Question Number: 18110

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 12/10/2007

RE: Recreational Under 11

Mike of Chino Hills, CA USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 15592

In Mr. Montanino's reply, he stated that when the ball is legally shielded, the opponent is now allowed to charge fairly from behind. I have seen this stated elsewhere, but without much elaboration. While ATR does say that a fair charge does not have to be shoulder-to-shoulder, I am still having a hard time picturing what a "from behind" charge means, and how it is different when the opponent is shielding. I could not find any supporting documention that clarifies this viewpoint. Can someone help draw a picture for me? Is it still a shoulder-to-shoulder thing -- or a shoulder-to-back-shoulder-blade -- or chest-to-shoulder -- or chest-to-back -- or ??? I'd like to understand, because I often hear some refs say a charge is a foul whenever it is from behind. Thanks again !!

Answer provided by Referee Steve Montanino

I would say the "force" involved would need to be applied in a cautiously controlled way toward the back of the opponents shoulder blade. This is not likely to injure the player shielding the ball, but there are some considerations:

Any charge where contact is made with the spine is a foul! The risk of spinal injury and paralisis is too great.

Any charge made with unusual force is unsafe and is a foul. We can't just allow a player to trample over another.

So, once the player is legally shielding the ball this means that they are using their body as an impedence to taking the ball. This is permitted as long as the player with the ball is close enough to the ball to play it. Thus, the opponent must be allowed some lattitude in charging for the ball. Otherwise the player who wants the ball would be unable to gain possession of it.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

The section in Advice to Referees which discusses fair charges during a shielding situation specifically states that the charge cannot be directed toward the spinal area. I agree with Ref Montanino that the force of the charge must be taken into consideration. A fair charge is nothing like a pointy-ball linebacker's actions!

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Again the lack of historical memory in America causes us to wonder what a common phrase means. Before the 1997 rewrite of the Laws of the Game this appeared as International FA Board Decision 7 of Law XII:

If a player covers up the ball without touching it in an endeavour not to have it played by an opponent, he obstructs but does not infringe Law XII para. 3 because he is already in possession of the ball and covers it for tactical reasons whilst the ball remains within playing distance. In fact, he is actually playing the ball and does not commit an infringement; in this case, the player may be charged because he is in fact playing the ball.

Here the referee should expect contact beginning chest to back working around to shoulder to shoulder leaving out shoulder to spine because of the obvious danger in that. Our fathers didn't teach us this method of play because they didn't play The Game hence the lack of historical memory. So we have to learn for ourselves.

In teaching your 11 year-olds to do this properly you must place them someplace they know that is similar. A drinking fountain on a hot day may offer that familiarity. Imagine waiting a long time for a drink on a hot day. You can't use your hands to hurry things because that just isn't done. What's left, kicking and shoving. Kicking is bad so we're going to have to shove to move him along. We can't shove directly from behind because the drinking fountain will prevent us from gaining ground so we must go from the side. With that image in their head we put a ball on the floor and have one player try to prevent another from getting to the ball. They'll soon figure out the ball can not prevent movement like a drinking fountain and contact along the full length of the body will force an equal and opposite reaction. Then a simple spin move allows access to the ball when the opponent falls down on his own.

Again, this is not a violent maneuver, it is all finesse and letting gravity do most of the work. When you run into a referee that thinks any charge from behind is foul play don't do them any more because that has been established as a condition of play.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

I would expect the charge to be chest to back not shoulder to back and without much force.