Question Number: 34744

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 10/22/2022

RE: Competitive Under 17

Kevin Jone of London, England Uk asks...

My son a very quick player and plays the striker for his team.

Once the opposition team realise his speed and reaction they very often employ a two person block.

For example one player will deliberately block his path whilst the other either shields the ball to allow the ball to travel to a team mate or they will pass the ball to one of their teammates.

A foul has hrdly ever been given for this but almost everytime my son uses his strength to manoeuvre past the initial defender(e.g. shoulder challenge) the referee calls for a foul. This is regardiess of amount of force used or the resultant impact on the player.

The first player has no intention of playing the ball and the ball has certainly been too far away for them to be shielding the ball.

Is this correct?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Kevin
Thanks for the question
First off the use of a shoulder by an attacker trying to go past an opponent could invariably look like a foul. A legal charge usually happens in situations were both players are challenging for the ball. Where a player who is going past an opponent in possession of the ball charges that opponent with a shoulder I suspect that if it is being called regularly by different referees is because it is being viewed as a push or an illegal charge.

As to double teaming on a challenge once the ball is away from the attacker at a distance that allows an opponent to get between the attacker and the ball may be seen as a shielding position. I would say that if it is not being called then it is being viewed as legal shielding.
Shielding is one of those in the opinion of the referee moments that tries takes into account, at the moment of physical contact, distance to the ball, shoulder to shoulder, level of contact etc. We have all seen what we consider to be illegal shielding by defenders that is not called or situations were players protest that they have used the shoulder and that their contact is fair yet still given against them.
Also how many times does one see a ball being knocked too far away from a player and then the player tries to recover by running into an opponent. Rarely will that be given as a foul to the player and if heavy enough contact it will be given to the opponent, probably if knocked to the ground.

I watched a game recently where this happened and it was clear to me that the defender had stepped across to block the attacker after he pushed the ball past who then crashed into the defender. To most people present it was a foul against the defender for an illegal block / hold. When I asked the referee afterwards he said that the attacker raised his forearm and charged into the defender which is why he gave it to the defender. There probably was two offences in this situation and the Laws tells us that a referee * punishes the more serious offence, in terms of sanction, restart, physical severity and tactical impact, when more than one offence occurs at the same time. Clearly the referee took exception to the raised forearm.

What I will say as a coaching point is that if a player is regularly getting called for the use of the shoulder by multiple referees then it is presenting as a foul not a legal charge. As a result playing technique has to change to prevent those calls. Even if all the panel here said no offence it makes no difference if in games a player is getting repeatedly called for something.
As a referee I have seen player progress from Underage all the way up to adult games. Players that used speed and strength to great advantage at underage begin to find that space has dried up and that double / triple teaming becomes the norm. So pushing the ball past a defender that regularly worked at Underage suddenly is a whole different game. As a result tactics have to change. What a player did on his own now needs team mates to achieve such as making space, looking for channels, holding possession etc.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Kevin,
More is done WITHOUT the ball in terms of a team concept to open up space ,using understanding, skill, technique and the situation to one's benefit.
Here is a tactical concept that might assist, depending on the coverage & your sons own team set up!
I suggest he advance forward to play off directly in front of the defending sweep or DCB if indeed they are moving two to cover.

This might allow his team to push up into the attacking areas nullifying offside positions.
If two defenders are squeezed into a 3 spot area to handle your son, then SPACE must be available for a free team player to run into elsewhere?

When ,coaching one English concept I utilize is called SPAM lol no not the prepack luncheon meat!
SPACE- PACE - ANGLES - MOVEMENT
Aside from the personal information and a meet and greet , why are you here?
The 1st question I ask is,
"What is the fastest thing on the soccer field?
The second thing I address is,
"In a 90 minute match how long do you as a player, have the soccer ball at your feet? "


In terms of a foul for opponents standing in front or taking a position ahead of your son versus your son receiving fouls of charging through.
A referee with integrity sees what he sees?
The difficulty does he see the whole picture?

The CR does need to be aware of events in behind & events away from the play .
Head on a swivel we say and a back check over the shoulder look at areas on the FOP not in his field of vision.

This applies to the AR duties reporting & managing such behavior as unfair antics especially when the CR attention is focused elsewhere. Understand no one has to move out of the way but as you describe it does appear plausible this opposing tactic of a double team represents an effort to counteract his speed, possibly alternating fouls, preventing your son from getting a full head of steam by one holding or pushing away from the play & the other recovering any through balls.

I have seen similar situations but not only in a double team, but even single defenders in charge of also marking an outside striker would in fact would push off the attacker every time that attacker started a run into space to maintain the position in between him and the defender's goal. To call something it must be seen as such, in today's game there is so much clutching and grabbing or arm slings to pull back, slingshot around, push off, hold back confrontations where one or both are engaged in some part of it the referee kind of hunches up the arms and goes oh well it's the same for both teams.

If a referee sees retaliation in the form of a charge and calls your son on it does no good to complain, but a quiet respectful word to ref, " Hey ref he keeps blocking me whenever I start to run when your back is turned!" MIGHT clue him something else is going on than your son just running them over.

I would need to actually see the movement and timing of these incidents to give you a better answer as to what foul or non-foul is present. The ball within playing distance is generally about two or three paces at the speed of play . Charging shoulder to shoulder is usually ok but not when it is front shoulder into the back portion or a free arm reaches out in front to slingshot around, both creates a foul.

However,I, as most referees, are aware stuff happens that we miss. I had a vexed player just come over to me and pull down a sock to see the gashes in his ankle and a stud rake along the calf. He knew I did not miss it on purpose, but he did want me to be aware his marker was nipping away at his ankles with apparent impunity! It worked, he got a PK call a on a corner as the defender, smug from his earlier antics that went uncalled gave up a goal for this one, a sneaky step on the back of the ankle on top of the shoe. Imagine if had retaliated harshly? If all I saw was the retaliation? I wind up sending him off or cautioning him as the player that created the mayhem gets a free pass. Never disrespect the official even if it bites that lip to agree to disagree.

Oh
answer to the first question is the mind!
Speed of thought, ball, then perhaps your son lol
The second question? The ball is up in the air or rolling about out into touch for about 30 minutes 22 players dived into an hour is about 2.7 minutes if everybody had equal time . which is why understanding your job without the ball is VITAL to the game!

One great clip was a substitute a German player came in in the 6oth minute as a sub he only touched the ball TWICE in 3o minutes for 2 goals this is where skill and having the technique to bury it comes in. Work on being perfect in practice and practice away from practice if your son really wants to excel and get him to indicate to his teammates, have two guarding me SOMEONE has to be free?
Cheers