Question Number: 17242

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 10/11/2007

RE: Competitive & Tournament Under 16

Steve of Vero Beach, FL USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 17218

Thank you for your answers, i always find them insightful.

Just to clarify, the attacker was attempting to get up on a very slippery field. She did not have an opportunity to play the ball that was trapped under her. No other teammates were in the vicinity in any case.

I did not blow the whistle until the defender had literally stopped play, waiting for the attacker to get up. There was no kicking or attempting to kick the attacker who was holding the ball.

Different Question:

In a Middle School game yesterday, Defender steps in from the 8:00 position on an attacker with the ball, ball is on right foot. Defender makes contact with attacker's left leg before making contact with the ball. Attacker momentarily remains in control of ball, but then looses balance. The initial contact was made 2 ft outside of the PA. I called Advantage initially and then whistled the foul when attacker lost his balance within a step or 2 of the foul.

I awarded a DFK just outside of the PA where the initial contact occurred. Of course the attackers wanted a PK, because the attacker lost control and fell inside the PA.

Was I correct in bringing the play back to the initial point of contact (advantage not realized) for the DFK?

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

If she was trying to get up and couldn't because of a wet field I think I'd wait on a whistle regardless of the opponent not being able to play the ball. Your new question: hard to say. If you look at the old FIFA Q&A there's one about a hold starting just outside the penalty area but the effect of it continuing into the penalty area and a PK is awarded. But.. you were there.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

On the new question, if the foul is a single event contact that happens outside the PA, the location is outside. It doesn't matter if the player falls inside the PA. The foul moving from outside to inside the PA that Ref Contarino mentions is for a foul that has continuous or nearly continuous contact. For example a hold where the attacking player drags the holding defender along with her as she enters the PA.