Question Number: 33637

High School 9/9/2019

RE: All High School

Derek R Maple of Cary, IL United States asks...

If a careless or reckless charging foul is called inside the PA, and DOGSO criteria have been met, could a case be made that the player was not 'playing the ball' and therefore warrants a disqualification?

I haven't had to call a DOGSO since the rewrite (other than agreeing with my CR), so I'm wondering what constitutes 'playing the ball' in rule 12-8-2d: 2. A player, coach or bench personnel shall be disqualified (red card) for: 4. a player commits a foul, inside the penalty area, while not attempting to play the ball,
and the goal is not scored.

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Derek,
When the NFHS changed this rule in 2018 to align their rules with the IFAB law change made in the previous season, there was no additional guidance given as to what constitutes an 'attempt to play the ball.'

So to that extent, it is a referee's judgement call and I suppose a referee could call it either way but as far as I'm concerned a charge (especially a careless or reckless one) is more in the nature of an attempt to jockey the opponent off the ball and is not generally seen as an attempt to play the ball.

So in my opinion a charging offence in the context of a DOGSO situation inside the penalty area would normally still merit a sending-off.

For there to be an attempt to play the ball, there should be at least some semblance of a leg extended in the direction of the ball and in a normal shoulder charge, that would not be not the case.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Derek,
Dogso no send off caution PK
this requires in the opinion of the referee a realistic challenge by a defending player trying to fairly win the ball off an opponent but fails to do so. Thus the leg in to knock the ball away trips or kicks the opponent or the shoulder challenge is bit off in the back or chest. These fouls are performed while trying to get the ball and you can see the ball is within playing distance

The attempt is not a jumping on top of the attacker using both feet or a head lock it is a legitimate effort to try to win the ball that comes up short. A pull or shove in the back are not ball concerned tackles about winning the ball are they? I grab the attacker's shirt to pull it and hold the player back so my keeper can get to the ball first no play on the ball
restart DOSGO red card PK
unless the shirt pull fails and they do score then
restart KICK OFF caution show a yellow The tackles that target the man only, are usually easily identified and such do not get that special compensation package of a possible caution PK . Also if the tackles is FORCEFUL or dangerous! a SFP or VC foul or misconduct performed with excessive force out weighs DOGSO criteria the send off is for the foul not that DOGSO criteria were met.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Derek
IFAB the law makers wanted to distinguish between fouls that the player be it a defender or a goalkeeper while making a genuine attempt to play the ball and ones that were just a blatant foul of pulling back, pushing, charging etc with no attempt on the ball.
NFHS in its rule change aligned it Rule 12 with that principle.
For example a goalkeeper comes out and dives at an opponents feet to try to genuinely play the ball away but fails and brings the opponent to ground as a normal foul. That is a caution. Now in the game scenario and the attacker has got past the goalkeeper and he grabs the player around the waist hauling him to the ground is not an attempt to play the ball so it is a red card for a DOGSO. While both are fouls meriting a penalty kick one is a genuine attempt to win the ball whereas the latter is a blatant professional foul to stop the opponent.
On a charging foul it is highly likely that the case can be made for it not being a genuine attempt to play the ball and therefore a red card. Clearly it is judgement call for the referee to make yet it is going to be in the push category so no attempt to play the ball. Many times though the charge might be connected with an outstretched leg of the tackler in an attempt to win the ball.
Each situation will be different and it is up to referee to opine what is not a genuine attempt to play the ball and what is simply *playing* the opponent.
For what it is worth I have seen players at the highest level make what looks like attempts to win the ball yet no chance of doing so from their position. Most if not all got away with a caution on the benefit of the doubt as they looked like challenging for the ball.