Question Number: 14866

Character, Attitude and Control 2/19/2007

RE: Comp High School

Dave of Barrington, IL USA asks...

Say there is a 50-50 ball, and 2 players are heading toward it at high speed. There is a violent collision right at the ball. One of the players is 190 lbs and stays upright (and wins the ball), while the other player is 130 lbs and goes flying. Neither player made an effort to avoid contact. Is there a foul here? Please discuss how fouls are called with a strong player who doesn't seek out contact, but doesn't make a strong effort to avoid. Thanks.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Dave,
a great topic and always difficult to placate those watching when big versus small LOOKS bad even if it is fair! One of the reasons we have u-6, u-8, u-12, u-16 boys and girls leagues is to allow those wishing to play, a relatively equal playing field. Yes girls can play with boys and younger ages can play up if they are able to meet the mental and physical requirements that are neccessary with the skill required. Yet at times the number game in smaller communities within the pool of players we will have grade 8 playing with grade 12 and a great diversity of physical maturity will be on the field at once.

If the contact is a solid foot to foot with ball in the middle between a light weight and a heavy weight we can hardly fault the larger player if he wins the ball even if the slighter couragous player who refuses to give up is swept of his feet and goes crashing to the ground. Physics is not a crime it is a fact of life.

That said the momentume and the force and speed of a larger player is not to be a battering ram to over run his opponent and in any challenge for the ball the opponent's safety can not be cast aside as tough luck mate as a MACK truck creams out a ferrari at an intersection.

Someone generally has the right of way and while often there is equal blame the degree of fault as in insurance is based on factors that a referee will consider much as an insurance adjuster will, to arrive at a decision.

It is a fact that in competative enviroments larger, stronger and faster play a crucial factor in determining the make up of a team. Many players develope faster or are temporarily ahead of class mates for a duration of their young lives. The reason we have different levels is to allow those playing a reasonable chance of success.

You end your question with a statement
"who doesn't seek out contact, but doesn't make a strong effort to avoid."

When a player uses his mass as a weapon to shoulder ram or step on top of a downed opponent he bloody well do all he can to avoid doing so. Yet if his play for the ball is fair and the leaner opponent simply refuses to back down somebody gonna get hurt real bad and it likely is not the weighter opponent.

I said before we look for clues. The EYES where are they looking? The body language? Do we see a shift from a stretch to reach the ball or win the race to the ball develope from a play or kick opportunity to a curl up, head drop, shoulder drop, straight arm, arm sweep, excessive follow through with extra stomp, leg kick or scissor effect? Does the larger player lean over just the extra bit to the left even though the ball is headed right? is there a sound or snarl as in intimidation to be found there?

To experiance foul recognition one needs literally to experiance it for themselves. They need to see it, have it pointed out to them and study the humans who play the game as they will teach a referee when what they do is exactly what they intended.

The old I got all ball ref or I got the ball first is not a guarantee of a fair tackle, true, it has a greater degree of being fair but we must be vigilant in defining a reasonable attempt to win the ball or the potential of the reckless or excessive nature of any tackle .

Be it a play on collision assuming no one is hurt, to that extra effort not made to not avoid a potentially dangerous situation that referee must arrive at his decision, his match, his reputation! Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

The Laws of the Game do not negate the Laws of Physics. Two bodies still cannot occupy the same space. Larger objects have more momentum than smaller ones. Gravity works.

That's not to say that players can do anything they wish and get away with it. Was there a push involved in the collision? Was the action careless/reckless/excessive? A charge is one of the 6 offenses in Law 12 to which that scale applies. "In the opinion of the referee" applies again.

I might also note that sometimes it is the smaller player, the one now down on the ground, who committed the foul. In that case the ref should evaluate the possibility of advantage before calling the foul.

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

Probably not since neither player really caused the foul. No players tried to cheat, but they went for the ball. As a result, they knocked each other down to the ground. Not much you can call here as no players are at fault.