Question Number: 15362

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 5/2/2007

RE: Competetive Adult

Jim of simcoe, Ontario Canada asks...

My question is: When a player passes the ball to his teammate who is making a drive for the net and there is a defender who is marking him closely and does something to the attacking player that makes him fall, lose the ball, or pulls the shirt to slow him down and the referee calls it - what call is to be made?

This is assuming that there isnt any other defender in sight and if the attacker gets away he would go one on one with the goalie.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Jim,
If the referee is of the opinion
- If the attacker has not simply slipped or fell on his own
Play continue
- IF the defender simply made a legal tackle and won the ball.
Play continues
- It was trivial or doubtful contact
Play continues
- IF there is a foul by the defender against the attacker or if there is a foul by the attacker against the defender!
NOW we have some options

The referee has the choice of applying advantage if there is a foul worthy of a stoppage, if no advantage occurs or is possible stop play and award a free kick based on what the foul or infringement was.

If there is further misconduct involved in that foul as to the nature of the force used or the criteria met within the list of cautions or send off violations we could consider showing a yellow and or a red card if those criteria are met in the opinion of the referee.

It appears you are inferring there is a foul by the 2nd last opponent against the attacker. No offside appears to be present? At least you did not indicate by position if this was so!
Now whether this foul is a DFK or indfk material you infer a possible breakaway if things had not been affected?

It depends on the opinion of the referee in what he sees and if what he sees fits the criteria effectively.

Where was the position of the 2nd last defender and the attacking player when that pass occurs?

Could the 2nd last opponent be fouling a player who was offside?
It is possible the INDFK is in fact in favor of the 2nd last opponent but the foul action is only misconduct most likely a caution to that 2nd last opponent. NO DOGSO (denying an obvious goal or scoring opportunity) can occur if the offside player cannot participate in play. While we can equate USB and caution the 2nd last defender show a yellow card for misconduct it would require this be a second caution or VC (violent conduct) or a spitting incident to send off and show the red card!

Now if the attacker is not offside and is fouled by that 2nd last opponent the referee will look at which foul, advantage, what restart and if further misconduct is present before deciding on a final course of action. If we stop play what restart applies? DFK PK or indfk. What misconduct if any, is the 2nd last opponent guilty of? Basically we again could caution for USB if the foul was of a reckless nature or a deliberate foul to break up the attack.

To be a send off or show a red card there must be a
second caution (two yellows cards shown in the same match)
or SFP (Excessive force endangered the safety of the attacker)
or VC (no realistic play on the ball actually malicious)
or spit (gross)
or DOGSO (use of hands on ball)
or DOGSO (punishable by a free kick)
or OFFINABUS (middle finger material or cuss words)

I believe because of your inclusion of the breakaway and only two opponents you are interested if the criteria for DOGSO point 5 applies when or if the foul is present?
It truly depends on the OBVIOUSNESS of the opportunity in the opinion of the referee if it fits the criteria
In order for a player to be sent off for denying an "obvious goal-scoring opportunity," four elements must be present:
? Number of Defenders -- not more than one defender between the foul and the goal, not counting the defender who committed the foul
? Distance to goal -- the closer the foul is to the goal, the more likely it is an obvious goalscoring opportunity
? Distance to ball -- the attacker must have been close enough to the ball at the time of the foul to have continued playing the ball
? Direction of play -- the attacker must have been moving toward the goal at the time the foul was committed

Cautionable Offences
A player is cautioned and shown the yellow card if he commits any of the following seven offences:

1. is guilty of unsporting behavior
2. shows dissent by word or action
3. persistently infringes the Laws of the Game
4. delays the restart of play
5. fails to respect the required distance when play is restarted with a corner kick, free kick or throw-in
6. enters or re-enters the field of play without the referee?s permission
7. deliberately leaves the field of play without the referee?s permission.

Sending-Off Offences
A player, substitute or substituted player is sent off and shown the red card if he commits any of the following seven offences:

1. is guilty of serious foul play
2. is guilty of violent conduct
3. spits at an opponent or any other person
4. denies the opposing team a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball (this does not apply to a goalkeeper within his own penalty area)
5. denies an obvious goalscoring opportunity to an opponent moving towards the player?s goal by an offence punishable by a free kick or a penalty kick
6. uses offensive or insulting or abusive language and/or gestures
7. receives a second caution in the same match.

A player, substitute or substituted player who has been sent off and shown the red card must leave the vicinity of the field of play and the technical area
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

I think that you are inching towards the Denial of an Obvious Goal Scoring Opportunity. There are other factors to consider besides the number of defenders between foul (if we had one) and goal. Also, distance to the goal, direction attacker had to the goal, and distance attacker was to the ball. With this said, if the referee feels the foul denied an obvious goal scoring opportunity as you suggest by "This is assuming that there isnt any other defender in sight and if the attacker gets away he would go one on one with the goalie.", then the defender is sent off and the restart is a dfk or pk if foul occurred inside penalty area.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

I believe you are asking what constitutes a sending off for denying a goal scoring opportunity. In short, if there's just the keeper left and the attacker has a one on one with the keeper, there's a good chance if a defender fouls the attacker, the defender will be sent off for denying an obvious goal scoring opportunity. Depends on how close the player is to the goal, what direction he's heading and proximity of other players.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

My colleagues have not talked from a player's point of view, just from the side we usually take, that of the match referee and application of the Law. As a player we are forced to take what the referee gives us. Some are lenient but for others the time of day is a secret. So with that in mind, yeah the opponent could have been sent-off -- he wasn't and we live with that. The really good thing about football is everything is going to even out over a career.

When your opponent is sent-off for nothing, are you going to speak up? When you are a defender and the same thing happens are you going to mention to the referee that you must be sent-off? Hmmm...

Regards,