Question:
I have seen this similar situation at least 4 times in the last year – with the same results. An attacking player is dribbling from a wing area (left or right of the goal) in the defenders penalty area. A defender takes a hard and late hip charge into the offensive player. Enough to move them 2 – 4 feet off the ball. The offensive player maintains balance and control. But either immediately or within 1 or 2 seconds loses the ball to the second or third defender (in each situation the defense outnumbers the offense in the immediate vicinity of the play). No whistle and actually no play on is verbalized or signalled. In all cases after the game the referee informs the offensive team/player that if the player had been knocked to the ground a penalty would have ensued. I love a good physical game and in some cases I could easily argue that advantage was the call. But the seemingly late nature of the hit bothers me. Myself, as a ref I’m loath to call a PK but worry about benefiting the defensive team with questionable play and penalizing the offensive team for not flopping. These hip charges are hard, from the side or slightly behind the offensive player. If the offensive player went down I don’t think anyone would have been suprised. But with them not falling I can’t see a foul being called. So, there are a couple parts to my question. 1.) using the four P’s the call seems rather legitimate but it seems to me that the defense gained advantage using a questionable tackle. Could this be whistled as a foul? 2.) even if it is not a foul could this warrant a caution?
USSF answer (September 24, 2008):
We cannot make any definitive comment on a game played under high school rules, as it would not have been played under the Laws of the Game. However, if the game had been played under the Laws of the Game, we can make some definite statements:
1. What you describe has nothing to do with advantage, but is strictly a matter of a referee afraid to make a call. There is no room for cowards in the refereeing corps.
2. In general we can say, without fear of being incorrect, that hip charges at any level of play (male/female, young/old, skilled/unskilled, etc.) are unfair and thus not allowed. Charges must be shoulder to shoulder, with both players having at least one foot on the ground. However, we must consider some allowance for differences in height and weight and bodily proportions. In other words, we must not forget that both the laws of physics and Mother Nature can overrule the Laws of the Game, in that women are usually wider at the hips than men and men are usually wider at the shoulders than women. What we judge is how those bodily characteristics are used. If they are used unfairly — and only the referee on the spot can do that — then a foul should be called.
3. Referees who do not call unfair charges should consider two courses of action: Either call fouls correctly or stop refereeing, as they are doing the rest of us no favors. Simply because a player was fouled but not knocked to the ground is not a valid reason not to call a foul. A foul is a foul is a foul.
4. Referees MUST make the same call in the penalty area that they would make on the rest of the field. If they cannot do that, they must consider those same two courses of action, because their failure to call the game correctly makes problems for all referees.
5. If the referee chooses to make a decision — which each of us must do thousands of times in a game — then it had better be for the good of the game. The decision to award the advantage must be based on the four Ps, but in that case the referee must follow through and speak to the miscreant afterwards. There may be no need for a caution on the first offense, that is up to the referee, but if the player or the team contnues to do that, the referee must punish the misconduct.
FAQs
A foul may be called if, in the opinion of the referee, one of the players is careless or reckless or uses an arm, a hip or a dipped shoulder to unfairly force the opponent off the ball. Handling the ball deliberately by any player other than the goalkeeper is never allowed.
What happens if a player hits a referee in the penalty area? ›
A player plays the ball which then touches the referee (inside the penalty area), remains on the field of play and goes directly into the goal. What is the referee's decision? The goal is disallowed and play restarts with a dropped ball for the defending team goalkeeper in their penalty area.
What is the meaning of referee in soccer? ›
: a person who makes sure that players act according to the rules of a game or sport. a football/soccer referee.
Can you shoulder check someone in soccer? ›
But, many soccer fans wonder, “Can you use your shoulder in soccer?” The answer is yes, you can use your shoulder in soccer. The rules allow a player to use his or her shoulder to touch the ball when it's in play. You can also use your shoulder to lean into an opponent if you are making a play on the ball.
Can you body check someone in soccer? ›
A fair charge is when a player body checks an opponent shoulder-to-shoulder with their elbows against their body. This action must also be under control and within close proximity to the ball. Each player must have at least one foot on the ground. Arms are not allowed to be used at all during a body check.
Can a team sue a referee? ›
Historically, courts have found that lawsuits against officials arising from an injured party's participation in a sporting event are only actionable if the injured party demonstrates recklessness, willfulness, intentional misconduct, malice, or wanton conduct on behalf of the official.
What happens if a ref gets hurt during the game? ›
If the medical personnel deems the referee incapable to continue officiating the match, he or she must be replaced. The fourth official will usually take over from the referee. In most competitions, the fourth official will take the place of the injured referee.
Can a referee get in trouble? ›
There are a few ways the NFL can penalize its referees. One is that they can be held out from postseason play. Typically, the highest-graded referees move on to officiate the postseason. That means that if an official consistently receives below-average grades, they won't get the opportunity to officiate playoff games.
Can you direct free kick in to own goal? ›
What is the correct decision? If a free kick is kicked directly into the team's own goal, the referee awards a corner kick to the opposing team.
Can you shoot from a direct free kick? ›
A goal may be scored directly from a direct free kick against the opposing side. A goal may not be scored directly from an indirect free kick, and an own goal may not be scored directly from any free kick.
That's because indirect free-kicks are actually awarded all of the time, but they're in such a position on the pitch that you probably won't have realised, given that players are unlikely to go for goal from there anyway. The most obvious and common example of such a free-kick is one awarded for an offside decision.
Why do soccer referees wear two watches? ›
Often, referees utilise two watches so that they can use one to calculate time lost for stoppages for the purposes of added time.
Can a referee stop a soccer game? ›
Referees have the power to penalize players with yellow or red cards, to stop or terminate play due to risk factors, and to assess fouls and penalties. The referees are also responsible for keeping time and providing a match report to the league officials.
What are the three duties of referee? ›
Powers and duties
controls the match in cooperation with the other match officials. acts as timekeeper, keeps a record of the match and provides the appropriate authorities with a match report, including information on disciplinary action and any other incidents that occurred before, during or after the match.
Are hip checks legal? ›
Generally speaking, hip checks are legal in hockey when they are performed correctly. However, if the player throwing the hip check makes contact at or below an opponent's knees, a “clipping” penalty will be assessed.
Is hip checking a penalty? ›
Hip-checking
A hip-check at or below the knees is called "clipping"; it is considered an infraction in the National Hockey League.
Is hip abduction good for soccer? ›
Hip Abduction and Pelvis Stabilization
In my opinion this function of leveling the pelvis and the body is extremely important to play soccer pain-free and many of the problems Soccer Players have in their lower back, hips, knees and ankles can have their origin in weak hip abductors.
Are you allowed to pull hair in soccer? ›
Hair pulling is rare, and isn't specifically covered within the Laws of the Game so comes under either violent conduct or unsporting behaviour, depending on the specifics, though the mere act isn't an automatic dismissal. But when off the ball and with force it would be considered by most referees to be a red card.
