Question Number: 16789

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 9/19/2007

RE: Competitive Under 15

Nigel Eddies of San Francisco, CA USA asks...

At a recent ref refresher course, the instructor said there was a "mandate" from FIFA to crack down on any contact from behind. He even said it was a foul if you stick your foot between an attacker's legs to kick the ball away even if you get all ball with your foot but make minor contact with the attacker with your body. Would you agree? And, is it fair to say that if a slide tackle is from the side or behind, it is a foul if they touch the player whether they get ball first or not? That is what the instructor implied. Just so you know I am asking to try to get some consistency for a recreational league that includes several towns with each supplying their own referees for their home games.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

I believe this mandate, if one could be said to exist, happened just prior to the World Cup - the one that was held in France 9 years ago!

Law 12 says it is a foul if a player "tackles an opponent to gain possession of the ball, making contact with the opponent before touching the ball."

If the player gets the ball first, subsequent contact with the opponent might be a foul. It is generally NOT considered a foul if the player keeps his lead leg low to the ground, and the opponent merely has to step or hop over the leg to avoid being tripped. If the player raises his leg, or brings his trail leg in to sweep the opponent's feet out from underneath him, or crashes on through with his whole body taking the opponent out, it would be a foul.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Whether there is foul play or no foul play on a particular challenge lays to the referee on that match. The players are going to know soon enough what is and what is not being allowed that day and they always have the opportunity to adjust. A smart player will adjust, though I tend to think a U-15 boy will just get mad and take it out on everyone around him. What a coach should teach is the proper way to reach through and tackle from behind and let the chips fall where they will.

The referee at your level of play is really not all that skilled and he is going to call a match in the vacuum of what he thinks is right rather than what vast experience tells him is right. As he learns more and more his skills will improve to the point where he will be scheduled more and more away from the youth leagues. Not all of us can be a Brian Hall, Ricardo Valenzua, Kari Seitz, Jennifer Bennett or Chris Strickland[all started their careers in CalNorth] but we can all continue to learn if we attend classes taught by instructors who know Laws of the Game.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Steve Montanino

It is not a foul simply to slide from behind or from the side. It is also not a foul to legally take the ball from an opponent if you slide between his wickets.

The person teaching this class doesn't know the laws.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

The mandate from FIFA was for referees to become more aware of any violence in the game and to punish it severely, immediately and consistently. The tackle from behind always has the potential to be violent, but so does one from the front or side. The tackle from behind also has the potential to be a thing of beauty, a testament to the skill of the player. To say it was a mandate to crack down on contact from behind would be like saying you can't play the ball on the ground. That's just rubbish.