Be the Referee: Soccer Foul After Shot on Goal

By Paige Winne
MHSAA Marketing & Social Media Coordinator

September 2, 2026

Be The Referee is a series of short messages designed to help educate people on the rules of different sports, to help them better understand the art of officiating, and to recruit officials.

Below is this week's segment – Soccer Foul After Shot on Goal - Listen

We’re on the soccer field today, and the home team has the ball and is on the attack.

The ball makes it around to a forward from the home team, who is on-side and within the penalty area. His shot just misses – going wide for a goal kick.

However, just after the ball crossed the goalline, a player from the away team tackles the home team forward with excessive force.

What’s the call?

Because excessive force was used, it’s a red card for the away team player, which is an automatic ejection. But because it happened after the ball crossed the goalline and not at the time of the shot, it’s still a goal kick for the away team, not a penalty kick for the home team.

Previous 2026-27 editions

Aug. 25: Fumble Out of Bounds - Listen

Flashback 100: Tamer's History-Making Run Starts in Dexter, Continues to Paris

September 27, 2024

It's been a summer of firsts for Abby Tamer.

The 2021 Dexter graduate and current University of Michigan student-athlete became the first from her high school to qualify for the Olympics and the first Wolverines field hockey player to represent Team USA.

At the Paris Olympics, Tamer led Team USA in scoring, tallying two goals over five pool play matches. She started all five at forward.

In high school, Tamer led the Dexter club field hockey team to state titles in 2019 and 2020, scoring 117 career goals and earning numerous accolades. She was twice named the Michigan High School Field Hockey Association's Player of the Year (2019 and 2020) and was a 2019 National Field Hockey Coaches Association First Team All-American. Her mother, Keely (Libby) Tamer, had played field hockey at Michigan, and her father, Chris, had played ice hockey at Michigan and for 11 years in the NHL.

While at Dexter, Tamer also played soccer, helping the Dreadnaughts to MHSAA District titles in 2018 and 2019. (Her junior season was canceled due to COVID-19, and she graduated early as a senior and enrolled that spring at U-M.)

Girls Field Hockey will become an MHSAA-sponsored sport starting with the 2025-26 school year.

Follow us on InstagramXFacebook, and TikTok for more weekly "Flashback 100" photo features and additional content celebrating our 100th anniversary.

Previous "Flashback 100" Features

Sept. 20: Todd Martin’s Road to Greatness Starts at East Lansing - Read
Sept. 13: 
James Earl Jones, Dickson High Hoops to Hollywood Legend - Read
Sept. 6:
Pioneers' Unstoppable Streak Stretches 9 Seasons - Read
Aug. 30: Detroit dePorres Rushes to 1995 Class CC Football Championship - Read 

PHOTOS At left, Abby Tamer plays field hockey for Dexter, and at right she takes the field for Dexter's girls soccer team. (Photos courtesy of Ryan Maki Photography.)