Question Number: 23688

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 7/19/2010

RE: W-end recreational Adult

joe t of sydney, NSW Australia asks...

Does a high foot by a defender in the penalty box on a corner kick constitute a DFK or IDFK ? (no contact was made, but was close to other attackers).

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

A high foot is not a foul. Playing in a dangerous manner is. If the foot in the air was likely to be dangerous to an opponent, and caused the opponent to hold back from play, then the foul can be called.

And as a referee, I'm sure you know that dangerous play is in indirect free kick foul. Also that a defender committing a direct free kick foul inside his own penalty area results in a penalty kick.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

It could be nothing, it could be an indirect for playing in a dangerous manner, and it could be a PK for attempting to kick an opponent. It all depends on how it occurred.

If the high foot occurs with no one but that player around, it is nothing. If it happens, and the only folks around are teammates, it is nothing.
If it happens with an opponent around, the question becomes how did it affect the opponent?
If the defender is trying to play the ball with the foot when most reasonable people would play it with the head or chest, then we probably have playing in a dangerous manner.
If the attacker is actually struck with the high foot, or would have been struck if they hadn't ducked in time, a PK can be considered.

There is no hard and fast choice to be made in these instances. It all depends on the context of play - the skill level, the age, the tenor of the game, etc. The referee can decide, based on the facts in evidence at the time of the event, which choice best serves the game and fits within the Laws.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

If the referee considers the action by the defender to be a foul for play in a dangerous manner, the restart would be an indirect free kick. If the referee considers the action by the defender to be a foul for attempting to kick an opponent, the restart would be a penalty kick. If the referee does not consider the action to be any foul, play continues.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Joe
The question the referee has to consider is whether the raised boot is a danger to an opponent. Not all raised boots is playing in a dangerous manner and the tolerance level is set with what is expected in the local area. For instance in Spain, France Italy, Germany etc it is PIADM to raise the boot even slightly off the ground exposing the studs whereas in Ireland and the UK there is a greater tolerance level to the height of the boot, the direction it was raised etc.
If the referee believes it is playing in a dangerous manner then a foul is called and the restart is an indirect free kick. Contact of an opponent by the raised boot moves it into the penal foul category and the restart then is a direct free kick or a penalty kick if it committed by a defender inside his own penalty area.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Hello Joe, I would just add that there is a mistaken belief that contact MUST occur for this to raise to the level of a direct free kick foul. Not so. Remember that attempting to kick an opponent is also a direct free kick foul and were the high foot likely take an opponent's head off but for the opponent ducking, one could easily award a direct free kick or penalty kick.

As an aside, Advice To Referees has always listed as the third thing that must happen for there to be PIADM that the opponent must be disadvantaged. In general we think of a player flinching or backing off. I took the sentence literally until working a U16 girls game, a team I had seen many times. They had a player tough as nails and 2 or 3 high kicks came up towards her and she didn't flinch and I let play continue. It wasn't till the next one when she said 'are you gonna let her take my head off before you call anything?' that I realized my mistake: the kicks were so close to this player's face that even though she didn't flinch, the proximity was such that they were dangerous. Also, I should have realized knowing this kid that she was probably the only player I've ever seen that wouldn't flinch or back away.