Slide Tackling in High School

[bapride]

We have lost our top 2 scorers to bad slide tackles in our last 2 games.

 

Both were fouls. Both were yellow cards. The first was a slide tackle from behind and the second was a very dirty slide tackle on a player that had taken 4 steps after passing the ball. The player that committed the foul jumped up laughing and was congratulated by her teammates as our girl lay screaming in pain.

 

I wonder if the slide tackle in high school should go the way of the crack back in football or the collision with the catcher in baseball.

 

I never thought that I would have this opinion, but when high school referees "let the girls play", too many promising careers are threatened or ended.

 

Thoughts anyone?

[redandblack63]

Agree. Nothing wrong with a good clean slide tackle. But if it is a dirty play, from behind, etc... automatic red card.

 

The refs really need to clean up the game. Skilled play should be more of an emphasis. Unfortunately physical play is allowed to take the more skilled player out of the game.

[h2odog]

Agree. Nothing wrong with a good clean slide tackle. But if it is a dirty play, from behind, etc... automatic red card.

 

The refs really need to clean up the game. Skilled play should be more of an emphasis. Unfortunately physical play is allowed to take the more skilled player out of the game.

 

 

I remember reading earlier this year that refs are afraid of calling fowls in girls games and believe that more than ever. I watched a ref last week let 2 girls start banging and it intensified from mid field to almost the corner. Half way he put his whistle in his mouth and every time they hit his actions looked like he was going to make a call, but he never did. At the same time the crowd was groaning louder each hit. He saw, he heard, he let it happen. I guess it could have ended with someone hurt if the ball had not gone out of bounds. The other concern is the inconsistency game to game. When both teams are physical, the refs seem to let it go to a higher level.

[EHSParent]

I think a good "clean" slide tackle is part of the game, and a beautiful thing when done well. But when not, it can certainly cause injury . . . and that is often from behind. There are other "dirty" plays that result in injury . . . such as the high elbow on a 50/50 header, etc. The refs just need to be consistent, and the coaches need to coach what is fair and legal. If it is truly a dirty play, give them the red card.I think a good "clean" slide tackle is part of the game, and a beautiful thing when done well. But when not, it can certainly cause injury . . . and that is often from behind. There are other "dirty" plays that result in injury . . . such as the high elbow on a 50/50 header, etc. The refs just need to be consistent, and the coaches need to coach what is fair and legal. If it is truly a dirty play, give them the red card.

[bapride]

From a coach's perspective, these girls were injured on 2 bad tackles.

 

I do not think it is a coincidence that these fouls seem to occur more often on the more talented players on the field.

 

In club play, good tackling is taught and seems to be the rule. In high school, it seems that bad tackling is used as a means of intimidation or to make up for a lack of skill.

 

I understand that this is a physical game, the 2 injured girls were probably our most physical players. I understand and agree with most of your points.

 

I also think that to deny that some teams use hard fouling or bad tackling as a tactic against other teams' best players is a little naive. The question is how to prevent that strategy and the injuries associated with it.

[CSOCCER]

From a coach's perspective, these girls were injured on 2 bad tackles.

 

I do not think it is a coincidence that these fouls seem to occur more often on the more talented players on the field.

 

In club play, good tackling is taught and seems to be the rule. In high school, it seems that bad tackling is used as a means of intimidation or to make up for a lack of skill.

 

I understand that this is a physical game, the 2 injured girls were probably our most physical players. I understand and agree with most of your points.

 

I also think that to deny that some teams use hard fouling or bad tackling as a tactic against other teams' best players is a little naive. The question is how to prevent that strategy and the injuries associated with it.

[EHSParent]

From a coach's perspective, these girls were injured on 2 bad tackles.

 

I do not think it is a coincidence that these fouls seem to occur more often on the more talented players on the field.

 

In club play, good tackling is taught and seems to be the rule. In high school, it seems that bad tackling is used as a means of intimidation or to make up for a lack of skill.

 

I understand that this is a physical game, the 2 injured girls were probably our most physical players. I understand and agree with most of your points.

 

I also think that to deny that some teams use hard fouling or bad tackling as a tactic against other teams' best players is a little naive. The question is how to prevent that strategy and the injuries associated with it.

 

I agree BaPride. Sometimes entire teams seem to have a "personality" that one can only assume has been coached or at least condoned. We play teams ( only occassionally, thankfully) that are just down-right "chippy" with shirt pulling, high elbows all the time , riding the back on 50/50 headers. . . and most refs just let it go. Some of it is dangerous, and some the tactics of intimidation. Sometimes the refs. just swallow their whstles instead of taking charge and setting the girls and their coaches straight. A little time out by a ref to have a quick chat with a coach would help. And the game can still be plenty physical, without some of the "dirty" stuff.

[bapride]

I don't think anyone sends a player out with the intention of hurting another player. At least I pray that is not the case.

 

I think injury is sometimes a by-product of some people confusing "toughness" and "playing hard" with playing dirty.

 

I have NO problem with a good clean slide tackle, I do have a problem with untrained or lesser skilled players using bad tackling technique to overcome their weakness.

 

Lara was shielding a ball at the edge of the opponents box and hit from directly behind (no ball). Sarah was sprinting down the sideline to complete a 1-2 combination and the ball was 5 yds away from her (she was tackled to prevent her progress).

[mustangcobra]

I have watched many games and it is very clear that some of the best players are trying to be taken out on purpose.If you look at most of the girls that got hurt over the last few years you will see that it is usually one of there best players.I agree with bapride that sometimes is is done trying to make-up for not being as good a player as others,without a doubt.

[CSOCCER]

From what I have seen the Players with lesser soccer skills get beat then after they see they cant stop these girls they start slide tackling from behind or any thing they can do to stop them. Most of the coaches do not no very much about soccer apparently to teach their girls the right way to play soccer. So like I told my girls a clean tackle is good but if they are doing it to hurt you, and the Ref is not going to call anything they see it coming jump up in the air and land on them this may not be right but the other individuals will learn not to do it. Any thoughts about this

[chindit]

As a post it note "atdenton" I recognise you have an opinion and want to express it, however, this is not texting.

 

For the sake of some of us old people, please consider a paragraph, a capital letter to begin a sentence; something.

 

The reason that whole pesky English stuff exists is so others can read what you think. When you run every sentence together as "stream of thought" it, frankly, gets boring and hard to decipher. I want to read your opinion, but constituted as it is, just can't.

 

Having said that, I believe as a father, a coach and a HS referee that scouts take the arrows. Yes, the better players have a higher incident of injury, but statistically the better players have their foot on the ball more often and are more likely to inflict damage on their opponants.

 

I camped on another thread about Lara the other night, sorry bapride, to report an injury to my daughter, taken down in a bloody small town rivalry. We won't know the outcome of her MRI till tuesday, but club ball, maybe HS basketball, heck- driving her own car (a stick) is all gone for now.College Soccer? maybe not as a freshman. She will go to Senior night on crutches.

 

Why?

 

Because she's a center mid, because she's a senior, because she wears the same number year in and year out. The coach didn't have to tell his girls to shut her down...

 

they all know each other. They don't like each other. It's like that.

 

There's also a bit of paying for our sins, she is not guiltless in ball challenges and others have been helped off because of her over the years.

 

Slide Tackle? if it can't be done right, be done away-and it is our referees responsibility. A few (dozen) ejections, nice letters from TSSAA and fines will either force better coaching technique or a ban.

 

Thank you, that's my opinion.

[kickgrass]

Changing the rules of the game to avoid potential injury from "lesser skilled players" or players that are poorly trained or coached is not the answer. Referees must call the fouls as the rules require. The referees do have more discretion in soccer than most to interpret the intent of a play, or the dangerous nature of an action.

 

Dangerous play should be called and the punishment should be decisive. Red cards or repeated yellow cards will get a players attention. In many cases these "hard" fouls or dirty play whatever it is called comes repeatedly from the same players. Do bookings carry cumulative points by the TSSAA? In other words does the TSSAA keep up with yellow and red cards by players, so that after repeated bookings the players receive increasingly longer suspensions up to and including the remainder of the season. All other civililized leagues do this, even the TSSA (club soccer). However, TSSA does a horrible job of keeping up with the violations.

 

But, as bad as it is for players to play: too hard, out of control, dirty, whatever you choose to call it, for a coach to instruct players to attempt to hurt another or encourage that type of behavior is absolutely unacceptable. Sir, you should be ashamed and I most certainly would not admit to telling my players to jump on another, if someone does get hurt you may find yourself on the short end of a serious lawsuit. I have also heard a coach who was also the Dad of the Goalkeeper yell and instruct her to take physical action against the strikers of the other team, that he felt was coming in too hard or getting too close, then cheer her on as she extended elbows at the heads of strikers running past her. IMO these people have no business coaching, if they can not set a better example of proper sportsmanship and ethics.

 

My heart goes out to the players and the families of players that are injured and certainly hope they recover quickly.