Laws and cautions

[onthree]

Question for Sherman Whipple and friends:
Drogba was just sent off for earning his second yellow, given when he committed a dangerous play with his cleats up. This caution reminds me of a similar foul committed the other day at a high school game--player goes in with a foot at head height (dangerous play) with cleats up (reckless). The high school ref called the foul but issued no card and later told me that it was not a cardable offense. I looked at the laws of the game and determined that his interpretation could be correct. It seems that the laws of the game request a yellow card for reckless fouls only if the foul falls under the direct kick category but not for those of the indirect type.

Hence my question: Why does Drogba receive a yellow for the reckless dangerous play (an indirect kick type of foul)?

It's Onthree.
I think I may have figured it out. If Drogba's cleats made contact with his Fulham opponent, it would be considered kicking another player (instead of simply a dangerous play), a foul which earns a direct kick. Does that sound right?

[nbrock]

It's Onthree.
I think I may have figured it out. If Drogba's cleats made contact with his Fulham opponent, it would be considered kicking another player (instead of simply a dangerous play), a foul which earns a direct kick. Does that sound right?

I too watched that Chelsea/Fulham game and that's how I interpreted the referee's assessment. Dangerous play is an action that causes an opponent to back off to his/her disadvantage in order not to injure or be injured. Interestingly, it has nothing to do with possession of the ball. For example, a defender who lowers his/her head into the path of an opponent's kick can be penalized for dangerous play -- an interesting interpretive challenge for the referee. Once contact is made it must be kicking, tripping, charging, jumping, pushing, striking, ... From what I could see on TV, Drogba clearly crossed the line from careless to reckless. Neither excessive force or serious foul play seemed appropriate to trigger a direct red card. The yellow card (and subsequent double yellow ejection) was appropriate.

Note that in youth soccer referees will be (or should be) more protective due to the lower skill level. Actions that don't warrant a caution or sometimes even a foul in the EPL can be too dangerous to permit. This is why playing on the ground is commonly interpreted as dangerous play in youth leagues. There's nothing in the LOTG about playing on the ground, but very few young players can safely kick at a ball anywhere near the torso or head of an opponent. No hard or fast rules, but the referee's first objective is to keep youth players safe.

A good object lesson for many HS players was Drogba's needless yellow card for dissent earlier in the match that caused the second yellow to become a red and a suspension for the next match.

It's Onthree:
Good point about the hard lesson of dissent.