Question Number: 15818

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 6/18/2007

RE: 35+ Division 1 competitive Adult

Pascal De Couvreur of Ottawa, Ontario Canada asks...

I am a keeper. Twice during the same game, a ball was crossed from the wing and was arriving with pace (traveling almost horizontally). I am 6 foot 6 inches tall and jumped straight up to catch the ball with both hands while an opposing players measuring around 5'6" the first time and 5'8" the second time came in violent contact with me. In both cases I caught the ball while it (the ball) was more than ten feet above the ground and in both cases the opposing players came in contact only with my legs. Based on the trajectory and height of the ball, these players would have had to be more than ten feet beyond where I was to be able to play the ball with their heads. In the first case, a free kick was awarded and in the second case no call was made. What would be the proper call please (being a referee myself I would have issued a red card for each of the offences)?

Thank you.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Pascal,
I am sure former keeper Ref Fleischer will add to this but I agree there is little justification of legitimacy for a challenge contacting a keeper by an opponent on a ball that winds up clearly in the keeper's possession at such a height.

As in any foul we need to see it to render a real verdict but a DFK out as the restart appears to make better sense than no call. If the force was harsh and the oppositions realistic opportunity to get to the ball nil it could very well be cautionable show yellow or as you indicate excessive and send off show the red card.

I too have played keeper and have come rather unglued if a player
gets a free run at me. A keeper is vulnerable stretched out at height to be undercut and injured! An opponent can certainly be entitled to try and challenge but as in any challenge complete disregard for the well being of an opponent is not something we as referee can allow to slide by without intervention! Perhaps if all referees played keeper a while and get dumped a few times they might see the incident in a, ahem CLEARER manner!

The real issue is you know as a referee you can not take a players opinion nor can a player be the referee. When you will be refereeing other matches your decision in such cases will be what you decide. You may not take the players opinion as referee but you are likely to view it from the player perspective as referee because of your personal experiences. Your Match, Your Decision, Your Reputation!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

Without seeing this, it is hard to tell. If you had possession of the ball first and then got taken down, I would consider a caution or send off depending on the severity of the offense. Bare minimum a foul and IFK would be awarded if keeper had possession first.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

When a keeper goes up for the ball, in an attempt to play it with his hands, no normal sized opponent has a legitimate chance of a fair play. With that in mind, you must rely on the referee to protect you. Many goalkeeper coaches, in America, teach keepers to raise one knee or another to "protect" themselves. DON'T because this is kicking or attempting to kick and taking a few lumps is far better than standing on your line waiting for a penalty kick, far better.

So, what can you do if the referee is so dense to see you being fouled? Don't jump, let the attacker run into you when you have both feet planted and after you have chosen what part of him he gets to hit you with. Try to position yourself so the referee and linesman are blind to the better parts of the collision. This is the risky bit, make it hurt him more than he hurts you... Note. I said risky bit. Here's the rub, if the referee or linesman see what you're doing, the best thing that can happen is on your line waiting for a penalty, again. The worst, well the hot shower does tend to make bruises feel a lot better.

Goalkeepers do tend to "feel the pain" during a match, winning makes it better, getting a free shot does too, but there are risks to manage here.

Regards,