Question Number: 34519

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 3/3/2022

Petr of Prague, Czech Republic Czech Republic asks...

Hello,

one question, please.

The player shoots at the goal and completes the movement of the foot by kicking the opponent.

Is it a foul? What will you take into account?

Thank you very much!

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Petr ,
hmm the follow through versus the blocking attempt, there can be misconduct even if accidental?
As in any foul, misconduct or simply inadvertent contact it will be ITOOTR whether it is regarded as fair or unfair and necessary or unnecessary to stop play and deal with it as a foul or simply to render first aid to a injured player.
In any action undertaken there can not be a complete disregard for the safety of an opponent under the guise I got to get to that ball. Yet we are aware that a forceful kick can continue into the body of an incoming opponent or suffer the reverse whereby an incoming opponent arriving a hair late can create a an impact point for the player on their follow through like into the bottom of an extended foot or leg placed directly into their swing path. All the referee can do is be aware of which player CREATED the unsafe impact though their actions to play the ball or block the shot!
Pay attention to lunging forward movement where driving through the player is more apparent than just kicking the ball. Remember a larger player can create force and mass with speed and size and cause a smaller player to not fare well in a one sided but legal challenge

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Petr,

Without seeing the actual incident it's very difficult if not impossible to say if there is a foul in the scenario you describe.

What I would say though is that in deciding whether a foul has been committed here, it would be up to the referee in the game in question to decide, by applying the normal considerations.

Has the player carried out any of the actions specified in Law 12, in a manner considered by the referee in charge of the game to be careless, reckless or using excessive force?

If yes, then a foul has been committed but if no, then it has not.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Petr
I would say that it is unlikely in a regular shot on goal situation unlike a challenge for the ball that is likely to be a foul. There is every chance that a defender may have moved into the kicker's follow through of the kick and therefore not of the attacker's making.
We see many follow throughs on challenges that are indeed a foul yet the ingredients there are those in making a challenge rather than taking a shot. Two very different playing motions.

When looking at these type of situations I would factor in whether it was a normal regular shot that would be normally made and the position of the players before and after mainly movement after the ball is kicked. If I felt that the follow through was not normal and exaggerated then I would call the offence of kicking an opponent maybe even in a reckless manner. That would be highly unusual but not to say it may not happen.
Also if the shot was made in a way that was more of a challenge then again I would consider whether the action was careless, reckless or using excessive force as in a regular challenge.

In general we have to make playing the game as safe as possible yet we also have to understand that it is a contact sport and that through normal movement there will be comings together which are not fouls.