Question Number: 17456

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 10/22/2007

RE: Select Div 1, Gold Bracket, 2nd Place Under 15

Gary of Tomball, TX USA asks...

My Defender Daughter is running back with the ball toward mid-field when the girl she took it from kicks her in the knee which is dislocated and drops my girl. My girl's knee is 17 inches above the ground, the ball is 8 inches tall.

1. What penalty or Card should be given?
2. What Legal Action should we take against the opponent & her family as well as against the Leagues, Coaches and Referee's for allowing/encouraging excessive Contact in a "Non-Contact" sport?

Soccer is not American "Football".

My girl wins 1st Place in the 100m, 200m & 400m Track Races and is known by all the Soccer Teams Forwards as the "Fast Defender" to look out for.
Gary

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Gary, I'm sorry your daughter was injured in such a way and I hope her a speedy recovery.

Now, to your question. You don't mention whether or not the referee saw what happened. You don't say if play was stopped, and if so was there disciplinary action taken. This has a great bearing on things because, experienced or not, the referee's opinion regarding facts connected with play are final.

1. The penalty or card given is at the discretion of the match referee and no one else. Because I was not there I can offer nothing regarding that.

2. The legal action you should take against the opponent and her family as well as against the Leagues, Coaches and Referee's for allowing/encouraging excessive Contact in a "Non-Contact" sport is NONE, repeat NONE. This is because [from the Laws of the Game] "Football is a competitive sport and physical contact between players is a normal and acceptable part of the game, however players must play within the Laws and respect the principles of fair play."

It is well understood by the members of this panel this Game is not American football. However, the match referee may now be so well versed on the significance of that statement. As I understand American football is a religion in Texas, and is played with all the fervor of a religious event. Some of those things may have been present in the mind-set of the referee. Some of us have, for years, tried to get referees to deal with foul play and misconduct beyond the "no blood - no foul" level. The Game you call Soccer is in fact Football nearly every place else in the world and IS almost a religion in many places.

It is played to win and since 1891 the International FA Board has seen fit to have a referee, a judge if you will, on the field to ensure the Laws of the Game are enforced. When the referee does enforce the Laws of the Game he sees to the safety of the players. That's a given and how it's supposed to work.

Referees do not have the same skills nor do they have the same level of expertise. Some are just starting out and must attain the skills necessary to expand themselves. Some have all the skills necessary and are nearly perfect in their knowledge, application of the Law and positioning on the field yet they still miss the an event obvious to others who view it from a different angle. We are not perfect. Sometimes things escape us. We can't be every place and see everything, though we try to be.

So to the problem at hand; the over the ball, studs open, challenge that winds up against the knee is, in my opinion, a direct free kick and a sending-off offence. It will be so every time I see it. I do this because I want everyone on this field, today, to see what happens when you do that. It will not prevent the first terrible challenge but might deter another that day. If I see two of these and send off two players injured in the manner you suggest I might consider terminating the match because of safety concerns. Another thing I do to deter this kind of thing is actually call "fouls". I don't care about the parents screaming "Let Them Play". I ensure I "Let Them Play, Fairly". That is a significant difference in mind-set from many referees at the youth level of play where they seem to not recognize what is and is not an offence. Where their foul recognition seems only capable of seeing a bone sticking out of a leg.

In summation: what can be done is training referees. Yup, training the ladies and gents who are out there enforcing the Laws of the Game. Demanding more of their volunteer time to learn how to manage a match. That training may mean qualifying new referees which may include you and your daughter who know exactly what allowing "too much violence" in The Game leads to...

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

First of all, let me wish your daughter a swift and complete recovery from her injury. Been there with my own daughter, and sympathize entirely. However, I'm confused you would think soccer is a non-contact sport? If your daughter is playing in a gold bracket, which is youth Division 1 and at the U15 level, she's been doing it for a few years. Soccer is a very high contact sport. You'll find the papers you signed when you registered her told you all of this, and make bringing any kind of action against anyone extremely difficult and non-productive - not to mention expensive for you. I would recommend you get in touch with the assignor for the referee crew who did your daughter's game, and include your coach and league president in your correspondence. Explain what happened, and be sure to give date, field, time and teams and ask for help in checking to see if the referee crew needs an assessment to assist them in foul recognition or game management. The possibilities are endless as to why it happened, and without the referee's point of view, I will not speculate on what he saw or did or why.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Soccer is a contact sport. It differs from football (gridiron, pointyball) which is a collision sport.

My colleagues have noted that the decision on any foul or misconduct is up to the referee at the game. His decision on the facts of the matter is final. If his decisions seem deficient, please contact the assignor or instructor so he may be re-educated.

We would not presume to know what, if any, legal remedies might be applicable under the laws of the great state of Texas.

I know from personal experience that a dislocated kneecap is not fun. Hopefully her youth will speed her full recovery. Best wishes to your daughter, and may she soon resume the activities she loves.