[fireant]

Typical U16 coed rec league game. Not a lot of skilled players, mostly out to just have fun. There is one boy who has some skill, but a lot more attitude than finesse. He has the ball near a corner flag, being defended by a girl about half his size. She's doing a good job of just keeping him contained as he does multiple step-overs and turns. She finally slips or trips, and as she's on the ground near the goal line, the hot shot kicks the ball at her very hard. It goes out for a corner kick, and he takes great joy in this.

Obviously a legal play, and at a higher level, I may even say it's well played. In a coed rec league, it was classless, but not unexpected for this particular player. I was the trail AR standing at the midfield stripe with the girl's coach. He just shook his head and mumbled something about sportsmanship. I told him I agreed with him completely, but there was little we could do.

Is there anything a referee could or should do?

[Wahoos1]

USB: taunting?

Keep a close eye on the player for the balance...

Tough call as I have given up the D3 adult games for this reason,. Every team seems to have one ringer that is so much better than the rest....

[DadOf6]

Originally Posted by fireant

Typical U16 coed rec league game. Not a lot of skilled players, mostly out to just have fun. There is one boy who has some skill, but a lot more attitude than finesse. He has the ball near a corner flag, being defended by a girl about half his size. She's doing a good job of just keeping him contained as he does multiple step-overs and turns. She finally slips or trips, and as she's on the ground near the goal line, the hot shot kicks the ball at her very hard. It goes out for a corner kick, and he takes great joy in this.

Obviously a legal play, and at a higher level, I may even say it's well played. In a coed rec league, it was classless, but not unexpected for this particular player. I was the trail AR standing at the midfield stripe with the girl's coach. He just shook his head and mumbled something about sportsmanship. I told him I agreed with him completely, but there was little we could do.

Is there anything a referee could or should do?

My coaching friends call this "attacking the goal line." It is a perfectly legal play and good teams are coached to do it if there is no potential shot or pass where an attack on the goal can be made. I see it all the time in MLS games.

It could be misconduct if the ball was kicked hard to "send a message" or intimidate the opponent ot if it was hard enough that there was a real possibility that she would be injured. Did he taunt her?

Or was he just being a jerk? It's pandemic at that age group and nothing in the LOTG prohibits jerkitude in general, just some specific actions. I try not to punish someone just because he is a jerk, but sometimes it is difficult.

[glutenfreebaker]

With the ball in play I can't find anything worthy of a caution about what he did. The closest I can come up with would be from ATR 12.28.1 Unsporting Behavior, Line 4

-Commits an act which, in the opinion of the referee, shows a lack of respect for the game (e.g., aggressive attitude, inflammatory behavior, or taunting)

This is about the best you can get for some one just being a jerk, but I couldn't see it holding up for this situation.

[AussieDynamo]

Probably better to just have a chat to the guy, just so he knows it was noticed that he's been having a bit of an attitude and he's running the risk.

[Gary V]

How hard is the "very hard" kick? It could be violent conduct.

Or it could be a smart way of getting the ball out of play for a corner kick. It would be similar to throwing the ball at an opponent at a throw-in:

Originally Posted by Page 126

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

[Sport Billy]

It's a coed rec league - card him.
The consequences are minimal and everyone will thank you.

[mkoenig_1]

Originally Posted by fireant

<snip>
...as she's on the ground near the goal line, the hot shot kicks the ball at her .... <snip>

How can you say this is legal? This reads to me as "Striking or Attempting to Strike." (The ball is an extension of the player in this case.)

So now the question is whether it was careless, reckless or with excessive force.

Originally Posted by fireant

<snip>
...very hard.... <snip>

I interpret this to mean excessive force.

And since she is down on the ground no longer actively challenging for the ball, I'd be inclined to write it up as VC.

This is exactly the sanction given to Ben Olsen this weekend when he kicked the ball at an opponent.

[PVancouver]

It is legal to deliberately kick or throw a ball into an opponent in order to win a corner kick or throw-in, as Gary says. It is not usually illegal to kick a ball which hits an opponent 10 yards distant, despite deliberately kicking the ball in the direction of the opponent.

But Olsen was obviously retaliating. In fact Stott had already pulled out his yellow card for the opponent's infraction so the restart had to be ceremonial. Ceremonial restart or no, Olsen would have been sent off.

[Sport Billy]

Originally Posted by mkoenig_1

And since she is down on the ground no longer actively challenging for the ball, I'd be inclined to write it up as VC.

This is exactly the sanction given to Ben Olsen this weekend when he kicked the ball at an opponent.

No, it's not - huge difference between hitting a player by kicking the ball during play as is suggested by the OP and kicking the ball at a player during a stoppage as in the case of Olsen.