Question Number: 34151

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 3/9/2021

RE: Rec Adult

Russell of Sydney, Australia asks...

Anyone know what the restart to this was?
(fast forward to the 26 second mark)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrTi5-dz_Xc

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Russell
The game was between Alabama and Florida Gators in the US Southeastern Conference.
The referee awarded a penalty kick and in my opinion it was the correct decision. The defender fails to win the ball and her action which involved her equipment caused a trip on the attacker.
It is tackling in a careless manner.
Here is another example
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhdE_OdcM20
In my opinion Red is guilty of a careless tackle on White and it is White laces getting caught up that brought him to ground.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Russell,
I do hope you and those you care about are surviving this crazy COVID time.
In a u-17 youth match, many years ago I had a defender with a loose cleat/stud on the bottom of his boot who wound up stepping on the attacker's boot laces which were undone and stringing along as he ran. The laces were wrapped up under the cleat? Who would you fault? The attacker trailing the loose lace or the defender's loose stud? In my match, I felt it was the attacker's equipment that created the incident so far that ANYONE could step on the trailing lace at any time. I have ordered players with loose & undone laces to tie them up so their equipment can (a) not come off) ((b) not act as a tripping mechanism. So INDFK for PIADM? or a violation of law 4 lol ?

https://footballburp.com/stories/video-two-players-boots-tangled-together-in-womens-match-penalty-given/

The funny thing is in watching it was the defender's foot that got inside the loop of the attackers? I do wonder at the PK being given if there was NO other contact with the foot except the loose lace overlap where the defender's foot and cleats could go through it to be entrapped? Or did the defender step on the foot and enlarged the loop?. DOGSO criteria might be met although caution is only given inside the PA BUT in my opinion no need for even a caution although I do not know if one was issued?
Cheers