A&H

Slide tackles in youth football

JudgeDreadful

JudgeDreadful

New Member
Does anyone know what the rules are for 9v9 youth football regarding slide tackles? Are they outlawed completely at this age?
UK based using FA rules.
Thanks
 
The Referee Store
As long as the challenge is not careless, reckless or endangering the safety of the opponent/using excessive force, they can be allowed. But that's not what you wanted to read is it?
 
Brian Hamilton said:
As long as the challenge is not careless, reckless or endangering the safety of the opponent/using excessive force, they can be allowed. But that's not what you wanted to read is it?
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Not at all. A coach messaged me saying a discussion was going on about it on a forum and asked my advice. I told him pretty much the same thing that unless the referee deems it dangerous it’s allowed. Then I went googling (as you do) and came across a few different opinions, hence the post. This is about the 3rd or 4th time now since qualifying as a referee that I’ve had to go back and ask questions about the differences in rules between adult and youth soccer. It’s something I think they should cover more on the course as most newly qualified refs start with youth soccer and move upwards.
 
JudgeDreadful said:
Not at all. A coach messaged me saying a discussion was going on about it on a forum and asked my advice. I told him pretty much the same thing that unless the referee deems it dangerous it’s allowed. Then I went googling (as you do) and came across a few different opinions, hence the post. This is about the 3rd or 4th time now since qualifying as a referee that I’ve had to go back and ask questions about the differences in rules between adult and youth soccer. It’s something I think they should cover more on the course as most newly qualified refs start with youth soccer and move upwards.
Click to expand...
The course is designed to equip referees for games including offside (9 v 9, 11 v 11) with regular explanations about Mini soccer being different in certain aspects, e. g. retreat lines, f.o.p. sizes, etc.
Physical offences are no different in Mini soccer, so the advice given by @Brian Hamilton above is what you need.
 
ChasObserverRefDeveloper said:
The course is designed to equip referees for games including offside (9 v 9, 11 v 11) with regular explanations about Mini soccer being different in certain aspects, e. g. retreat lines, f.o.p. sizes, etc.
Physical offences are no different in Mini soccer, so the advice given by @Brian Hamilton above is what you need.
Click to expand...
Thanks. What do we think about 7v7 football where they don’t play offside yet? Still allowed for that ?
 
In the younger ages, however, the ability to execute a slide tackle without being careful is less likely. (But I have also fought back against folk who have pushed for local rules banning slide tackles.)
 
Personally I think it’s more beneficial to educate young players how to slide tackle safely, and allow them to make mistakes at an age where they are less likely to use much force at all. The alternative is to completely ban them, inevitably making them desirable to some players and creating a mythology around them, only to suddenly allow them at a certain age, with players never having been educated on how to slide tackle properly, and having no experience of doing so.
 
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