Question Number: 17289

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 10/13/2007

RE: Recreation League Under 11

Paul White of Charleston, WV USA asks...

A shot was taken on goal and my goal keeper went to the ground to block the shot and take possession of the ball.
A player from the opposing team charged the keeper while he was on the ground by sliding right up to him without touching him. I asked the referee to call a foul on the player for challenging the goal keeper while he was in possession of the ball and the referee said he cannot call a foul until contact had been made with the keeper. This happened again twice with the same opposing player and I voiced my concerns for the protection of the keeper and finally on the fourth time the same opposing player made hard contact with the keeper in which the referee called a foul. Is this correct that a foul cannot be called until there is contact with the keeper?

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

If he didn't touch him there's no foul. You can't "charge" the keeper carelessly without touching him. Sounds as if the opponents were doing their best NOT to charge your keeper.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Of course there is the ever present "attempt to kick" which is a direct free kick offence that need only to be careless, reckless of excessively forceful to become something we can deal with. However, I would have to be right there and see what's really happening before I came to that conclusion.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Paul,
without actually seeing the action it is difficult to see if the opponent was pulling out or was only lucky not to clean out the keeper. The referee of the match sees each incident as a fact of play and in his opinion nothing was present in the first three.

There are three penal fouls where the word **attempt** is prominent
? kicks or attempts to kick an opponent
? trips or attempts to trip an opponent
? strikes or attempts to strike an opponent

The foul of
? jumps at an opponent
could possibly fit the challange as well as no contact is unspecified
The careless or reckless or excessive action of an *attempt to kick* or a *jump at *could still be present in the nature of the challange but is dependant in the opinion and understanding of foul recognition by the referee.

His match. His decision. His reputation!
For a referee to readily admit a foul only requires contact, in my opinion could use a mentor intervention to help correct that imbalance! There are several ways whereby a player with no contact with an opponent can create a foul or an infringment of some type.
Cheers