Question Number: 29823

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 10/17/2015

RE: Recreational / Adult Mens Over 50 League Adult

Shane of Los Alamitos, CA USA asks...

I play a clean game, according to the Laws, as much as possible. I use the shoulder charge to contest possessions, but I will sometimes find myself trying to move a player off the ball by using my right shoulder against his left shoulder, when he is playing the ball with his right foot. My chances of winning the ball are low, but this tactic often slows the player down or causes him to deviate from the attack, which is all I intend to happen. My question is, when I use this technique and apply it with all the same criteria as a fair charge that would be applied against the player's other shoulder, is my technique also a fair charge as I believe it to be? Or does this become some special case of 'playing the player vs. playing the ball' as has been asserted by some players who I have successfully used this against? The Laws (and so far all the referee explanations of the shoulder charge) do not classify what I do as a foul, so I'd like to conclude it is legal. Is it? Thanks for your reply.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Shane
Context is important. If a player is playing the ball away and an opponent comes to charge the player shoulder to shoulder as he plays the ball away that will be seen as a foul. The reason is that timing will dictate that the ball is then not within playing distance of both player so it is an illegal charge.
Compare that with the situation where both players are vying for the ball and the player uses his shoulder on an opponents shoulder to ease the opponent off the ball. That is the legal context of charging.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Shane, shoulder to shoulder requires left to right or right to left contact running in the same direction. The fact the opponent is using either foot to control the ball is meaningless. I would expect a skilled player to use their outside foot to protect the ball as normal play. The considerations are speed , interception angle, (contact is in back more than shoulder side and how the arm start to come across the body in a holding, pulling or pushing motion./ Then the ball must be within playing distance, so if you do interrupt the control the ball can get away and then your continued contact can become a foul! A fair charge should be a leaning in at near the same speed not a grasping contact or a hard intercept. I have difficulty with a shoulder to shoulder shove where the attacker is on a straight path and the defender is coming in hard at a v type angle. The force used here is really debatable as to be a charging foul unless the timing and contact points are spot on. It is very difficult to shoulder charge opponents at speed particularly if they are at different heights 5 6 versus 6 foot their shoulders just do not truly match up, taller players push down smaller players jump up!
I encourage you to continue to use fair play as a basis for all your decisions. From what you describe I see no foul .
Cheers