Question Number: 17566

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 10/28/2007

RE: Varsity Girls High School

Jerry Moraczewski of Cochranville , PA US asks...

There is a long ball down the field towards the goal. The goalie gathers the ball in the air at about the six yard line. There is an offensive players that has broken away from defenders coming towards the goalie at about the 18 yd line. After the goalie catches the ball she continues on eying the offensive players and runs into the offensive player inside the box and knocks her down with slight excessive force. The offensive player appears to slow up after the goalie gets the ball. The center referee whistled to stop the action and he gave a yellow card to the goalie for unsporting conduct. He said since the goalie had possession of the ball and then commited the foul [did not indicate what foul it was] and it was an indirect kick coming out by the goalies team. Was this the correct call or should it have been a charge by the goalie on the offensive player and a Penalty Kick Awarded?

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Those HS refs sure can come up with a lot of weird explanations. NFHS gives them a book the size of a small encyclopedia with all sorts of play situations, and they still don't cover the case of a goalkeeper illegally charging her opponent inside her own goal area? Even if somehow the ref managed to make this a non-foul, how in the world did he give the restart to the goalkeeper when she committed the misconduct?

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

I'm very confused. I understand the caution if it was given for recklessly charging the opponent but don't understand an indirect free kick at all and certainly not coming OUT of the penalty area? This makes no sense. If the keeper had the ball and ran over an opponent inside his own penalty area forcefully enough to warrant a caution then this should result in a penalty kick for the opponents. Of course, this could be a referee making up his own rules as he went along and decided that there's a new Law that states if a keeper with control of the ball deliberately makes contact with an opponent the keeper should be cautioned and then an indirect free kick is awarded the keeper's team

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

. HI Jerry,
well I never cease to be amazed at the way things are done in the USA soccer high school department. The keeper runs down an opponent inside her penalty area. Referee stops play cautions the keeper shows the yellow card and restarts with an INDFK out in the keeper's favor.

The only way this series of events make any sense is the referee did not see the knock down as a foul.
He stopped for a possibly injury to the opponent.
In USA high school an injury stoppage allows for an INDFK for the team with ball possession at the time, not a drop ball as in FIFA. After the referee stopped play the keeper said or did something that annoyed him so he cautioned for what ever it was as misconduct occurring while the ball was out of play.

It fits the circumstances even if if weak on the logic.

Logically it appears the correct call could have been a PK against the keepers team for a charging foul inside her own penalty area with a caution yellow card or even a send off red card against the keeper.
But then we were not there to assess the situation. The referee in the match, his decision, his reputation!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Interesting you don't mention the goalkeeper leaving the field after being cautioned. This is a requirement of NFHS rules.

Regards,