Question Number: 19961

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 9/16/2008

RE: high school Under 16

joe damico of new providence, nj union asks...

If a player executes a high kick that does not incur a dangerous play should a direct free kick occur? Do you take into account if one player is taller than another player?

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Joe if you are a referee, you need to go back and read the Laws (or HS rules) again. You will not find a foul of high kicking.

Instead you will find Playing In A Dangerous Manner. Since you say the high kick was not dangerous, it was not PIADM. There's nothing to call.

PIADM is one of the indirect free kick fouls, not direct.

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Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

There is no foul known as a high kick. There are 2 fouls involving kicking. One is the indirect free kick foul playing in a dangerous manner which you say didn't occur. the other is the direct free kick foul of kicking or attempting to kick an opponent.\ which must be performed in at least a careless manner to be foul play. If you think that occured then you award a direct free kick or a penalty kick. This is irrespective of the height of players. PIADM is just what it says as is kicking or attemoting to kick an opponent.

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Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

No! There are no high kicks; only dangerous plays. The match simply continues.

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Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

If you have a very tall player who by executing a normal kick finds his leg/foot are very near the shoulder or head of a much smaller player, that is not PIADM without something more happening.

Remember that PIADM requires the offense to be against an opponent.

If PIADM is occuring you will most likely see one player flinch away from the kicker rather than risk being kicked. Even the flinch is not proof positive - you have to read the situation.

If the kicker is making a high kick for a ball with no one around and an opponent runs up from behind and gets nearly kicked, if I make the call at all it will be on the opponent running up from behind who put himself in a dangerous position.

If it is simply PIADM, the restart is indirect. If the player actually kicks the opponent, then the restart is a direct free kick (assuming the opponent isn't the one at fault for getting kicked, as in the example).

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