Question Number: 24899

Mechanics 5/8/2011

RE: Rec High School

larry Phelps of Newburgh, ny USA asks...

Goal Disallowed

A very physical girls High School game. We are no in the 88th minute of the game. At this time, Green team has 2 yellow cards and Yellow team has 1. In the 80th minute Yellow team scored a penalty to go ahead 2-1. Green team is attacking the yellow Goal. 19-20 yards in front of the goal Green attacker plows over a Yellow defender (several players from both team ae in the immediate vicinity, running towards goal) and goes on to kick the ball in the net past the keeper. I do not signal a goal as I am about 30 yards behind play. Being unsure about what just happened, (yellow player on the ground) I decide to consult with my AR who tells me there was a foul on the Yellow defender by the Green attacker. I don't allow the goal that would have drawn the match, instead giving a DFK to yellow at the place where the foul occured. Of course there is great controversy. Anything wrong with my mechanics?

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Sounds like there's no problem with how you approached the incident, Larry.

What you could now do is consider how it came to be that you were behind play with your view blocked, and whether there's anything you could have done to avoid it.

Sometimes it's completely unavoidable, but there's a few things to consider.

Before I go on, I'm assuming this was a fast attack that you were caught behind.

First, were you pre-empting play? Were you caught on a quick counterattack unawares, or was there a foreseeable chance of play moving up the field quickly? If so, then have a think about where you where when this attack started to occur, and consider whether being a little further up the field was a reasonable option for you considering play at the time, and whether that would've given you a bigger chance of being close to play.

The other trap that referees often fall into in situations like this is that they're so concerned with catching up with play that they're running, flat out, directly behind the attacker.

If we consider the mechanics of ABC (Angle, Ball, Closeness), we're reminded that the angle we have on play is far more beneficial than simply being close to play. Getting a side-on view of play generally allows us to see a lot more than being directly behind or in front of play. So, in the situation where I'm caught behind a fast counterattack, I would sprint after the attackers but instead of running directly behind to try and catch up, I'd consider that Angle should be a priority and angle away from the attacker.

This roughly means sprinting towards one of the corners, if the attack is going straight down the middle. The left corner is best (is it allows you to look through the ball to your AR), but sometimes the right corner may be all you have. Doing this will allow you to maintain your angle and give you a far better view of play. You are compromising closeness by doing so, but the angle is certainly more important.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Larry
One of the duties of an AR is to assist the referee when he gets out of position such as that described here. When the foul happened on the Yellow defender the AR should have made eye contact with you, seen that you were out of position and unable to make a call. He should then have raised his flag, fluttered the flag to show that a foul had occurred and then signalled the direction of the free kick, which in this case was outwards with his left hand. That would have told you and everyone present that a foul had occurred and that the restart was a direct free kick to the defence. You might have been able as well to have blown immediately for the raised flag before a goal was scored.
If the fluttering flag and direction of the DFK had been called by the AR you would have been able to have blown your whistle loudly for the FK and in the next few seconds you would have been close to the offence pointing clearly for an outbound free kick with perhaps play having been stopped quickly and with no requirement for consultation and this would have helped to 'sell the decision'. How better a sell that would have been and while it would not have entirely quelled the controversy it certainly would have diminished it.
Something for your next pre match discussion which is the signalling of fouls by an AR and your interpretation of those including what to do on advantage situations.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

A similar event occurred in an MLS match last week, and it was featured in the USSF's week in review. The referee believed that the defender had handled the ball and called for a penalty kick; the assistant referee knew that the attacker had handled the ball. After a consultation, the referee properly reversed the decision (since play had not restarted) and awarded a DFK for the defense. The referee team needs to get this game critical decision correct.

Could you have been in a better position to see who fouled whom? Perhaps. The ideal location is 10 to 15 yards (not 30) and at an angle (not behind) to play. The call is easier to sell if the referee is in the correct position to make the right call and does so immediately.

The assistant referee has to be: (1) 100 percent sure that you didn't see the foul; and (2) 100 percent sure that you would have called the foul had you seen it. The AR's first look should have been at you - - where are you, what are you indicating. Are you verbalizing and signalling an advantage?

I agree with Ref McHugh that IF before the attacker took the shot, the assistant referee was sure that you didn't see the foul and that you would have called the foul, then the assistant referee should have followed the procedures to indicate the foul. Flag up (in the left hand - - to indicate a restart for the defense), with a wave of the flag after making eye contact with the referee. That call is less easy to sell, but is more immediate and implies more confidence than what you experienced.

But, once the ball is in the goal, the USSF guide to procedures dictate exactly one mechanic for the assistant referee. STAND AT ATTENTION and look at the referee. This indicates to the referee that the assistant referee believes that no goal should be awarded, and that there is information the referee needs.
You have to talk.

Admittedly, it is harder to sell the call. Everyone knows you weren't sure what happened. But, the obligation remains: the referee team must get the call correct. That your team did so in this case is as worthy of praise as did the team in the MLS match.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Sometimes we get caught out of position. It happens. When trying to catch up to play, the biggest mistake you can make is not to take an angle. Intuitively we do not take an angle as that creates distance but you need to force yourself to do it or you'll miss more, as happened here.

But you acted correctly. Your AR was there to help you and although his mechanics are unknown (you don't say what he was doing, just that when asked, he said no goal), he did convey the necessary information to you and you acted properly disallowing the goal.

I would reiterate that proper AR mechanics in the US are different than in Europe and if the goal is to be disallowed, the AR should STAND THERE with no flag raised unless the scorer was offside.

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

See Question: 24915