Question Number: 34286

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 8/4/2021

RE: Youth-Adult, recreational and competitive

Barry Stewart of Chilliwack, BC Canada asks...

This question is a follow up to question 34283

I see I wasn't the ONLY one wondering about that PK!

I'll agree that Rose's speed and aggressiveness likely caused the defender to not make the best play... but I still think she was contacted from behind and the 'first' foul would have given the USA the ball.

On the timing of the kicks, I think we can all learn from the incident.

If Rose had NOT contacted the ball first, but merely prevented the defender from getting her kick on it, that could have been a Canadian foul, correct?

I believe I wrote about such an incident a few years ago from a game I reffed. Striker was in his forward stroke to kick the ball and a defender put his foot in the way. (And did not touch the ball.) This caused a bit of pain for the defender and a missed kick for the attacker. I awarded a tripping foul against the defender. Correct call there?

Thanks, as always, for your counsel.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Barry
I do not see any offence here by the Canadian attacker. There is some contact yet it is a contact sport and all she did was move to challenge for the ball. From the aerial angle the contact is limited and the US defender is in no way pushed, illegally charged by the attacker and she is not even put off her kicking stride. It is just s strong play for the ball.

In challenges where a player prevents an opponent from playing the ball by sticking in a leg without playing the ball that is an offence by the player punished by a direct free kick to the opponent. It is akin to tripping. If the player plays the ball as in the Canadian player’s situation and gets kicked in the process then that is a foul against the opponent for a kicking offence.

So in your example your call was correct which is what happened in the Rose incident.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Barry,
Your quote "If Rose had NOT contacted the ball first, but merely prevented the defender from getting her kick on it, that could have been a Canadian foul, correct?"
I tend to agree with your thinking look at this video the first sequence shows something that I believe is not widely accepted as true! The claim of drawing the penalty by moving into the path of an active defender attempting to win the ball.


very first incident

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_v8aw7ZbfR0


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJcR7CNMdQc
Cheers