Foul?

[Mick.]

I know that there is a penal offence for a late tackle, but what about an early one?
Yellow on the attack, coming in from the area of the corner flag. Blue defender runs towards yellow, between yellow player and the goal. Blue defender slides across the front of yellow like a sliding tackle, however he arrives so early that his waist/chest is level with the yellow player's feet causing the ball to strike him in the middle and yellow to trip over him.
Initially I would argue that blue has not made an attempt to get the ball as he has arrived far too early and therefore a foul. However, he has not made contact with yellow, yellow has made contact with him and fallen over (albeit there is not much of a time delay). What's your call?

 

[Tealeaf]

Instinctive. It will either be a foul for a trip or a good challenge. So many variables (mainly my position) will affect it but it will be a gut call.

 

[Matthew]

It's difficult to tell without actually being there. Personally, I would go with my instinct on this one and just give it/or give nothing based on my first reaction to it.

 

[Alex Clark]

I agree with Matt & Tealeaf, without being there it's difficult to say. You also have to remember that players are entitled to their position on the pitch, so my logic there is that if a player is lying down on the pitch, he's entitled to be there and it's probably not a foul, unless his momentum takes him through the player. Odd one though

 

[Mick.]

And this is where I find it all difficult. I have to admit that I had the same thing happen about a week ago. Cue calls for a foul. "Get on with it" from me. This time though, its happened while the player is attacking the goal (albeit not in a DOGSO way) when the incident occurs. No complaints from either team but I blow and give a penalty. I managed to sell it that the player had gone into the tackle so early that it was obvious he was not going for the ball, just to take the player out, but I do take the point that the fouling player is entitled to his space on the field - even lying down.

 

[Mike]

Although it depends on instinct, I'd say not a foul because in a way the player has won the ball fairly in the tackle, even though it isn't with his feet. (As long as it's not with his arms)

 

[CGGreaves]

It sounds like the sliding player has merely tried to blog the ball (like you would on fifa) but if the ball has hit him before the attacker has run into him then play on, he's won the ball fair tackle. The slide merely allowed him to get to where he wanted to be faster than him running would. Again, hard to know having not seen it

 

[MattyontheWhistle]

If the Blue defender contacts the ball before yellow trips over him, then play-on.

If not, my gut reaction would be that blue has impeded yellow, foul.

 

[Reffariiii]

Sound as if he tackled fresh air, and the yellow ran into him

Difficult to tell but play on for me. Were there any appeals for a foul?

 

[Ryan Owens]

Agree with Reffariiii. Just think: did the attacker not have time to move out of the way, stop his movement and go a different way etc before running into the player? Just because a player is on the ground, doesn't mean he's fouled his opponent. Play on.

 

[Mick.]

Sound as if he tackled fresh air, and the yellow ran into him

Difficult to tell but play on for me. Were there any appeals for a foul?

Funnily enough, in the first game when I didn't blow for a foul there were calls for one, but in the second when there were no calls, I blew!

Points taken on board from all. I think in future I will hold off on blowing and work on the basis that (unless it looks really ugly) it is a fair challenge.