If a player wins a ball legally from a defender who is instigating contact, what is the ruling?

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When a player wins the ball legally from a defender who is instigating contact, the appropriate ruling is for play to continue without a foul being called. This situation typically arises in soccer when a player engages in a challenge for the ball and is more assertive but still operates within the rules of the game.

The essence of fair play is that if a player makes a legitimate effort to take possession of the ball while the defender is attempting to challenge for it, and there is no reckless or excessive force involved, then the challenge is considered legal. In this scenario, the player who wins the ball can do so without a foul being called against them, even if the defender initiates contact. The principle governing this decision is the notion of "playing the ball," where successful and lawful attempts to gain possession should not disrupt the flow of the game.

For the other options, an indirect free kick or direct free kick would be awarded if a foul had actually occurred, but in this case, since the winning of the ball was within the rules, those scenarios do not apply. Similarly, a penalty kick is only given if a foul occurs within the defending team's penalty area, which is also irrelevant here given the legal nature of the play.

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