Question Number: 15427

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 5/8/2007

RE: Competitive Under 16

tmoto of Cincinnati, OH USA asks...

This just happened in a State Cup game resulting in a red card. Team A's striker is played a through ball inside the 18 and Team B's goalie comes out and slides slightly to her left on her left hand side. Team A's striker attempts to miss keeper by bending her run away from keeper (bending her run to the right). Team A's striker tries at last minute to run parallel with keeper and avoids major collision but keeper's momentum causes keeper's face to be clipped by the sole of striker.

Wasn't reckless and it was really a freak accident. Not trying to be judgemental but this seemed extreme to red card the offending girl (and, no other warnings had been given to Team A for incidents with goalie).

Thoughts?

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

Without seeing this it is going to be hard to say. You felt it was an accident, but the referee did not feel this way. The referee felt that the foul was serious enough to be serious foul play or that it was just plain violent conduct. Again, the referee made a decision based on what he saw and it was really a judgement decision. It is hard to argue judgement decisions by a referee.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

The referee's opinion regarding this fact connected with play was that the attacker should be sent-off. The attacker was sent-off and play restarted. That ends the debate because the referee's opinion regarding facts connected with play is final.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Debbie Hoelscher

I hate these kinds of questions because ultimately my answer is always, "it depends." I am sure you were hoping for a more definative answer than "it depends." Also, these questions are inherintly skewed because like it or not, the description is based on the questioner's own personal bias (a bias that we ALL have to some degree or another). Given all of that, based SOLELY on your description of the event, it would appear there may have been incidental contact. HOWEVER, before you stop reading this, might I add a few more thoughts to think: 1) where was the referee at the time? 2) how was the game being called up to this point? 3) what did the AR do? 4) had this same player shown agression towards the keeper previously during this game? if so, what did the referee do about it? 5) was this event in alignment with how this attacker had been playing before?

Ultimately, this is based upon the opinion of the referee and is a fact connected with player. Therefore, in the opinion of the referee, the attacker was guilty of (and I am assuming here) serious foul play (perhaps violent conduct). Additionally, no warings need to be given in order to caution or send a player off.

Answer provided by Referee Steve Montanino

Is it possible that this wasn't a harsh red card? Could the attacker have stuck her foot out when she saw the goalkeeper there to kick the keeper on her face? If that is even the most remote possibility (which I can assure you it is, because the players boot made contact with the keeper's face) then the referee had a decision to make.

His decision was that the player endangered the safety of the goalkeeper and as a consquence they must be sent-off. That was the referee's judgment, and thus there isn't much of an argument to be made. Judgment is just that, for better or for worse, you must live with this decision and perhaps next time the attacker will make 100% sure she gets her foot out of the goalkeeper's way.

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

See Question: 15445