Question Number: 35805

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 11/19/2024

RE: Under 13

Ken of Santa Barbara, Ca USA asks...

Charge vs shoulder to shoulder - defending player approx.
2 feet from attacking player There is movement from both but defender knocks down
the attacker.
To make it more interesting, this occurs inside the penalty area.
I called a charge and awarded a PK

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Ken,
you saw it as a foul, a ITOOTR). What was the reaction? Was it accepted? Did it go ballistic with whining and screaming? Not that means anything as 50% usually disagree even if it was correct, such is the passion and need for victory. Youth contact is often adjudged as unfair if one opponent is larger than the other. But a fair charge is shoulder to shoulder, not a lean down on top or an armbar drape or free arm push away. It is a coming together not a 90 degree intercept. While the way in which a fair charge is detailed, if the inside leg is off the ground it can take only a nudge to send them flaring away off balance. These links show a POWERFUL impact but perfectly legal charge.

https://costagaels.com/skills/defense/shoulder-charge/

https://costagaels.com/wp-content/uploads/shoulder-charge-gaelic-football.jpg

Cheers

Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe Manjone

Hi Ken,

If this is being played under high school rules the following rules would have to be considered:

Rule 12-1-2: A Player shall not unfairly charge an opponent.
Rule 12-1-2a: A fair charge is where players make shoulder-to-shoulder contact in the upright position withing playing distance of the ball, have at least one foot on the ground, and the arms held close to the body.
Rule 12-1-2b: A player shall not charge into another player when neither player is within playing distance of the ball.

The penalty is a direct kick with a penalty kick for the foul occurring in the penalty area. You do provide information about the feet at the time of the contact, the position of the arms, or the position of the ball.

However, from your description, it does sound like an unfair charge occurred and you were correct in your call.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Ken
Thanks for the question

The answer hinges on what is a fair charge. A charge is a physical challenge against an opponent, usually using the shoulder and upper arm which is kept close to the body against an opponent’s shoulder and the ball is within playing distance of both.

The Laws also tells us that it is an offence to charge in a careless or reckless manner.
Careless is when a player shows a lack of attention or consideration when making a challenge or acts without precaution. No disciplinary sanction is needed
Reckless is when a player acts with disregard to the danger to, or consequences for, an opponent and must be cautioned.

So what is a fair charge.
I describe it as easing an opponent away from the ball using using the upper body shoulder to shoulder. A shoulder to the back or chest is not legal and that would be punished with a direct free kick or penalty kick or a shoulder that uses excessive force will be similarly punished. Also if the arm is used to push then it is an offence also.

One of the difficulties in Underage is that there are players in every age group who vary in height and strength. At Under 13 biological ages differ greatly in that some player are just bigger and stronger and it manifests in those bigger players having stronger kicks, challenges etc.

In those challenges we have to evaluate the action not the result. So a stronger player could fairly charge a weaker opponent who ends up on the ground yet it may not be an offence.

From your description it is difficult to decide and these charges are always in the opinion of the referee. Generally if the players are stood side by side a player will struggle to generate sufficient force to be careless which may even be enough to knock over a weaker or smaller opponent. As long as it is side to side shoulder to shoulder players stood beside each other with the ball at playing distance of both then it is strength matter rather than any unfairness.
Have a look at this video
https://youtu.be/aUCPFrOV8JM?si=KlCVdbTZWoez3vgX

The referee does not give a foul and there is little if any complaint with the attacker getting up and continuing with play.
A straw poll of referee will not result in an unanimous outcome. Some will give the penalty, others not.
So it could be given yet on balance I think the no call was the better call as it would appear no one expected it. It was probably seen as a bigger player against a smaller opponent and perhaps that was not the first challenge of this manner in the game.

It reminds me of a game a few seasons ago. It was the other way around in that the forward was bigger and stronger. I did not give it and the forward ran on to score what was the winning goal. At the end of the game the defender shook my hand and said nothing about the goal while some of his team mates felt strongly it was a foul. I believe the defender knew he was just not strong enough and was legally charged off the ball by a bigger stronger opponent. Soccer is a contact sport and many times there is no offence.

Finally I always like to consider context. A player who has been acting aggressively in all challenges throwing weight around will get less benefit of doubt in strong charging. If the game has had a lot of roughhouse play again heavy charging should be called.
If a referee has been consistently not calling strong charges throughout then to be consistent a referee should stick to that.