Question Number: 19010

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 5/6/2008

RE: Select Under 18

John of San Jose, USA asks...

Thanks in advance for your guidance, and this is a great website.

I recently refereed a U17 Select game boys in a game that was 0 -0 and on a new Turf field. The game was played well and aggressive where I gave out 2 yellows. However, I had a tough call in a penalty area that I would like your input on on and what I should be looking at. The example that follows is similar and not sure if it has the same approach.

Example #1 -
Ball is played into the penalty area in the air by the red team to a red forward and the ball takes a high bounce (turf field). Blue GK comes out to challenge but red forward gets to the ball first and heads the ball (shot on goal) over the Blue GK. While this is going on, the Blue GK anticipates the ball by jumping into the air and tries to block the ball off the header but the ball goes over his head. Ball does not go into the goal and over the goal line. However, when the blue GK comes down his momentum carries him into the red forward who is still moving and the collision causes them to fall to the ground. I did not call a foul since blue GK and red forward were both playing the ball and their momentums caused the collisions. I also did not think the GK was playing the forward since he clearly was trying to jump for the ball. But not sure if this is the right approach.

Example #2
U16 Girls select game - Two girls challenge a ball but only one girls (red) goes up for the ball and heads the ball (this is happening in the midfield area). The other girl (blue) does not challenge the ball but stands still establishing position. The red girl that won the ball falls on top of the blue girl and basically flattens her. In this case, I did call a foul.

Hoping this panel can explain how I need to assess players leaving their feet to challenge the ball and falling on top of other players in the two scenarios above.

Answer provided by Referee Gene Nagy

Hi John, In the first example you have judged that all concerned were playing the ball so no problem. I am not sure why you mentioned that the ball did not go into the net - it has no relevance. Sure a collision happened but we are not playing chess here. Soccer is a contact sport. In the second example I am not sure what foul you called. Did you call a foul for playing the ball and subsequently falling on an opponent or did you call a foul on the blue player for standing there? I just don't see where the foul occoured... What you need to watch for is players looking at the opponent instead of the ball with the intention of charging or the flying elbows as they challenge for the ball. These things didn't happen so you should have applied the same logic to the second scenario as you did to the first example. No foul.

Read other questions answered by Referee Gene Nagy

View Referee Gene Nagy profile

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

I would agree in your first example that no foul has occurred. In your second example, what foul did you call? From your description the blue player did nothing at all and the red player did not jump at the opponent.

Read other questions answered by Referee Keith Contarino

View Referee Keith Contarino profile

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

As long as you are satisfied the keeper has fully concentrated on the ball and the after effect was accidental not careless then as an opinion it is a done deal. I do not like to see attacker get off a shot and the defender gets a free whack the crap out of them to pay for the privilege.

When players go up to head a ball they often undermine one by backing in pushing/holding the player or come over the top, pushing/holding or charging the player. If you see contact as part of playing the ball then no foul is present if in your opinion it was a reasonable effort, the opponent was not physically contacted first and the attempt was not careless, reckless or excessive. For you to see it as a foul then you must attribute one of these to the event. So which did you see?
Cheers




Read other questions answered by Referee Richard Dawson

View Referee Richard Dawson profile

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 19030