In varioussports, aprofessional foul is a deliberate act offoul play intended to bring about an advantage for the perpetrator's team. Professional fouls are usually committed to prevent an opponent from scoring.
Various sports contain provisions in their rules to dissuade such acts. These either try to negate the advantage gained from such an act or apply additional punishments beyond those for an equivalent foul in normal circumstances.
Inassociation football, a professional foul involves a defender committing afoul in order to prevent the opponents from scoring, or to deny an obvious goal-scoring opportunity (DOGSO).[1] The resultingfree kick orpenalty may offer the attacking team a lower chance ofscoring than the original playing position, and the defending player therefore has an incentive to tactically commit the foul.[2] Offending players are cautioned or sent off in accordance with the circumstances of the foul, with the punishment dependent upon both the nature of the foul and the opportunity denied to the opposition by it.[3]
UnderLaw 12, what constitutes an obvious goalscoring opportunity is left to the discretion of the referee; however, several factors are given to help referees decide. These are the distance between the offence and the goal, the likelihood of keeping or gaining control of the ball, the direction of the play, and the location and number of defenders.[4]
The concept gained attention in association football after an incident in the1980 FA Cup Final whenWillie Young ofArsenal committed a deliberate foul onPaul Allen ofWest Ham United, when Allen had a clear chance to score. As the Laws of the Game stood at the time,refereeGeorge Courtney could only caution Young and award West Ham a free kick, which he did. This provoked a national debate on deliberate fouls that denied opponents a clear run at goal.
At the time, the English game was suffering a downturn in attendances and the chairmen of theFootball League clubs decided to consider ways in which the game could be made more exciting. A subcommittee was appointed to produce some suggestions, chaired byJimmy Hill and includingMatt Busby andBobby Charlton.[citation needed] They recommended in 1982 that if the referee judges that a foul on an attacking player prevents an obvious scoring opportunity, the referee should issue the offending player a straightred card for "serious foul play" in order to deter offenders. However, the FA's refereeing committee abolished the rule in July 1983.[5] The rule was finally fixed into the Laws of the Game by theInternational Football Association Board (IFAB) in 1990, and FIFA instructed referees working the1990 World Cup to send players off for a DOGSO offence.[6] In 1991 the IFAB made an addition which deemed that a player who committed a handling offence that denied an obvious goal-scoring opportunity should be sent off for serious foul play.[1] For example, a goalkeeper who handles the ball outside the box can be sent off if it results in a DOGSO.
In 2016 the Laws of the Game were amended so that a foul resulting in a penalty kick would only result in a yellow card – providing that the player was making a genuine attempt for the ball – in order to reduce the "double jeopardy" of both a red card and a penalty kick. Referees are still permitted to send players off for serious misconduct committed in the penalty area, such as those where no attempt to legally play the ball was made.[7]
In American football, the rules regardingunfair acts empower officials to enforce additional penalties so as to counteract the potential benefit a team may gain from a major or repeated foul.
In order to get a more favourable field position for apunt or to run the clock down while leading a game, it can happen that a team takes adelay of game penalty of five yards by running down theplay clock on purpose.[8] When looking for a lower field position for a punt, it is to prevent atouchback by having the punt go into the end zone.
In basketball, teams may deliberately commitpersonal fouls for strategic reasons.[9] As the resultingfree throws must be taken by the fouled player, teams may tactically choose to foul a player with a poor free-throw percentage. This became known as "Hack-a-Shaq" afterShaquille O'Neal who was a target of such tactics. Trailing teams often also commit intentional fouls late in games in order to stop the clock and get the ball back, rather than allow the opponent torun out the clock.
In addition, there are specific rules governing obvious goal scoring opportunities called clear path fouls.
The professional foul in rugby league embodies a similar concept to other sports, a deliberate breach of the rules in order to prevent a scoring opportunity. The penalty for this offence is 10 minutes in thesin bin.
The majority of professional fouls are either holding down the tackled player after a break has been made in order to allow his teammates to reform in defence, interfering in the play when making little or no attempt to return to an onside position, or tackling or impeding the progress of a player not in possession when a try may possibly be scored. The latter situation may result in apenalty try.
Law 10.2a of the Laws of Rugby deals with intentional infringements.Referees are instructed to award apenalty kick in such instances and admonish, caution (resulting in atemporary suspension from the game), orsend off the offender. Apenalty try can be awarded if the referee believes the offence probably prevented a try being scored.[10]
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