Question Number: 15418

Other 5/8/2007

RE: rec Under 9

mike desue of glassport, pa usa asks...

please define " slide takling "...is it allowed, when is it allowed, etc.

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

Since you mention U9, your league might have a policy against it period. Many U10 and below leagues do not allow it. Please check your local policies regarding this issue.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

A slide tackle is a way of getting the ball away from your opponent. The player slides along the ground with one leg extended, trying to poke the ball away. He must contact the ball first, and any contact with the player after kicking the ball must only be incidental.

Proper slide tackles are very hard to execute properly. An improper tackle can severely injure an opponent. Decision 4 of Law 12 says, "A tackle, which endangers the safety of an opponent, must be sanctioned as serious foul play." That means the player is sent off and shown the red card.

Because proper slide tackles are so difficult, many local rules prohibit them at younger age levels. For example, our local rec rules do not allow them until U11. Prior to that they are to be sanctioned as dangerous play. You will have to check your rules to see if it is addressed.

Unfortunately, as with so many other parts of the Laws and local modifications, this one gets mangled to "you can't play on the ground". And you continue to hear that all the way up into the select leagues, U13 and U14! Many times I've been tempted to turn to the sidelines and ask, "Am I at the correct field? Because I wasn't assigned to do a U7 match." Of course that would be beyond the bounds of professionalism, so I just smile (or sigh) to myself and add another mark to my Myths of the Game tallyboard.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

A tackle is defined to be a challenge to win the ball wherein the ball is the target and the opponent is not. A slide tackle is the same challenge whislt sliding on the floor. Tackling is allowed, but when a player tackles an opponent to gain possession of the ball and makes contact with the opponent before touching the ball a direct free kick is awarded the opponent.

Regards,