Table of Contents
- So, what is tackling in soccer?
- When is a tackle a foul in soccer?
- Is tackling in soccer with both feet allowed?
- What happens after a bad tackle in soccer?
- How are football and soccer tackles different?
- Do soccer tackles hurt?
- Recap: Tackling in Soccer
Welcome to our guide to tackling in soccer, where we explain what it is and what’s permitted in the laws of the game!
Dispossessing the opposition and getting control of the ball back for your side is crucial to your odds of winning.
And while the game might have changed over the years, tackling remains an extremely effective way of regaining possession for your side.
But what exactly is tackling in soccer? To those unfamiliar with the sport, you might be picturing the bustling aggression of a pass-rusher flattening a quarterback in football.
Rest assured, tackling soccer is very different from this, as we’ll explain in this article.
So, what is tackling in soccer?
In soccer, a tackle is an attempt made by a player to dispossess an opposition player of the ball.
Tackles can be made when standing or when the body is in contact with the grass e.g. slide tackles.
Slide tackles are made by skidding across the playing surface, usually with an extended leg, to either intercept the path of the ball or take the ball away from the player possessing the ball.
The types of standing tackles within soccer include blocking – when the defending player uses their foot or leg to halt the ball from advancing further.
The ball can also be poked away from the attacking player. Opportunities to poke the ball away from these players arise when the ball runs slightly beyond the dribbler through a momentary lapse in focus and control.
Keen to learn specifically about the slide tackle in soccer? Check out our recent article, where we explain what you need to know when you go to ground to disposess your opponent in the beautiful game.
When is a tackle a foul in soccer?
A tackle generally becomes a foul when they are mistimed or overly aggressive.
Mistimed tackles are very common in soccer. Players arrive late into challenges because they either don’t have the requisite speed to catch up with an opponent in that instant or have simply misjudged the path or flight of the ball.
If the referee believes that you have used excessive force in your challenge, even if you have made contact with the ball, this can be deemed a foul.
Fouls can be categorized, in ascending order of severity, as careless, reckless, or dangerous, each receiving different punishments from referees.
Tackles that are deemed fouls will result in either a free kick or a penalty kick for the fouled team.
Did you know that you can pass a penalty kick in soccer? Find out more about this little known rule that can spice things up from twelve yards!
Is tackling in soccer with both feet allowed?
It’s ill-advised to perform a two-footed tackle in soccer.
Tackling with two feet is likely to be penalized much more strictly than a one-footed foul.
Even if you win the ball and make no contact with the opposition player, two-footed tackles may still be punishable with a red card as per the laws of the game.
The reason referees are entitled to send you off after a two-footed tackle is that the motion of jumping into a challenge with both feet is often deemed dangerous.
Years ago, you might’ve gotten away with a two-footed tackle, as was the lenient and more physical nature of the sport previously. However, these days it’s essentially prohibited.
There are tackles that are difficult to determine as two-footed or otherwise, with any great degree of certainty. Sometimes, it isn’t obvious whether the second foot is naturally trailing or intended to be involved in the tackling motion.
What happens after a bad tackle in soccer?
After a bad tackle, the referee will usually blow their whistle to indicate there has been a foul and will award either a free kick or a penalty to the fouled player’s team.
The referee, occasionally with the help of the VAR (Video Assistant Referee) will then need to determine whether the foul was bad enough to warrant further action in the form of a yellow card or a red card.
If there is any suspicion that the referee might have made an obvious error pertaining to a potential red card, the VAR will have another look at the incident. If it warrants it, the VAR will advise the on-pitch referee to go to the pitchside monitor for a second look.
It’s important to remember that referees are only human, so some bad tackles will go unnoticed or be misjudged. Even in the age of VAR, this is possible.
Teammates of the fouled player have a tendency to crowd the referee to pressure them into brandishing a card, swaying their decision, although this is something the governing bodies are trying to address and rid the game of.
How are football and soccer tackles different?
Firstly, soccer tackles usually require you to challenge with your lower body rather than above your waist. There are exceptions to this, such as shoulder-to-shoulder contests.
In soccer, if you challenge without making any contact with the ball, you will almost certainly be penalized. This isn’t necessarily the case in football though, as many tackles target just the body of the ball-holder without specifically touching the ball.
Although soccer is a contact sport, there is only a limited amount of physicality allowed when tackling an opponent.
Football tackles are much more physical than soccer tackles. Within football, there is a far greater allowance of physical contact, and more aggression is permitted.
Football tackles are much more similar to rugby tackles than those that typically occur on a soccer pitch.
Do soccer tackles hurt?
Depending on the type of tackle made, it’s possible that tackles can hurt.
Tackles that are mistimed, overly aggressive, or have not been directed toward the ball can result in injury, sometimes serious ones.
Occasionally, even perfectly fair and legal tackles can hurt an opponent. This is an unfortunate part of the sport that is regarded as an occupational hazard.
It’s part of the referee’s duty to protect the players as well as officiate. If they feel the game is heating up and the chance of tackles that can cause injuries increases, they will look to calm things down.
Whether a tackle will hurt or not can depend on the severity of the impact that the challenging player has left on the recipient, which part of the body contact is made, and the speed at which the players involved are moving.
In spite of the fact that soccer tackles often don’t hurt, you will almost certainly see players being overly dramatic in soccer matches, much to the frustration of many fans! This is often to try and win a foul from the referee or to get an opponent in trouble.
Still, more often than not, soccer tackles don’t hurt a great deal and are just part and parcel of the game.
Recap: Tackling in Soccer
Getting the skill of tackling in soccer right takes patience and positional awareness, plus some physicality and a little caution.
Winning the ball back for your side when they face pressure is crucial to your team’s success and tackling is a surefire way to win praise from your coach.