Question Number: 26867

Law 5 - The Referee 10/1/2012

RE: Rec Under 13

jrcaesar of Long Beach, Ca United States asks...

This question is a follow up to question 1193

This question #1193 is closest to the one I have.

Play is in the penalty area. Blue attacker gets a shot off, and then a couple steps later trips over a pair of defenders who were converging on him. A second attacker gets the rebound and gets a wide shot off that goes out of play. I award goal kick.

As I saw the play live, it's possible that I could have awarded a PK on the tripping foul. However, I felt the follow-up shot was their applied advantage and we moved on.

My real question is this: I rarely if ever see that foul called: shooter shoots, misses, keeps going, is pushed/tripped following his shot. I've heard two different replies from fellow referees in response to a similar question: 1) that is happening away from the ball and is not affecting the immediate play(so no foul); 2) the tripping is impacting the shooter's ability to play a rebound (so foul).

I'd welcome advice on this one please.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

The old school view was that a good shot was advantage realized.

In recent years, the USSF recommended procedure for advantage inside the penalty area has changed. The recommended procedure is to say and signal nothing and just to wait and see what happens next. If a goal is not scored directly or from the next play, whistle and call for the penalty kick.

http://www.ussoccer.com/News/Coachesnet/2008/04/Position-Paper-Advantage-And-The-Penalty-Area.aspx?print=true

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Things have changed in the US since #1193 even though that question took place just outside the penalty area.
We used to consider a shot taken to be advantage realized. Not anymore and certainly not inside the penalty area.

USSF instructs us to signal or say nothing regarding incidents inside the penalty area. We are to 'wait and see'. Unless a goal is scored within a few seconds, we award the penalty.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi
Always a difficult call for referees to make throughout the world. I have seen many games at all levels where referees ignore situations where there has been a coming together of players after a goal scoring opportunity has been realised. It is rarely seen as the use of advantage but rather 'not seen' as a foul because it was either trifling with no effect on play or with the focus being on what happened to the ball as it goes towards goal. Those include players coming together through their momentum which could be viewed as a foul elsewhere on the field of play.
I have stated on previous questions that once the challenge is focus of the referee's attention in these situations the next sequence of play does not receive the same attention unless of course a goal is scored. Those situations end up with the foul being called and maybe disciplinary action taken.
So what you describe happens in many games with referees simply allowing play to continue. You will probably notice as well that the 'fouled' team does not focus on the incident either unless it is a heavy challenge or there is a subsequent foul which prevents the follow up of play. I would suspect that the majority of referees would go with the goal kick in the sitaution you describe.