Question Number: 16979

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 9/29/2007

RE: Rec (AYSO) Under 15

Led Gardner of Knoxville, Tennessee USA asks...

For years I have heard referee speakers say that "all fouls must be intentional." Yet a reading of Law 12 does not use this language. It does refer to "deliberate" handballs. Is there somewhere else in the Laws that uses the phrase "all fouls must be intentional?"

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Led,
in truth I must disagree with that statement, fouls are fouls! The laws ask us to judge the careless, reckless or excessive nature of any one of the first 6 penal ones. The next 4 penal simply have to occur. We can consider the doubtful or trivial nature of a foul but intent was removed because we cannot mind read a player!
I have tripped many a player accidently while playing the ball. I was not trying to trip them I INTENDED to playthe ball I still get called for the trip! Most of these are careless. I might mistime or go at him from a bad angle perhaps or at too high a speed and even be cautioned or unthinkably sent off!
Deliberate is misleading because a hand that moves towards a swerving ball or reacts to a ball hitting the arm by pushing it away may not have been what a player intended at all but we base a decision on what he actually did! A wind swerve ball, I try to chest it and catch it with forearm will likely result in a dfk against because I tried to deliberately play the ball. I was not wanting to use the arm but my motion was what it was!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

It appears your referee speakers need to update their knowledge as the word "intentional" does no longer appear in the Laws anywhere. An accident is not normally an offense under Law 12, although if it is careless or reckless, or done with excessive force, it may qualify. To say that "all fouls must be intentional" is a throwback to many years ago. We no longer try to judge intent, FIFA having determined in an enlightened moment that we are not mind readers. On the other hand, we can usually determine by a player's actions if they did something deliberately, i.e. on purpose, and that we can punish if it violates one of the Laws (usually Law 12).