Ball played deliberately into feet

JiMMM 5
IRN BRU 5
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The.Rampage.Rado 5
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serbulator 4
Rutter 4
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[Ian Rich]

I am sure this has been asked many times but could not find it easily.

If an attacker in order to win a foul plays the ball into the defenders feet is it always a penalty.  Having watched matches recently from a new umpire prospective in my lower levels it always given as feet.  2 hours to first match and am unsure about this. 

[controller]

With respect, concentrate on what you see and not on what might happen.

Most low level games when you are umpiring are not confident enough to gain the foul that way and do it in a way that is well hidden.

If you think it is definitely placed on the defender foot, be confident enough to blow for the foul, then, give it to the defending team and tell them that it was placed deliberately on the foot, but, as I said at the start, go and enjoy your first game, concentrate on signals, reading the game and blowing your whistle. That is hard enough to do.

Good luck for your game

[Neo]

Alternatively, just say play on... no foul.  Indicates you saw it, there was no disadvantage because the attacker "gave the ball away".  A useful middle ground, without having to be absolutely sure that the attacker was trying to manufacture a foul.

[Kilmory]

Hi Ian,

It's great that you are aware of it, but don't go looking for it. Other clue to look for are where was the ball going if not for the foot? If it was going nowhere, or over the back line then that might be a clue to a manufactured offence, if it is going somewhere potentially usefull then it seems that most umpires will give in favour of the attacker.

[justin]

I have seen some quite obvious and disgraceful examples of this in the Commonwealth and Olympic Games....but I had the advantage of a high viewpoint from where it was quite clear the attacker had run-out of ideas and just dragged the ball 90 degrees left, on a shadowing player's foot. Never saw anything but a PC given

I'd be generous to the umpires and say that it might not have been so obvious to them, but.......

[keely]

Ian, here's a general rule of thumb to start you off: if the attacker seems to have other very good options (like dribbling straight ahead to the goal) but instead choose to go completely out of their way to put it on a foot - call the manufactured offence.

Otherwise, keep it simple.

[smorris]

Interesting question. As a player myself, I have always been told to put the ball on a defender's foot if there are no other options when in the D or in open space. I had always assumed that regardless of the situation, it was a foul if the ball touched the foot of a player. Seems I was mistaken.

[justin]

Any coach who advises players to do that, smorris, is quite simply asking them to cheat 

As far as I am aware, hockey is still a game, and I know what I'd think of any coach who encourages players to attempt to gain advantage by deceiving the umpires.

[nerd_is_the_word]

wooooaaaa justin.... we arent talking about somebody covering the umpires eyes while they shoot the opponents goalie.

I know a whole lot of players (and coaches) who actually think that foot=FH is a scripture from god and must be obeyed at all costs, which is rather hard to weed out of the population for some reason.

And lets face it, nearly every coach teaches his players to cheat, whether it be 'keep playing till you hear the whistle' or 'get your free hit'

[Goalie64]

I confess that as an umpire, if I hear a call of "get something/put it on a foot" from players/coach of the attacking team (or as I heard last week "upgrade") then I will be more likely to give a FHD.

I appreciate it is a hard call to make since you have to be (pretty darn) sure the incident is a manufactured foul, but the call from the sidelines will push the potential offence to the front of my mind, so I am perhaps looking for it more than normal.

[justin]

No, nitw, that is not what I suggested, and I do know coaches who encourage players to play 'hard but fair' ..... telling 'em to 'play to the whistle' is not encouraging cheating, IMO, it's accepting that umpires will miss some 'perceived' offences, on both sides, and the players should not try to be umpires,(especially as most of them don't know the rules as well as the umps).

If players choose to 'put it on a foot'...especially defenders under pressure.... that should be their choice (not advice from coaches) and then it's the umpire who has to decide on intent.
For attackers to attempt to 'con' umpires into awarding PCs is, IMO, unsporting (ie cheating).

It's just how I was taught to play the game.

[foozbear]

I was coached about the deliberate fouls as well.

yet its not the most policed thing in game.

If Im umpiring I will pull it up...the coaches calls of put it on a foot....get a shortie...makes the fouler do it in a way that is obvious....I am starting to recognise it better.

rule of thumb is,
IF they HAD a better option to play the ball....possibly a FHD
IF they play the ball onto the feet and NOT chase the ball...likelyhood they are looking for the offence = HIGH.

put those together....and you have a clear manufactured foul.

funny thing was...once I was given a YC card when I was running down the field...player ran from my right and took me off the ball. I tried to get to the ball and he hooked me with the stick. MY insistance on trying to get the ball, I had recently been obstructed from, was seen as manufacturing the foul.  I could only laugh.