Question Number: 16782

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 9/19/2007

RE: Recreational Adult

Edward of Tucson, AZ USA asks...

During a World Cup, the player Blanco of Mexico jumped between 2 players with the ball held between his feet.
Is this breaking any laws of soccer because the player holds or balances the ball off the ground while keeping contact with the ball for longer than a pre-determined amount of time?
Another example may be if a player balances the ball on his neck and ran forward with the ball.

Thank you.

Answer provided by Referee Steve Montanino

I would venture to say that Blanco was playing in a dangerous manner - which is an indirect free kick offense. The whole bit about holding the ball for a certain amount of time off the ground is not a part of this and I don't know where you came up with that.

It's a PIADM foul because the opponents would have to kick Blanco in order to win the ball. The Defenders should not be forced to play unfairly, a defender should always have a fair access route to the ball. The reason we punish for PIADM in this case is that Blanco has endangered himself AND that has hindered the opponent unfairly.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Saw that and so did the referee. He thought it something he should allow. I agreed with him. Nicely done. And it worked.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Edward,
the Blanco bunny hop has the potential to be determined as PIADM if opponets are nearby because the only way the ball can be challanged is to kick at the player's legs. A good friend and colleague John Neilson a former FIFA AR for Canada raised this in his DVD and video presentations when Blanco first did it in the World Cup years ago. These DVDS are great tools for examining the game and cover all aspects from foul recognition , the gray areas of the game , offside etc..

There is a difference between reasonable behaviour to maintain ball posession and creating a deliberate unfair advantage to do so. An example of say falling on top of the ball, certainly a player cannot play that ball while the opponent lies on top of it. Now it can be considered as PIADM but the referee will consider, (1) How did the player come to be there? (2) Does the player make a REASONABLE effort to not just lie there but get up and continue to play?

Nothing in law says the player on the ground, with the ball in posession and within playing distance is sheilding the ball unfairly! By trying to recover his balance and get to his feet he is under no obligation to make it easy for an opponent to access the ball. The key is he must arise and continue quickly and without unreasonably using unsafe body parts to shield the ball as he does so! Thus USB and or PIADM are in consideration.

Lets face it if his head is two inches from the ball and his chest is on top of the ball trapping it between him and the ground after falling he must reasonably pick himself up and remove hs head away from the ball. An opponent can not just kick at the ball because he might hurt the downed player and simply by falling the downed player is not choosing to play in a dangerous manner.
In trapping a ball against your body and continuing playing you could make challanging by an oponent difficult and unsafe for oneself or another PIADM considers both factors. While shoulder to shoulder might still be available as referee look at how reasonable the behaviour is!
FIFA Q&A law 12 27. A player intentionally lies on the ball for an unreasonable length of time.
What action does the referee take?
He stops play, cautions the player for unsporting behaviour and restarts play with an indirect free kick.

I just wanted to note that opponents in the area could change this to a simple PIADM with no caution. The concept here though is reasonable behaviour to fix a momentary unfair situation as opposed to create or continue one! Cheers