Hard tackle
 

Hi guys and gals

What criteria do you use when observing a hard tackle to decide that a foul has occured?

Does contact with the ball before the other person first, come into play?

What about contact with the person after the ball (follow through)?

Does intensity of the tackle sway your decision?

What about when the tackle is clean (only ball) but the other person falls over the tackler?

What criteria do you use to decide to card the player who commits a hard tackle?

What elements do you look for to decide between a yellow or red?

What are the decision criteria you use?

I generally look if the tackler is playing the ball or the opponent. If there is a clean tackle and the other player falls over the ball (even if it's a hard fall) it's a no-call in my book.
When a defender lowers a shoulder and contacts the ball, then levels the opponent, that probably warrants a foul.
Severity of the contact is not always a determining factor however.

If the defender is playing the ball and misses and subsequently trips or runs into the other player, I call the foul.