What Is Pushing In Soccer?

In the course of a soccer game, particularly a men's competitive one, you'll see plenty of pushing. Perhaps not quite enough to suggest that you've accidentally happened on an American football game, but at times the jostling comes close, even in the women's game. FIFA's Laws of the Game state in Law 12, on fouls and misconduct, that pushing is an offense that can result in the award of a direct free kick if the referee considers the push to be careless, reckless or demonstrating excessive force.

Referee's Discretion

The reason not every push is called is that blowing the whistle falls within the referee's discretion. The spirit of the Laws of the Game is to allow a free-flowing game without interruption except for especially blatant or hazardous physical contact or contact that leads unfairly to a change of possession. The play advantage rule contained in Law 5 on referees allows play to continue if calling a push would penalize the team that was victim of the push. So for example, a pushed player who keeps her feet and continues down the field, setting up a good attack, does not want and ideally won't have her progress stopped by a referee's whistle for the push. Conversely, the referee can indeed blow the whistle if shortly after the push, the player with the ball loses control.

Shoulder Charge

The referee can call an obvious push with arms extended, but a shoulder-to-shoulder push with arms kept close to the body is considered legal. This tactic is called a shoulder charge. Well-coached players as young as age 8, as well as older players, can execute shoulder charges within the spirit of the rules to nudge their opponent off the ball and obtain possession.

Jostling

The referee may decline to call typical jostling during the buildup to a corner kick by attackers and defenders in front of the goal, as well as between the goalkeeper and attackers. Unless a player loses his footing due to a push, the referee may deem the pushing trifling as it happens all the time. Pushing in frustration may also escape a call, as did an impatient two-handed shove by England's Kelly White on France's Sonia Bompastor in the 2011 Women's World Cup after Bompastor appeared to dive.

Expert Insight

Players tussle continually for the ball during a match, observes veteran soccer referee Jeffrey Caminsky in "The Referee's Survival Guide." A referee needs to watch closely if a player goes beyond the usual and shoves a player out of the way to clear a path to the ball or to keep the opponent away from any chance of possession. The referee weighs the force of the contact and whether the player used her arms and hips, and not just her shoulder, to stop or alter the opponent's momentum.