| On a soccer field, most acts are fouls only by degree, | | | | and can cause serious injuries. As with most other |
| becoming fouls only if done in an unfair manner. | | | | fouls, jumping during the course of play is not a foul by |
| Players often bump into each other while running, or | | | | itself. It only becomes a foul if done carelessly, |
| push past each while each is trying to avoid a collision. | | | | recklessly, or with excessive force. |
| They may tussle over the ball, or leap to head a long | | | | The referee has three main ways of judging players |
| pass and collide another player who is trying to do the | | | | going airborne: watching their eyes, their arms, and their |
| same thing. They may kick at the ball and narrowly | | | | angle of flight. These clues can signal whether a |
| miss kicking their opponent's shin. All of these actions | | | | jumping player is exercising due care in executing a |
| are just part of the game, and most bodily contact is | | | | leap, or whether one or both of them is being careless. |
| quite incidental to the players' attempts to win the ball. | | | | Unfortunately, players aren't always as careful as they |
| Inevitably, though, players will mistime kicks, misjudge | | | | should be...and when two players are both trying to |
| jumps, or overestimate the body's ability to do what | | | | make up in enthusiasm what they lack in positioning, |
| the brain encouraging it to do. It is up to the referee to | | | | the resulting collision can end up badly for one or both |
| decide when those actions will exceed the bounds of | | | | of them. |
| fair play. | | | | Like many other actions on the soccer field, jumping is |
| Jumping | | | | a neutral act by itself. If done carelessly, it will be a foul. |
| Players jumping to play the ball are often among the | | | | And if done in a manner calculated to injure another |
| most exciting parts of a soccer game. Players jumping | | | | player, it will result in a caution and yellow card---or, in |
| at their opponents, though, are committing in foul play | | | | an extreme case, in a red card and send-off. |