Soccer w/ Teeth?
December 31, 2011 6:30 PM Subscribe
In American Soccer, is it within the rules to grab hold of the soccer ball with your teeth, and carry it down the field like a canine?
I'm willing to wager that it would be impossible to do that with a properly inflated soccer ball and so I imagine it is not explicitly covered by the rules of most leagues.
posted by ghharr at 6:40 PM on December 31, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by ghharr at 6:40 PM on December 31, 2011 [1 favorite]
It is not covered in the Laws, so I guess that means it's the referee's call (or subject to the ground rules of the venue). And incidentally (from my experience as a reluctant AYSO parent, back in the day) the Laws are the same, worldwide. There is no "American" soccer that differs from world soccer.
posted by zomg at 6:43 PM on December 31, 2011
posted by zomg at 6:43 PM on December 31, 2011
A referee would stop it because there is no safe way for the player to be tackled.
posted by Jehan at 6:47 PM on December 31, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by Jehan at 6:47 PM on December 31, 2011 [2 favorites]
Of course it's outside of the rules and illegal within the game. The specific citation of terminology for which you're looking is "deliberate contact" - read through the boxes in yellow here. Most of it's referencing hands and arms but it's logically extendable to the rest of the body.
posted by carlh at 6:48 PM on December 31, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by carlh at 6:48 PM on December 31, 2011 [1 favorite]
There are at least several reasons why this is not allowed:
1) It's not safe for anyone involved
2) Handling the ball deliberately as explained below:
pg 34 A direct free kick is award for "handles the ball deliberately (except for the goalkeeper within his own penalty area." The word deliberately means something along the lines of "It is unfairly done to prevent an opponent from gaining possession of the ball, because the perpetrator is unable to play the ball in any other way - and therefore stops or deflects the ball by the use of one, or both hands or arms, punches it, or catches it." from this site.
3) I can't find the exact rule, but you can't "hold" or shield the ball from others. For example, if your on the ground and hold the ball with your legs are lay on it, you are preventing others from getting to it. That's not allowed. Holding it with your teeth probably fits in with that as well.
posted by Mr. Papagiorgio at 6:54 PM on December 31, 2011 [2 favorites]
1) It's not safe for anyone involved
2) Handling the ball deliberately as explained below:
pg 34 A direct free kick is award for "handles the ball deliberately (except for the goalkeeper within his own penalty area." The word deliberately means something along the lines of "It is unfairly done to prevent an opponent from gaining possession of the ball, because the perpetrator is unable to play the ball in any other way - and therefore stops or deflects the ball by the use of one, or both hands or arms, punches it, or catches it." from this site.
3) I can't find the exact rule, but you can't "hold" or shield the ball from others. For example, if your on the ground and hold the ball with your legs are lay on it, you are preventing others from getting to it. That's not allowed. Holding it with your teeth probably fits in with that as well.
posted by Mr. Papagiorgio at 6:54 PM on December 31, 2011 [2 favorites]
No one wants to kick you in the face, basically. So no, you can't do it.
posted by OnTheLastCastle at 7:02 PM on December 31, 2011
posted by OnTheLastCastle at 7:02 PM on December 31, 2011
Of course you can! I'd pay you a million bucks if you can do it but there's nothing in the rules to prohibit you.
posted by veryape at 7:05 PM on December 31, 2011
posted by veryape at 7:05 PM on December 31, 2011
No idea about MLS Regulations (which is the highest level of 'American Soccer' there is), but it's practically impossible.
A regulation soccer ball is slightly larger than a human head. It's too large to bite, and when inflated, there's no way to get a grip on it with your teeth. Especially when you can't put the ball up to your mouth with your hands. Believe me. I just tried with my own MLS ball.
posted by spinifex23 at 7:16 PM on December 31, 2011 [4 favorites]
A regulation soccer ball is slightly larger than a human head. It's too large to bite, and when inflated, there's no way to get a grip on it with your teeth. Especially when you can't put the ball up to your mouth with your hands. Believe me. I just tried with my own MLS ball.
posted by spinifex23 at 7:16 PM on December 31, 2011 [4 favorites]
Best answer: Football (soccer) referee here. No you can't legally do that during a game. (To the people saying it's physically impossible, I guess you haven't seen a football that's been used for more than a couple of games before?)
The offence is known as “impeding the progress of an opponent” (or, in colloquial British English “obstruction”). The most usual action for which this offence is called is when a player physically prevents an opponent reaching the ball using their body, with little or no attempt to play the ball themselves. But the offence can be used for other situations, the most common of which is sitting on the ball, and I would be happy to use it for a player who picked the ball up with their teeth (or his shirt). The other team should be awarded an (indirect) freekick. If I thought this was a deliberate attempt to cheat (rather than merely naive) then I might also give the player a caution (yellow card) for unsporting conduct.
“American” soccer doesn't differ from soccer played elsewhere in this regard. FIFA sets the laws of football. Individual competitions may have additional rules for match duration, substitutes, etc. but they have very little leeway to change the basic rules enforced by the referee on the pitch.
posted by caek at 7:42 PM on December 31, 2011 [14 favorites]
The offence is known as “impeding the progress of an opponent” (or, in colloquial British English “obstruction”). The most usual action for which this offence is called is when a player physically prevents an opponent reaching the ball using their body, with little or no attempt to play the ball themselves. But the offence can be used for other situations, the most common of which is sitting on the ball, and I would be happy to use it for a player who picked the ball up with their teeth (or his shirt). The other team should be awarded an (indirect) freekick. If I thought this was a deliberate attempt to cheat (rather than merely naive) then I might also give the player a caution (yellow card) for unsporting conduct.
“American” soccer doesn't differ from soccer played elsewhere in this regard. FIFA sets the laws of football. Individual competitions may have additional rules for match duration, substitutes, etc. but they have very little leeway to change the basic rules enforced by the referee on the pitch.
posted by caek at 7:42 PM on December 31, 2011 [14 favorites]
I should add, this is not only an offence under obstruction (although ono offence is enough): you could conceivably penalise this under “Dangerous Play”.
posted by caek at 7:51 PM on December 31, 2011 [1 favorite]
Playing in a dangerous manner is defined as any action that, while trying to play the ball, threatens injury to someone (including the player himself). It is committed with an opponent nearby and prevents the opponent from playing the ball for fear of injury.Under this definition, holding the ball with your teeth is about as dangerous as it gets.
posted by caek at 7:51 PM on December 31, 2011 [1 favorite]
I don't think it would be much different from running down the field with the ball held between your upper and the side of your face.
posted by bonobothegreat at 8:28 PM on December 31, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by bonobothegreat at 8:28 PM on December 31, 2011 [1 favorite]
I'll slightly disagree with Caek.
Yes, FIFA sets the international rules, but groups like the USYSO can, and sometimes do/have set unique rules for their own playersets. Within that, clubs can also set their own rules, for example our Adult League (which qualifies as Semi Pro, oddly) has a unique ruleset within the WV state organization AND slightly different from the US association. Furthermore, when I coached, our local youth organization had a few unique definitions even outside USYSO.
Examples...range from number of people on the field to what constitutes a legal throw in, to crowd/parent conduct, to tackles and incidental vs. egregious contact.
But no, no carrying the ball with your teeth, just like you can't pop it onto your shoulder blades and run down the field with it (which is actually possible and not all that difficult.)
posted by TomMelee at 9:00 PM on December 31, 2011
Yes, FIFA sets the international rules, but groups like the USYSO can, and sometimes do/have set unique rules for their own playersets. Within that, clubs can also set their own rules, for example our Adult League (which qualifies as Semi Pro, oddly) has a unique ruleset within the WV state organization AND slightly different from the US association. Furthermore, when I coached, our local youth organization had a few unique definitions even outside USYSO.
Examples...range from number of people on the field to what constitutes a legal throw in, to crowd/parent conduct, to tackles and incidental vs. egregious contact.
But no, no carrying the ball with your teeth, just like you can't pop it onto your shoulder blades and run down the field with it (which is actually possible and not all that difficult.)
posted by TomMelee at 9:00 PM on December 31, 2011
I yield to caek; I haven't seen a ball that's been through a few matches.
But still. It'd be really REALLY hard to do.
posted by spinifex23 at 9:10 PM on December 31, 2011
But still. It'd be really REALLY hard to do.
posted by spinifex23 at 9:10 PM on December 31, 2011
« Older Feel strange during/after running my air purifier... | Five... four... three... two... one... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by saturnine at 6:39 PM on December 31, 2011