Question Number: 12845

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 5/18/2006

RE: Select Under 11

Dennis Griffin of Ewing, NJ USA asks...

My question is abut the recent Champions League game (one of a hundred I'm sure.)

After the match Ref Terje Hauge is reported to have told the Dagbladet newspaper,"It would have been best to wait a few seconds. If I had done that, I could have given the goal and shown the yellow card."

My question is that if he allowed the goal, wouldn't have still have sent of Lehman? Since according to the USSF interpetation in Advise to Ref 12.39 the goal wasn't scored directly by Eto, but on a subsequent play, the shot by Ludovic Giuly.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Dennis,
that little incident has flooded our site with the burning question of the week!
It stems from the 1991/2 introduction of the concept of DOGSO and the 1997 inclusion of the DOGSO point 5 into law. The ACT of DOGSO was classified THEN as serious foul play. Now SFP is considered to be excessive violence while a play on the ball is being made. The fact that DOGSO was originally compared to it and even written into the literature compels me to believe the act itself is blatantly wrong and unless the goal is scored by that opponent during that phase of play I will humbly and respectfully disagree with the opinion held by Mr. Hauge.
In my opinion the ball must go directly into the goal or deflect off a defender or the fouled player recover from the foul and continue for me to wave DOGSO criteria. IF in the opinion of a referee the ball is rolling into the goal after the foul and a teammate needlessly taps or kicks the ball to receive credit for scoring the goal it is here where a caution and a showing of yellow in my mind could best serve the match.

LAW 12
Sending-Off Offences
A player is sent off and shown the red card if he commits the following offence:

Quote

5. denies an obvious goalscoring opportunity to an opponent moving towards the player?s goal by an offence punishable by a free kick or a penalty kick

End Quote


Unless the ball rolls directly into the goal or deflects off a defender or the fouled player regains his feet and continues to goal ONLY then is the DOGSO criteria waved as a goal is scored by the opponent. The misconduct can still be determined as USB and a caution awarded
yellow card shown. The USSF has this published advice which in my opinion renders the decision effectively Who is too say how other national interpretations have decoded to follow. I suspect there will a forthcoming FIFA or IFAB memo to clarify this perplexing issue!

Quote "USSF Advice 12.39 APPLYING THE ADVANTAGE

Even if the referee makes use of the advantage clause during an obvious goalscoring opportunity, he can still punish the offender after the fact. If a goal is scored directly despite the attempted intervention by a defender handling the ball, fouling an opponent, or committing misconduct, the
offender cannot be sent off for denying an obvious goal scoring opportunity, but he can still be cautioned for unsporting behavior or sent off for serious foul play if the foul involved excessive force.

However, if in these circumstances the goal was scored following a second or immediately subsequent play of the ball, the offender must nevertheless be sent off because his action prevented a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity during the first play when the infringement occurred." End Quote
Cheers

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 12868