Examples of Trickery... and not the magical or dirty kind...

[AspireNatlRef]

I wanted to get a sense of what most Referees are calling for trickery? The term comes up a number of times in the LOTG, but there are no examples. (usually throw-ins, pass backs to keeper, indirect kick taps, ect)

After 10 years and 3 upgrades, I still have never called or seen trickery (except on Oct 31 and I usually give them candy), or seen someone make that call. Maybe I am reading too hard into the LOTG, but maybe I have been missing something and just been lucky my assessed games had no trickery or my assessors don't know what it is either.:eek:

If some of you could post some of the incidencts you have come across (or hypothetical ones you could think of), then I think I would be more prepared to look out for incidents of this nature.

Two examples:
On defense, throw-in to defender is headed to goal keeper. Always think that is a valid play. (defense did gain an advantage here...) I always allow this, but when I have younger referees sometimes they will question me if that procedure is trickery... I want a good response too that question and examples of when it would be trickery.

Acrobatic throw-ins. May follow all rules of a throw in, but still may be considered trickery? I have always allowed it if all other conditions for a valid throw in a present. (team with throw-in gains an advantage by surprise and with increased force/distance of throw in) Again, had many an AR pop the flag and tell me that it was for "trickery." Again, don't have a great response and would like one.

Finally, punishment for "trickery." Caution for Unsportsmanlike behavior? Never have I done this, but I could be in the wrong.

Its great having places like this to share common expereinces and gain knowledge from such a broad base.

And I think it will be fun to hear some "war stories" about trickery (again not the dirty kind:D)

Thanks for all of your insights as always

ANR
New Orleans :cool:
Louisiana
USA

[NHRef]

One I saw while waiting to do my game: on a fk coming out for the defense, the defender got down on his hands and knees and pushed the ball with his head back to the keeper to pick up.

I also haven't called any directly in 5 years, but have talked to players about it, the "I got it" calls that had no effect, I've talked to the guilty, since it had no effect I didn't call it, but told them if it did I would. Same for the shouts when coming up behind someone to try and scare them off the ball (usually younger ages with this one)

[Gary V]

The only place a trick is mentioned in the Laws is Law 12 Decision 3, regarding circumventing the so-called "pass-back" rule. (I don't like that word, because it doesn't really express the offense, but "pass-back" is so much shorter to say than any of the alternatives.) The word "trickery" is not used in the Laws at all.

Trickery is mentioned in Advice to Referees again only in respect to circumventing the "pass-back". Advice notes that any situation that gives the opponents adequate opportunity to challenge for the ball is not trickery - like the throw-in to header to keeper scenario.

There are many many other forms of Unsporting Behavior that are not classified as trickery. Verbally deceiving your opponents being one of them. (The "I got it" problem.)

[ref47]

i have called the "classic" situation twice in recent years. player flicks the ball up to his own head and passes it to the keeper. yc the player. after one of the calls, all i heard from the team the rest of the match was, "was that trickery?"

[USSF REF]

Want to point out that in the survey I put the answer that said "unsportsman like behavior". However, I also want to qualify that I understand a caution cannot be given for this reason, but I understood what the intent of the posting was.

Oh, picky me.

[AspireNatlRef]

Want to point out that in the survey I put the answer that said "unsportsman like behavior". However, I also want to qualify that I understand a caution cannot be given for this reason, but I understood what the intent of the posting was.

Oh, picky me.

So you caution for unsporting behavior instead of unsportman like behavior.

That is a distinction that I will never understand why it needed a post to clarify:rolleyes:

[Tarheel Ref]

So you caution for unsporting behavior instead of unsportman like behavior.

That is a distinction that I will never understand why it needed a post to clarify:rolleyes:

You're right. I think it says a lot, however, about the state of the game around the world (riots and other serious violence notwithstanding!) that this is the type of change in the Laws that are being made. I consider it trifling myself. It's a beautiful game.

FOR THE RECORD: I[m the idiot that clicked on the 3rd choice above...didn't mean to but was in a hurry and chose an answer close to correct, not the most correct. Meant to choose option four myself. Sorry for screwing up the aesthetics of the chart. Oops.

[USSF REF]

So you caution for unsporting behavior instead of unsportman like behavior.

That is a distinction that I will never understand why it needed a post to clarify:rolleyes:

Neither do I. ;)

I just like making sure the proper terms are floating around out there. This isn't American Gridiron football after all.

[AspireNatlRef]

No, I understand. Its all good. :)

I was really just looking for as many examples of what others have seen as trickery (not only on pass backs, but other events) so that we could have a greater understanding of some of the underhanded tactics of some players.

If anyone has more examples, I am sure they would be appreciated by me and others..

ANR

[Tarheel Ref]

If anyone has more examples, I am sure they would be appreciated by me and others..

ANR

Throw-in from the defense to a header to the keeper who handles the ball.

Never seen this myself but an example nonetheless.

[IASocFan]

Throw-in from the defense to a header to the keeper who handles the ball.

Never seen this myself but an example nonetheless.

I don't consider this trickery. I believe it's a legal play.

[Alberto]

I don't consider this trickery. I believe it's a legal play.


So do I. What's the difference between a player kicking the ball to a teammate that heads the ball back to the keeper and the example.

[Sean 094]

One I saw while waiting to do my game: on a fk coming out for the defense, the defender got down on his hands and knees and pushed the ball with his head back to the keeper to pick up.

Someone fill me in please, is there a foul here?
Thank you.

[Alberto]

Someone fill me in please, is there a foul here?
Thank you.

Not a foul, but an infringement of the laws of the game by circumventing the spirit of the law for purposes of appearing to fulfill the requirement of the backpass law that a player can head the ball back so that the keeper can play it with his hands. That is an example that merits blowing your whistle and awarding an indirect free kick to the opponent.

[campbed]

Just remembered something form last fall that might fit.

Center for U18 Rec championship, last few minutes of the game, lopsided score. (typical rec stacked team with coach who knows all the kids in town, 30-to-0 is just fine for an outcome, but that is another story...)

Blue throw near Red's flag in my quadrant. No Blue players within 20 yards, only one Red defender who is covering the throw.

Red facing me arguing that it should be his throw, as this is happening, Blue takes the throw, and then plays the ball himself. I of course blow whistle for an indirect coming out.

Blue, incensed, complains it was a legal play and not a double touch because he played the ball off of the Red defender on the throw in.

I told him I didn't see it touch the Red player, and perhaps he was a bit too clever if it really did.

Trickery if he did indeed bounce the throw off the back of Red as Red was complaining to me?

In hind site, I would have allowed it if I had seen it touch Red.

Of course, this kid more often than not ends up bagging my groceries every week. We still have a chuckle about it even now.

Doug.

[ref47]

while many refs would rule that throwing a throw in off an opponent and then playing it yourself did not eliminate the double touch law for the thrower, that has now changed with the additional instruction in the lotg for 07-08. see page 127 which now says this is an ok tactic. same for fk and ck; p124, p129.

[intechpc]

Hmm what a great opportunity to teach Red about the dangers of dissent. Of course I think if it hits him in the head (as opposed to his back or legs) I might be inclined to call it striking and give the kick to the Red team.

[campbed]

Thanks Ref47.

I was only up to page 50 reading the new 07/08 LOTG.

Here is the actual text re: the throw in. It is not redmarked, so this isn't new I guess:

"If a player, while correctly taking a throw-in, intentionally throws the
ball at an opponent in order to play the ball a second time but neither
in a careless nor a reckless manner nor using excessive force, the referee
shall allow play to continue."

But in my case, we have to see it touch the opponent, and not just assume or take the word of the attacker. I didn't see the flight or path of the ball change, so thought I had no choice.

Funny that I've never seen this tactic in SuperY or Regional play, just in Rec.

Thanks.

[Gary V]

One I saw while waiting to do my game: on a fk coming out for the defense, the defender got down on his hands and knees and pushed the ball with his head back to the keeper to pick up.

Someone fill me in please, is there a foul here?
Thank you.

Not a foul, but an infringement of the laws of the game by circumventing the spirit of the law for purposes of appearing to fulfill the requirement of the backpass law that a player can head the ball back so that the keeper can play it with his hands. That is an example that merits blowing your whistle and awarding an indirect free kick to the opponent.
Alberto, you must have missed this was done at a free kick. You caution the little trickster, but retake the original free kick. (Law 12, Decision 3, 2nd paragraph)

[DadOf6]

A few seasons ago I was getting ready to check player passes and a player asked me if I had ever heard of "trickery."

I asked, "You headed a free kick to the 'keeper?"
"Yeah."
"Yellow card?"
"Yeah."'
"That's the right call." My ARs are nodding in agreement.

The coach freaked. He had been playing USL-2 for several years and he had never heard of it, it was totally bogus, Utah refs are terrible...

I interrupted and said that if at least two ref crews knew what trickery was then he might want to consider telling his players not to do that because they would get cautioned. When I pointed out that I didn't like the idea of giving a caution for dissent for something that happened a week ago, he calmed down.