Question Number: 16402

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 8/22/2007

RE: Rec Under 17

Ralph of WASAGA BEACH, Ontario Canada asks...

A high kick is considered dangerous play and an indirect kick is awarded. At our game the other night, the referee called one of our players for a high kick and because the offence occurred in the penalty area, the referee awarded a penalty shot.

I disagree with the call. Dangerous play is an indirect kick, regardless of where it occurred. Who is right?

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Not having seen the play or talked to the referee, it is hard to be sure. A high kick can be simply dangerous play, and you are correct in that playing in a dangerous manner is punishable by an indirect free kick. On the other hand, such an incident can instead be the offense of kicking or attempting to kick, which is punished with a direct free kick, or if it occurs in the penalty area, a penalty kick. Only the referee can make that decision based on what they observe.

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

If dangerous play was called, then the referee should have given an IFK and not a PK. Perhaps the referee was punishing another foul that was a dfk offense.

Answer provided by Referee Steve Montanino

You need to find out if the referee called a direct free kick offense before persuing an appeal. If the referee had stopped play for "playing in a dangerous manner" then an indirect free kick should have been awarded.

If there was a misaplication of the law then you should appeal to your local league (if the decision resulted in damage to your side, if you won I would leave it alone.) You can win for a misapplied law.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Correct, sometimes a "High Kick" is considered playing in a dangerous manner. It is also correct to say a "High Kick" may be considered kicking or attempting to kick, a direct free kick offence. It is difficult for a spectator on the touchline to judge what a referee is thinking until a signal is given. In this case the referee signaled for a penalty so he must have thought differently than you.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Ralph! I hope this is NOT what occurred. As you state, playing in a dangerous manner is an indirect free kick. If the referee said "high kick" he was almost certainly refering to playing in a dangerous manner because that's what 99% of all players and coaches believe that's what a high kick is. However, if you SAW the player kick high, the referee could very well have called kicking or attempting to kick and believed it was at least careless and properly awarded a penalty kick since the infraction took place inside the player's own penalty area.