Editing Tackle (football move) (section)

== Association football ==
{{See also|Sliding tackle}}
[[File:Soccer tackle.JPEG|thumb|left|upright=0.9|A tackle in [[association football]]]]
Unlike other codes, tackles in [[association football]] have to be predominantly directed against the ball rather than the player in possession of it. This is achieved by using either leg to wrest possession from the opponent, or sliding in on the grass to knock the ball away. A defender is permitted to use their body to obstruct the motion of a player with the ball, and this may be part of a successful tackle.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=http://www.humankinetics.com/excerpts/excerpts/soccer-has-three-basic-tackles|title=Soccer has three basic tackles|last1=Hargreaves|first1=Alan|work=human-kinetics|access-date=2018-09-17|last2=Bate|first2=Richard|language=En}}</ref> Pulling a player to the ground in the style of tackle common to other codes is completely absent from the game (this would be considered "violent conduct" and result in a red card (dismissal)).

Although some contact between players is allowed, the rules of association football significantly limit the physicality of tackles, explicitly forbidding contacts which are "careless, reckless or [use] excessive force".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://digitalhub.fifa.com/m/50518593a0941079/original/khhloe2xoigyna8juxw3-pdf.pdf|title=Laws of the Game 2018/19|website=FIFA.com|page=101|access-date=17 September 2018}}</ref> Almost all tackles where the tackler's legs make contact with the opponent before the ball are considered illegal, and heavy contact after initially touching the ball may also be penalised.

Illegal tackles are [[Fouls and misconduct (association football)|fouls]] and are punished with a [[direct free kick]] (or [[Penalty kick (association football)|penalty]] if committed within the penalty area) for the opponent's team. Such incidents are common, with dozens of occurrences in a typical match. In most cases these fouls are not considered [[Fouls and misconduct (association football)|misconducts]], however yellow cards (cautions) may be delivered for more egregious fouls that constitute "[[Unsportsmanlike conduct|unsporting behaviour]]". If a foul tackle endangers the tackled player's safety, it is likely to be considered as "serious foul play" by the referee and punished with a red card (dismissal).

[[File:Cole Diamanti and Gerrard England-Italy Euro 2012.jpg|thumb|[[Alessandro Diamanti]] (22) slide tackles [[Steven Gerrard]] (4) at [[UEFA Euro 2012|Euro 2012]]]]
Tackles that involve lunging at an opponent with both legs, regardless of whether the ball is won, are generally considered to constitute serious foul play and hence result in a sending-off.{{citation needed|date=May 2020}} This explicitly includes "scissoring"{{Citation needed|reason=The 2016/17 IFAB Laws of the Game do not mention scissoring|date=March 2017}}<ref>{{Cite web |last=The Football Association |title=Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct |url=http://www.thefa.com/football-rules-governance/lawsandrules/laws/football-11-11/law-12---fouls-and-misconduct |access-date=2022-06-26 |website=www.thefa.com |language=en}}</ref> (tackling with legs apart, so as to trap the opponent's leg or legs in between), which is likely to be punished with a sending-off (red card), as it poses a high risk of severe knee injury to the player being tackled. Tackling with ''studs up'' is considered dangerous.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://worldsoccer.about.com/od/glossary/g/gl_dangerous_play.htm |title=What You Need to Know about Free Kicks and Penalties in Soccer |publisher=[[About.com]] |access-date=21 June 2016 }}</ref> A ''studs up tackle'' is made when a player lunges into a tackle with a leg or both legs outstretched exposing the soles of their boots. Referees are encouraged to at the very least caution (yellow card) players who commit such challenges.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.esrefs.com.au/AA/2014/studs-up.pdf |title=Archived copy |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190325111138/http://www.esrefs.com.au/AA/2014/studs-up.pdf |archive-date=2019-03-25 |url-status=}}</ref>

Additionally, an illegal tackle which is also a [[professional foul]] is considered misconduct.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.espn.co.uk/football/blog/espn-fc-united/68/post/3374280/tactical-fouling-is-spoiling-football-time-for-the-rulemakers-to-stamp-it-out|title=Time to stamp out tactical fouls|work=ESPN.com|access-date=2018-09-17|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Wright|first1=M.|last2=Hirotsu|first2=N.|date=2003|title=The Professional Foul in Football: Tactics and Deterrents|journal=The Journal of the Operational Research Society|volume=54|issue=3|pages=213–221|jstor=4101614|doi=10.1057/palgrave.jors.2601506|s2cid=7990993}}</ref>

The most spectacular form of tackle in association football is the [[Sliding tackle|slide tackle]], wherein a tackler slides, leg extended, along the ground, aiming to hit the ball away.<ref name=":0" /> This form of tackle carries a high risk of committing a foul.

"[[Diving (association football)|Diving]]" in association football involves tackled players exaggerating the physicality of tackles, so as to gain favourable decisions from the referee.