Question Number: 29702

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 9/14/2015

RE: Rec Adult

Kerstin Groff of Marietta, ga usa asks...

This question is a follow up to question 29694

Thank you both for your answer. I'm a newly elected league officer revising the by-laws which aren't even halfway clear. This rule is stuck in the bylaws for O-30 and recreational teams, but not defined. Often times, our keeper isn't a trained keeper but the person who draws short straw--and I suspect this 'no keeper contact' rule is intended to protect the keeper--however, based on the ROTG it would seem that something more than no contact after control was meant. But then, what to do when the keeper bobbles the ball in the box--it seems wholly unfair to say that it isn't a free ball, or if the keeper yells for the ball when its a 50/50 ball it seems to give an unfair advantage to the keeper to say that the offense has to back off. Before I propose a revised rule, I wanted to see if any referee types had insight. Again, thanks so much for answering my query.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Kerstin,
the LOTG provide a fairly safe environment if those playing simply buy into fair play with more than just saying it. I advise against changing the LOTG but rather train referees who understands them. Low skill levels create poor timing and to be blunt, if you are concerned for safety then a... no slide tackle rule... is a more effective bylaw as it prevents human missiles launched without control. Leaving your feet is the single most destructive tackle there is when it goes wrong and it often does. This is important in leagues where getting up to go to work is more important than playing at a WC level. Remember the LOTG provide that the moment a keeper has ball control, that is a hand to the ball trapping it to the ground with but a finger, the opposition MUST bail out of any challenge! Keepers' with ball possession are UNCHALLENGABLE . The punishment, if one did contact the keeper with ball possession, aside from the free kick, is generally a caution show a yellow card but if excessive a red card and send off is an easy call and you COULD state that if those playing do make contact even accidently they could get sent off might again instill a cautionary approach inside the penalty area. An inclusion of a bylaw that states no shoulder charging a keeper to because you can fair charge a player might be prudent based on your needs but in reality ...no slide tackles ...is the safest bylaw that will protect the keeper and all the other players as well.
I wish you well in your season stay safe!
\ Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Kerstin
By the way referees dont like these ill defined rules of competition either. It would seem wholly inconsistent with the normal playing of the game that in some way the goalkeeper cannot be *challenged* in every single situation.
In my game at the weekend a goalkeeper dived, after making a rickets of two saves, at the feet of onrushing forwards who were then only playing the ball. The GK was somewhat upset that he clashed twice with the opponents. I did award a foul on the second one which on hindsight was somewhat generous as the attacker did little other than raise his boot slightly to play the ball. At that stage the game was almost over in a one sided affair so it made no difference to the game. I would also say that the clash was as much caused by the actions of the diving goalkeeper who was trying to make up for poor first saves. I might also point out that if there was a *no challenge* rule it would not have stopped the incidents as the natural reaction in these split second scenarios is to play the ball which will always end up as a challenge. In many way that rule will not prevent challenges as perhaps intended with perhaps the exceptions of sliding tackles or one on one with the GK where the player has time to think.