a manner which risk injury to himself so it is playing in a dangerous manner which is an IDFK restart.
While not what is suggested here have a look at this video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYlqql38XkY
On the second one the referee allows the player to be charged. On the first the defender appeared to be carded and rightly so.
As you can see opponents will not allow players to be uncontested in these type of situations.