Last reviewed: May 2025
Jumps at
SoccerRule
A player cannot jump at an opponent. This is distinct from jumping to contest the ball. The foul is called when the jump is directed at the opponent rather than at winning an aerial challenge.
Common Misconception
Jumping into an opponent is just part of aerial play. It can be, but not always. The law specifically distinguishes jumping to contest the ball from jumping at a person. A player who leaves the ground and makes no realistic attempt to play the ball, or who uses the jump primarily to impose their body on an opponent, has committed a foul regardless of whether a header was attempted.
What the Referee Is Watching
The target of the jump. A player going up for a header with arms controlled and body angled toward the ball is competing for an aerial ball. A player who launches sideways or into an opponent's back with little chance of reaching the ball is jumping at them. Referees also watch for players who time a jump to arrive after the ball has passed, using the motion to knock an opponent off balance.
Realistic Example
The Call
Two players contest a high ball. One jumps early and into the other's back before the ball arrives, making no contact with it. Foul. The jump was at the opponent, not at the ball.
The Murky Case
A player jumps for a header and makes contact with the ball, but lands heavily on an opponent in the process. Whether this is a foul depends on whether the jump itself was directed at the ball or at the space the opponent occupied. Landing contact alone isn't automatically a foul, but a jump angled into an opponent that happens to also graze the ball usually is.
Last reviewed: May 2025
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