Last reviewed: May 2025
Trips or attempts to trip
SoccerRule
A player cannot trip or attempt to trip an opponent, whether by using their legs or by crouching in front of or behind them. Like kicks, contact isn't required. An attempted trip that the opponent evades is still a foul.
Common Misconception
Tripping means sweeping someone's legs out from under them. It doesn't. A player who crouches or positions their body deliberately in an opponent's path to bring them down has committed a trip foul regardless of whether a leg was involved. The action is defined by the intent and effect, not the technique.
What the Referee Is Watching
Whether the player's motion was directed at the ball or at destabilizing the opponent. A legitimate attempt to play the ball that incidentally takes an opponent off their feet is judged differently than a leg extended into a runner's path with no realistic chance of reaching the ball. Referees also watch for the crouch trip, which is less common but clearly covered under Law 12.
Realistic Example
The Call
A defender extends a leg across an attacker's path while both are running. The defender doesn't touch the ball. Trip foul, straightforward.
The Murky Case
A defender reaches for the ball from behind, gets a touch, but the attacker goes over their outstretched leg in the process. The referee has to judge whether the leg was a genuine attempt to play the ball or an obstacle placed in the attacker's path. Getting a touch on the ball matters here, but the position and angle of the tackle will often tell the referee more than the touch itself.
Last reviewed: May 2025
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