A&H

Lifting

RefJef

RefJef

RefChat Addict
Chatting with a work colleague today, he asked me why you don't see "lifting" like you do in a rugby line out.

For example, red free kick from the side, the lump it into the box. Red No. 9 leaps to head the ball, as he lifts off, red No.8 puts his hands on his team mates hips and gives him an upwards shove, allowing red 9 to tower above the opposition and nod the ball home.

My first recourse (as ever, when stumped!) was to say unsporting behaviour, but it didn't sit to well with.

I've since consulted my LOAF and the best I can do is IDFK for "playing in a dangerous manner" although the interpretation guidelines says "... It is committed with an opponent nearby and prevents the opponent from playing the ball through fear of injury "

Any thoughts?

J
 
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GraemeS said:
That seems....vague. No offence intended, but it feels like there should be a more precise answer than that?
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None taken as you're entirely correct. It's deliberately vague. It's like unsporting behaviour, that's deliberately vague so referees can use it for anything they really don't like.
 
This is just one of those areas where we fit our idea of 'spirit of the game' in with the laws. We 'know' that's not how the game is supposed to be played at all. So, we can fit it into USB. the LOTG aren't trying to include every scenario - sometimes something may not 'specifically' be against the LOTG, but we all know it's wrong. Really, most scenarios aren't specifically covered in the LOTG, so we're just combining our understanding of the game with the letter and spirit of the law/game to make a decision.

In previous years the old Q&A did contain this specific example as a caution. While that document no longer has weight as clear instructions on the LOTG, it is still a useful document in understanding the laws.
 
just out of interest, say a player is lifted by 2 other team mates to assist a header, who do you issue the caution to ? the lifted? the lifters? or all 3 ?
 
Hi
The reason this is not seen or done is that it is unsporting behaviour. It is a caution and an IDFK restart. For me in these situations it is the initiator that is cautioned, the player that if he did not do his action there would be no offence. So in these it would be the lifter. If there is no lift there is no USB. Example would be the circumvention. Circumventor is cautioned not the GK. In a multi player lift I would pick one player, the most obvious one and caution him. Now it can be difficult in a climb situation where a player levers himself up off the back off a team mate stood on the ground. That is going to be ignored.
Anyway this is not going to test many referees as it is a very rare situation. I have never seen it.
 
Closest I've seen to this is players swinging from the crossbar to aid elevation, as well as using the side of the goal net for balance when clearing a ball

One I cautioned for - the other I let go :)
 
I would say unsporting behaviour. I may be completely wrong (and am sure that I'll be told if I am ;)) but could you say that it is gaining an unfair advantage?
 
I can't find any reference to anything like this in any of the old Q&A's that I have copies of (1990, 2000, 2004, 2005 & 2006) but there was a somewhat similar scenario that was the subject of an IFAB decision (decision 2 to Law 12) in the Laws up to 1997. This talked about a player leaning on the shoulders of a team mate to gain extra height to head the ball and stated that the referee should caution the player for "ungentlemanly conduct" (the precursor to unsporting behaviour).
 
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Goldfish said:
Anyway this is not going to test many referees as it is a very rare situation. I have never seen it.
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I have. Not so much lifting as a keeper climbing/leaning on the shoulders of a team mate to gain extra height to catch the ball at a corner. This was at an academy U13 or U14 match a few years ago. They were most surprised when I blew my whistle. I, too, was surprised for encountering a situation which until then I had only thought to belong to the realm of LOTG quizzes.
 
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