Slide Tackles...don't let them slide any longer

[Canesoverhere]

Has something changed in officiating prep soccer? I have witnessed 2 slide tackles this year and both were called for fouls. Each was clean (not from behind), all ball, perfectly executed and the forward fell on the defenders body as the ball was long gone. Perhaps one of our friends in yellow can comment?

[nizolek]

I would be happy to see them banned from the women's HS game.

In general, the girls do not have the skill or the body control to pull this off without hurting themselves too often.

 

Just ask the girl from St. Agnes who got her leg snapped in two places.

[CHAMPDDS]

I copied this from my other post:

 

Canes-

 

Don't want to steal your question, would you mind posting the slide tackle question ? There was slide tackle by ECS that resulted in a free kick (She did get ball) for Notre Dame outside of the 18 (and may have been one of our goals, I forget)...but later on, Notre Dame did at least two slide tackles, got ball, and no foul, and the ECS parents were noticably 'concerned'.....from my perspective, it seems that the Notre Dame tackles were more from the side, whereas, the ECS tackle (resulting in foul) was more from behind, and although she got ball, may have been considered a more dangerous approach ? Is that the subjective difference ?

 

D

[Bean0007]

I agree. There are always different regs for various age groups. In baseball, no headfirst slides. I think the game of soccer would do just fine without the slide tackle in HS and below. This is especially true for the younger girls where growth plates are still open and fractures can be especially serious. Not to mention the possibility of knee injuries. So how do we get this done?

[BigG]

Am I the only one that think that this is uncalled for? Slide tackles are a part of the game, that, when done correctly, are a very affective defensive "tool". To outlaw them, because they are being performed incorrectly is absurd.

 

What needs to be done is to penalize those who are doing them incorrectly, and push the proper training of the correct methods of slide tackles. If they are not getting called, then approach your ref coordinator and push for better ref training.

[CHAMPDDS]

G-

 

Could you elaborate on the different calls we experienced playing St Marys and what is a 'good' tackle...again, the calls went our way every time...first, with foul called against St Marys when they slide tackled, and then no call against ND, when ND did it two times against St Marys...again, both got ball contact and cleared it...or maybe this was just inconsistent ref-ing....or as I mentioned, the slide tackle that resulted in a foul called, was more approached from the rear, versus side slide tackle...end result was the same, ball cleared, forward falls....

[BigG]

G-

 

Could you elaborate on the different calls we experienced playing St Marys and what is a 'good' tackle...again, the calls went our way every time...first, with foul called against St Marys when they slide tackled, and then no call against ND, when ND did it two times against St Marys...again, both got ball contact and cleared it...or maybe this was just inconsistent ref-ing....or as I mentioned, the slide tackle that resulted in a foul called, was more approached from the rear, versus side slide tackle...end result was the same, ball cleared, forward falls....

 

I wasn't there, so I have no idea if their tackles were legal, but from my understanding, a good slide tackle is from the side or front, one legged, cleats down, and must get ball first.

 

It sounds as if there is some very inconsistent calls from refs across the region, which isn't surprising. What might seems "legal" to one ref or player, might not to another.

 

I guarantee that we see more improper slide tackles on the guys side that can be a whole lot more dangerous with the difference in body mass of those big boys doing some "american football" slide tackles. Doesn't mean I want slide tackles out of the game... it means a good ref calling the proper fouls.

[h2odog]

I would be happy to see them banned from the women's HS game.

In general, the girls do not have the skill or the body control to pull this off without hurting themselves too often.

 

Just ask the girl from St. Agnes who got her leg snapped in two places.

 

Read Big G above and understand what a "legal" slide tackle is. The St. Agnes girl injured did

not even have the ball. "one-leg, cleats down, BALL FIRST!!!!!!!!!!" Yes, she immediately got a RED Card and took some one out of the game for a year. So what do you do when it's wrong or injurious? A Red Card is not enough for a player who abuses the game. I am not opposed to slide tackles, but to just cut a girls or guys legs out from under them should have serious repercussions if they do it wrong over and over. How would you track abuse??? Is it possible???

[nizolek]

The point is that they can't be done properly by enough 14-18 year old girls to make them justified. The girls think they know what they are doing, but they don't have the knowledge or the physical control to pull them off. The view is not worth the climb in this instance.

 

Sure a perfectly executed slide tackle is "beautiful", but young legs without surgical scars on the knees and ankles is much nicer, in my opinion.

[BigG]

I would be happy to see them banned from the women's HS game.

In general, the girls do not have the skill or the body control to pull this off without hurting themselves too often.

 

Just ask the girl from St. Agnes who got her leg snapped in two places.

 

Read Big G above and understand what a "legal" slide tackle is. The St. Agnes girl injured did

not even have the ball. "one-leg, cleats down, BALL FIRST!!!!!!!!!!" Yes, she immediately got a RED Card and took some one out of the game for a year. So what do you do when it's wrong or injurious? A Red Card is not enough for a player who abuses the game. I am not opposed to slide tackles, but to just cut a girls or guys legs out from under them should have serious repercussions if they do it wrong over and over. How would you track abuse??? Is it possible???

I think tracking "abuse" would be much better... in almost all other soccer leagues, they track the number of yellow cards a player has, and there are punishments for the accumulations of certain number of cards. BUT, this would require refs knowing what is "abuse".

 

And maybe I am naive in these cases... are there really that many injuries (surgical scaring injuries) from slide tackles? I'm asking, not being sarcastic...

[nizolek]

One per year like the one to the St. Agnes girl is one too many.

[nizolek]

And one additional point I may have not made clear on previous posts.

 

It's not just that the girl making the tackle does not know what she's doing that makes the practice dubious, it's that the "tackle - ee" does not have sufficient body control to avoid the cleat or to fall safely. No tablulation of repeat offenders or even better refereeing is going to change that fact.