Question Number: 17249

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 10/11/2007

RE: Rec Adult

Dean Qadri of Montgomery, AL USA asks...

A player from the opponents offense kicks the balls towards our goal from 11 O'clock position. The goal is at my back , 6 O'clock. The ball comes at my waist high and I push kick it away, but at the same time another offense player from the opposite team tries to head the ball. He is rushing in from 3 O'clock position. The ball hits my right foot and then his head. Was this a foul? If not would it have been a foul if the ball was higher? The ball is coming directly onto me and I am closer to ball and make contact with the ball first.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Not quite sure how a ball hitting your foot then the ball hitting his head is a foul so I will assume one of three things>
He attempted to head the ball as you stabbed at it and wound up with your cleat imprint impeded in the forehead?
He attempted to head the ball but upon seeing your foot pulled out of the challenge and the ball merely deflected off him?
He attempted to head the ball but upon him you tried to pull out of the challenge and the ball merely deflected off your foot to his head?
You ask was it a foul?
Well what did the referee in your match do?
It is his match, his decision, his reputation!

A referee is a match conditions much like the weather or pitch surface you adapt to playing in a manner that limits his use of the whistle. Similar as you intake more water on a sunny day or crave a warm hot chocolate on the cold windy ones. You can be irritated when the ball will not roll on a soggy to tall grass surface just as it will bug you the referee seems to be on a roll against your team's way of doing things. You simply get on with business!

Getting to the ball first is NOT an excuse to foul or create a safety issue with an opponent. Granted ball first contact can limit those fouls and indiscretions but the entire action of a challenge has way more to consider than only ball contact!

Locked extended legs with cleats showing are not going to be well received in most any circles be it referee or players in a crowd of players be it only comprised of you and one other opponent! Now off by your self there will no be real issue but circumstances that surround what you do when you do it could be viewed by the referee in the context of no issue thus fair, reasonable, trivial, doubtful, careless, reckless or excessive.

PIADM (playing in a dangerous manner) requires the event to occur with an element of danger to self or opponent, an opponent within playing distance on the field while the ball is in play and the opponent CEASING to challenge, because of the condition at hand.
If there is actual physical contact then the status is likely upgraded to a DFK for kicking , charging, etc..

There is a persistent myth that raising a high leg with a foot in the air at head height or above is an automatic foul the same as if the ball is played while lying on the ground is also a reason for play to be stopped. Both are acceptable as long as they do NOT create the PIADM conditions by having all the criteria fulfilled in the opinion of the referee of that match!

A running player forward can nod a ball on past an opponent using his head or chest to direct the ball to attacking space or even a shot on goal when it is bouncing or is at just above the head to waist height. That said to drop your head into an area targeted by the kicking legs and hacking feet has a safety issue of its own in the action of dropping low to head a ball is down right dangerous to the facial structure if done at the wrong time!!

Now an oncoming defender can do the same but instead decides to extend a leg rather than kick it away as referee I look at it and wonder why not kick it away or carry on running towards the ball? Was the opponent on the dead run and this was a pull out of sorts but the leg was the 3 foot body extension simply to get there first? Was an opponent already leaning in to nod it by?

I do believe if you simply tried to kick the ball away and the leaning player was on his way in it would be more his fault and part of natural fair effort but unwise oh oh to bad. When you challenge in a manner which is riskier, stiff leg, locked at the knee, cleats exposed a a step in or jump in I see it as an unsafe way to go about challenging and could choose to see it as a form of misconduct which could attach itself with a foul. Then again perhaps it was obvious to the referee you were unaware of the opponent who blind sided you and thus you were surprised as anyone.

It could be a no call, to a debatable call (careless) to a cardable call of reckless with show a yellow card with even a send off and display a red card if it was deemed excessive or unacceptably dangerous.
Cheers