Just been asked this on Fans site

[PinnerPaul]

Just been asked this in relation to Blackburn's penalty v QPR. It WAS a pen IMHO and the ball wasn't played by the QPR defender, however the question is a good one on a wider note

Paul - my view is that he played the ball and then contact was made. If so, is it still deemed a penalty?

This is my answer - is that a fair summary?

On that general point, it does depend on the challenge. It is 'illegal' to kick or trip an opponent in a 'careless or reckless' manner, In the LOTG it does not say its ok to do that as long as you get a touch on the ball first!

However it has become custom and practice to allow some 'careless' challenges if the ball is played first - it really does depend on the challenge and the ref on the day.

 

[JH]

I haven't seen the incident but for me, if the ball is taken first, followed by the man, all in the same challenge (eg no second kick with other leg) and it is not disregarding the safety of an opponent (reckless) or endangering the safety of an opponent (excessive force), it is a fair challenge.

Therefore, if when getting the ball first:
There is a second action - it could be a foul, quite contextual.
The player disregards/endangers the safety of an opponent - it is a foul.

Technically you could deem a challenge which wins the ball first careless but I can't picture what that would look like...

 

[Mintyref]

You must disregard the contact with the ball when judging this to be a foul or not.........not making contact with the ball at all, may lead you to decide that the foul was more than careless warranting a card of one colour or the other.

 

[RustyRef]

I haven't seen the incident but for me, if the ball is taken first, followed by the man, all in the same challenge (eg no second kick with other leg) and it is not disregarding the safety of an opponent (reckless) or endangering the safety of an opponent (excessive force), it is a fair challenge.

Therefore, if when getting the ball first:
There is a second action - it could be a foul, quite contextual.
The player disregards/endangers the safety of an opponent - it is a foul.

Technically you could deem a challenge which wins the ball first careless but I can't picture what that would look like...

If the defender wins the ball but doesn't move it very much, but then takes out the attacker, there's still a foul there as had he not carelessly felled the attacker he may have got to the loose ball. These days realistically almost every tackle coming from behind the attacking player will be deemed careless, as it is nigh on impossible to not trip the player even if you do win the ball first.