Fouls - Part 3

Let me address a situation that regularly recurs in youth soccer. Your kid is challenging or is challenged for control of the ball and he ends up on the ground. Cries of “Foul!” might erupt from the sidelines.

In the game, being knocked down does not necessarily indicate a foul has been committed. As I stated earlier, soccer is a physical game and players are allowed to contest for control of the ball by physical means known as a charge. This is commonly understood to be approximate shoulder to shoulder contact. At youth level, your 4'2" daughter could be knocked over by a 4'8"girl who weighs 40 pounds more. Your daughter has not necessarily been fouled. Players cannot be penalized for being larger or stronger. They can only be penalized with a foul for carelessness, recklessness or excessive force. Again, this is a judgment call by the referee. A big player against a small player rarely involves excessive force. It is more likely to involve the use of an inherent physical advantage. Now, if your daughter goes flying 15 feet through the air before landing, that would be a different story.

Remember from the previous column, a tackle is a challenge for the ball using a foot. Often it accompanies a slide, but the two concepts – tackle and slide – are not interdependent. It would be uncommon for a slide NOT to be for a tackle, but tackles are performed without a slide more often than not at younger levels.

The tackle/foul can be the most confusing call to spectators, because the referee's decisions can appear to be inconsistent without a good understanding of this area. So, when is a tackle legal and when is it not? The easiest call to make is when the foot of the tackling player strikes the opposing player before it strikes the ball. That is always a foul. Sometimes the play is very close and, as with all things soccer, the call depends on the judgment (or eyesight) of the referee. But according to the LOTG, striking the player first is ALWAYS a foul.

So, is the opposite true? If the tackling foot strikes the ball first, then it's never a foul? No, although many spectators, players and even coaches seem to operate under that misperception. It all depends on how the tackle is performed.

Many times a defender will make a tackle and the opposing player will trip and tumble down over the tackler's foot. If the defender's foot has contacted the ball before contact with the player, AND the defender has made no other unfair or dangerous actions, then it is very likely a legal tackle. The fall by the attacking player is just part of the game.

What exactly do I mean when I say no other unfair or dangerous actions? Generally, that means the defender has not raised a leg to deliberately trip the opposing player and has not struck the player after dislodging the ball. In the tackling situation, there is a clear distinction between striking with the foot and tripping since the attacking player may often fall as a result of the tackle. Fair also means the tackle is timely (not after the ball has already been passed away), is not done with both feet, and is not done with the cleats up. At older ages, you may hear players tell the referee "I got all ball" when called for a foul on a tackle. The referee obviously disagrees. Otherwise, he wouldn't whistle.

The slide tackle can be completely legal and highly effective if performed correctly. It can also be very dangerous. A badly executed slide tackle can easily draw the yellow or even the red card from the referee, especially if it comes from behind.

So, what about the aerial challenge – when does it become a foul? The aerial challenge is unlikely to result in a foul if both (all) the involved players are jumping toward the ball and making a legitimate attempt to play the ball with the head. Fouls occur when one player directs his jump at the opposing player, or uses an arm to clear other players from the area. The focus of the eyes is often a clear indicator of the player's intent. Leading with or swinging an elbow can earn a yellow card and making contact with it should prompt a red card and a sending off from the match. But I doubt that you will ever see this situation in a NASA recreational game.