Hanging out in the referee area between matches at a local youth tournament, I eavesdrop on a conversation amongst a group of referees as I stretch out for a brief rest. It's the usual type of conversation in this setting: swapping war stories about the last match they worked.

"Man, you should have seen this one play," I hear one of them say. "I had a guy come off the bench and trip the guy with the ball. The attacker just went flying! I had to give him a card for that foul."

Beneath the cap I have tilted down over my face, I can't help but break into a small smile. I can tell this kid's fairly new to the game of refereeing, given what he just said. He hasn't yet learned the nuance of a foul versus misconduct.

Basic criteria

Think about the three criteria for a foul:

1. On the field

2. While the ball is in play

Continued...