Question Number: 32864

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 11/3/2018

RE: Bronze Under 15

Max Richter of Vancouver , Canada asks...

Striker has a breakaway 1 on 1 versus the keeper. The keeper runs out to challenge the striker from a deep position. The striker chips the ball over the keeper as keeper goes into a slide. The ball goes over keeper and goes forward, and the striker jumps to the move going. Keepers slide was mid-timed and the keeper clips the striker who falls over.

What is the correct call?

Second variation is the chipped ball from the striker clips the keepers hip as it goes over keeper. Ball continues forward and the keeper slides into the striker who attempted to jump over the sliding keeper.

What is the correct call?

In both cases, the striker knocked the ball past the keeper before the keeper got to the location where the collision happened.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Max
The answer depends on whether a goal scoring opportunity has been denied and the answer in Q1 and Q2 will present based on what the attacker was trying to do.
If in theses instances the attempt at goal was taken then there is every chance that nothing has been denied by the foul. The fouls may have happened after the opportunities have already been taken.
Now in the second one it may look like the attacker was trying to go past the goalkeeper to follow up the ball in which case the goalkeeper has more than likely denied a follow up goal scoring opportunity.
In this video sequence there are 10 red cards on goalkeepers.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KLAyG4Vvv64&t
The first one is a recent addition and it was Hugo Lloris of Tottenham getting sent off in the recent CL game versus PSG.
Referees were divided on this as some felt that it was not a denied obvious goal scoring opportunity as the opportunity was already taken. Others felt that it was a professional foul and the referee on the night was correct to issue a red card.
Some incorrect language was used such as last man tackle etc. That is not part of the Laws.
A referee has to consider what is called the 4Ds to evaluate whether a goal scoring opportunity has been denied or not. They are
Direction of play
Distance from the ball
Distance from goal
Number of Defenders
All four has to be present and the referee has to crystal ball gaze by rolling play forward without the foul being made to conjecture the likely outcome . What would have happened say in the Lloris incident without the foul?
That is a subjective opinion and in that incident there are uncertainties that are opinion based. I think on balance that it was expected that the goalkeeper was sent off yet there were grounds for a yellow only. The grounds are for me that the attacker has kicked the ball a good distance from him, the covering defenders after that touch, was the kick at attempt at goal?

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Max,
The call will be whatever the match referee has decided based on HIS view of the events.

Correct might be a difficult evaluation unless we see all variables in a video montage but even then we still could miss something, Esse in the WC 98 proved that.

First scenario seems straightforward it will be a DFK or PK depending on the location of the contact and most likely the keeper will be shown a red card and sent off. WE will assume the slide was not if an excessive nature but the DOGSO of the challenge could be hard t0 dismiss, still if it occurred within the PA and it was seen as a legitimate realistic challenge possibly only a yellow card and PK .

The second has more variables. It is the duty of the keeper to stop the ball from entering the goal, now he cannot arbitrarily just wipe-out attackers in doing so but is it not uncommon for some contact to be unavoidable and still legal. Contacting the ball ahead of the collision lends credence to a legitimate realistic save effort and unless he reaches up to grab the attacker as opposed to have the attacker run into or over him at worst it will be a careless foul and if DOGSO a caution show only a yellow card because the PK replaces the opportunity .

You will ask why a foul if there was ball contact first? I can not say 100% it MUST be a foul but in any challenge where YOU initiate the contact by sliding into or through an opponent the safety of the opponent MUST be a consideration . If you succeeded in knocking the ball away chances are unless you specifically do something like raise afoot to the face, start swinging or kicking, any incidental contact could be looked as part of momentum & natural play. However here you say the chip was off a hip but went through to goal anyway, so now the challenge is one of eliminate the attacking player to prevent his breakaway. A trip is a trip, especially when sliding tackles are the last ditched effort of a beaten defender. He maybe gets away with only a caution as the PK would be an opportunity but if outside the PA again red card send off quite likely.

The attacker can create mischief himself if say instead of trying to avoid contact he welcomes it and steps into or drags his feet hoping to ENSURE contact

Look at this older video where in the 1st example FIFA has stated NOT a foul by the way the attacker moved into the defender to draw contact.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_v8aw7ZbfR0