A&H

Careless or Reckless

Francis Oldfield

New Member
Level 9 Referee
Had a quick search but couldn't find it. (I hate duplicate topics!)

I am doing some learning before my course next week and I am looking at fouls. Watching the sample videos from the CD I have been sent I am finding it tricky to decide between careless and reckless...

Is it as hard as I am finding it or is it simpler in on the field of play where you can watch the play build up and see the players intent?

many thanks for your insights

Francis
 
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If you look in the back of the LOTG, the interpretations are there, and lifted from there:

“Careless” means that the player has shown a lack of attention or
consideration when making a challenge or that he acted without precaution.
No further disciplinary sanction is needed if a foul is judged to be careless

“Reckless” means that the player has acted with complete disregard to the
danger to, or consequences for, his opponent.
A player who plays in a reckless manner must be cautioned

“Using excessive force” means that the player has far exceeded the necessary
use of force and is in danger of injuring his opponent.
A player who uses excessive force must be sent off


You can see those on page 117 here: http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/footballdevelopment/refereeing/02/36/01/11/27_06_2014_new--lawsofthegameweben_neutral.pdf
 
Yeah I appreciate that and I had read those definitions, but they seem like they could be easy to mix up. What might seem careless to one person could seem reckless to another. Excessive is pretty straight forward I think, just the first two...
 
This document, referenced elsewhere and available on the resources page if I'm not mistaken, should help you with determining whether something is careless, reckless or with excessive force on a more accurate and consistent level.
 

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Use the old "opps, oooooo and Jesus" scale.

When the tackle comes in, if your first thought is:

Opps it's careless

Ooooo it's reckless

Jesus (somebody call an ambulance) its excessive force

;)

While that works to a certain extent, it does not offer as much consistency between referees as asking yourself the questions located in the above document does.
 
As with most things, as you gain more experience you will differentiate between careless and reckless. There is a very thin line between the two. Often a careless challenge is one where the player tries to win the ball when clearly he cannot do so. He arrives there late and catches the player. And the reckless tackle is often one where the player knows exactly what he is doing, and is intent on making the challenge without due regard for his opponent.
 
A good training exercise is to watch games on TV and try and anticipate the referee's actions (sometimes best without any commentary). Give yourself a couple of seconds after every incident and decide whether you're stopping play and, if so, any need for action (words or cards) - then the restart. If no-one's around you might even do the signals, show the cards, etc....?!
 
:cry: That's my dreams dashed. :cry:

That said though, I think your wrong Brian. Nearly every Saturday someone at my games will comment that I must be some kind of fudging comedian! :)
 
Use the old "opps, oooooo and Jesus" scale.

When the tackle comes in, if your first thought is:

Opps it's careless

Ooooo it's reckless

Jesus (somebody call an ambulance) its excessive force

;)
funnily enough i often use a system like this, or at least this is what goes through my head because I understand what you mean Ryan about the technicalities of a foul like who's fault was it etc but sometimes you just have to go on your gut feeling :)
 
Those would be the times that your gut feeling is correct according to the "technicalities".
 
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