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Head low to the ground

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Quick question if a player attempts to head the ball either defending or attacking and puts his head dangerously low to the ground and gets kicked in the head what is the ruling?
 
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If you genuinely think that the player who kicked him bears no responsibility for what happened, then by law it is an IFK to the opposition because the player who got kicked has PIAD (played in a dangerous manner). Not the easiest sell but one where explaining the decision to the captain might help a little. First responsibility is of course to get urgent treatment for the injured player!!
 
PLAYING IN A DANGEROUS MANNER
Playing in a dangerous manner is any action that, while trying to play the ball, threatens injury to someone (including the player themself) and includes preventing a nearby opponent from playing the ball for fear of injury.


I think you can sell that completely fine, unless the opposition player has taken his head off!
 
So a defending player 5yrds from his own goal line gets booted in the head because he stoops down to head the ball can actually have an indirect free kick given against him, wow that is crazy I get it but trying to explain that on the pitch will take some doing.

It’s intersting because I’ve seen it a few times lately and everytime the ref just gives a free kick to the player who got booted in the head.

I guess it all depends on what the law & you as a ref interpret as a high foot and head to low.

Either that or the ref’s I’ve seen just take the easy way out & give what would seem to the rest of the pitch the correct decision.
 
So a defending player 5yrds from his own goal line gets booted in the head because he stoops down to head the ball can actually have an indirect free kick given against him, wow that is crazy I get it but trying to explain that on the pitch will take some doing.

It’s intersting because I’ve seen it a few times lately and everytime the ref just gives a free kick to the player who got booted in the head.

I guess it all depends on what the law & you as a ref interpret as a high foot and head to low.

Either that or the ref’s I’ve seen just take the easy way out & give what would seem to the rest of the pitch the correct decision.

Yes it is a hard sell. But there is a line (albeit imaginary) and below it you play the ball with your feet, above it your head......it also depends on the proximity of the opposition! A diving header with nobody near is not PIADM, a scissor kick in a crowded box probably is......
I've done it, but probably less than a handful of times in my whole career.
 
If a defender gets kicked in the head, it's probably in the best interest of the game to give the foul. However, be aware of a situation where a defender puts his head down where it should not be and an opponent holds back. In that case, a defender has played dangerously by putting his head down low and gained an advantage because an opponent didn't want to risk kicking him in the head.

Just don't overthink it. If a guy gets kicked in the head, call the foul even if it was kind of his fault.
 
God there is the laws of the game then there is the common sense of the game & then there is the way them both up together and give the correct decision book of the game.

I’m struggling to think of another situation in life where you would have so much to consider when having to make one decision in such a small space of time, it’s insane it really is.
 
God there is the laws of the game then there is the common sense of the game & then there is the way them both up together and give the correct decision book of the game.

I’m struggling to think of another situation in life where you would have so much to consider when having to make one decision in such a small space of time, it’s insane it really is.
That's why we get the big bucks... The fan mail... The respect... Ha!
 
Is it really a hard sell though? If a defender stoops to knee height in their own goal area to clear or block when kicking it would have been so much easier... Everyone will understand your decision... But the defender and their team will go nuts... But just like any big KMI decision. I think the hardest part for us is to choosing what/when/how to communicate the decision after the whistle: you can start a long rant, call the captains in, separate the player and their captain... But IMHO if you can get everyone quiet with the whistle and say 3-4 words that everyone can hear it is the best way. Crush the histrionics before they start.

This is one of those where it would be great if we had a way to tell the crowd about an offence...
 
I’m struggling to think of another situation in life where you would have so much to consider when having to make one decision in such a small space of time, it’s insane it really is.
Well the situation that comes to mind is the time I was deciding whether or not we wanted a second child :D:D:D

In all seriousness, think of it this way, a player is about to kick the ball knee high. A defender extends his lag with studs showing. The attacker kicks the ball and connects with the defender's leg in follow through. Easy free kick to the attacker (and possible sanction the defender). Now replace the defenders foot with his head (rather than extending foot, he dives down). Obviously you would expect the attacker not to kick the ball to avoid injury to the opponent (which would still be a IFK) but if he couldn't avoid it or took reasonable care then you don't have any other options.

So a defending player 5yrds from his own goal line gets booted in the head because he stoops down to head the ball can actually have an indirect free kick given against him, wow that is crazy I get it but trying to explain that on the pitch will take some doing.
Actually this can only be a direct free kick or penalty kick because there was contact.
It is a very common error to give IFK for PIADM even when contact is made.
 
Yes it is a hard sell. But there is a line (albeit imaginary) and below it you play the ball with your feet, above it your head......it also depends on the proximity of the opposition! A diving header with nobody near is not PIADM, a scissor kick in a crowded box probably is......
I've done it, but probably less than a handful of times in my whole career.
Is there not consideration as to who wins the ball first? Yes, the attacker puts his head in a dangerous area but he wins the ball but gets a boot in the head, would he not win the free kick after being on the end of a late challenge?
 
Is there not consideration as to who wins the ball first? Yes, the attacker puts his head in a dangerous area but he wins the ball but gets a boot in the head, would he not win the free kick after being on the end of a late challenge?

But he put himself in that silly position.
 
Is there not consideration as to who wins the ball first? Yes, the attacker puts his head in a dangerous area but he wins the ball but gets a boot in the head, would he not win the free kick after being on the end of a late challenge?
Yes it would generally be a foul to the attacker in that case. Normally a kick to head would be a sanction possibly a red but in this case its no sanction because its wasnt the offender's fault that it was a kick to the head.
Obviously we are talking hypothetical. Every subjective decision is a YHTBT.
 
He did, but if he goes in with his foot and takes a kick that would be considered a foul. Why any different for his head?

Because it's dangerous to put your head where somebody else's foot is likely to be, but not dangerous to put your foot there. And since that action (playing in a dangerous manner) occurs before the foul (the late challenge) that's what gets the whistle.

Of course that's nonsense. I'd give the foul for the kick. But that's the logic I would use to defend a ref who saw it the other way.
 
God there is the laws of the game then there is the common sense of the game & then there is the way them both up together and give the correct decision book of the game.

I’m struggling to think of another situation in life where you would have so much to consider when having to make one decision in such a small space of time, it’s insane it really is.
Your common sense isn't my common sense.
My common sense says that a player shouldn't be able to completely prevent everybody around him from playing the ball by the way he plays the ball. The laws agree with me :)

If a player goes low and the kick is made, then there's a dangerous situation, yes. But who created the dangerous situation?

Usually when this happens nobody has been kicked - not hard anyway ;-) Players will probably be more accepting of this than you think.
 
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