Question Number: 29428

Mechanics 5/19/2015

Gerome of West Milford , Nj Usa asks...

20 yards from the goal,attaker kicks the ball and it hits defender hand out of the penalty area,the ball rebounds back to the attacker entering the penalty area and he scores should the ref call the hand ball or allow advantage and allowing the goal.

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Play should be allowed to continue if that's more beneficial for the team infringed against than stopping play.

There's no greater advantage than a goal, so the goal would be allowed.

Sometimes the referee blows the whistle early though, just before the goal is scored. If so, he cannot allow the goal as play has stopped.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Gerome,
I might be misreading this,

If there is a simple DFK foul outside the area but the ball falls advantageously and the attack continues and a ...SUITABLE... advantage develops as good or better than the free kick would afford if we signal advantage and indicate it with arm and voice and the follow up shot misses it could create a situation where if there was misconduct it is put on hold until the next stoppage and the opportunity to take that very good scoring opportunity of a free kick has passed. Certainly if a GOAL occurs we look like officiating geniuses.

If this was a PK foul where a goal was denied or may have been denied we often take a wait and see stance rather than ACTUALLY signal advantage. If the 4D criteria of DOGSO H for deliberately handling the ball or DOGSO for any of the other 9 penal fouls is met knowing that the player is due to be sent off by allowing a few moments to see if the ball completely crosses the goal line under the crossbar and between the posts for a goal tends to make everyone happy in that attackers get their goal and the opposition is not required to play short.

The difficulties a referee can make for themselves are
(1) The referee is often too quick on the whistle, stopping play early, taking away a good goal sigh but then the PK and send off if applicable and or cautions must occur .

(2) Or the ball does NOT enter the goal and the referee is conflicted that there was an advantage realized and missed then choses to allow play so no PK no card just realms of trouble and dissent to follow. Imagine the player who did the foul, who probably should be sent off goes down to the other end scores a goal. Please in these cases NO ...signalled... ADVANTAGE per say simply a brief moment to see if a goal is scored, if not, we are stopping play PK/send offs if applicable, cautions as required . If goal, restart kick off, cautions maybe!

Just an added thought,
If the ball, hits a hand, that is not a foul, simply play continues goal or no goal. It is immaterial on a non foul situation of a ball coming off a hand or arm whether the ball is advantageously redirected in favour of either team.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Gerome
As described advantage should be played and the goal awarded. There can be no greater advantage than a goal. If say the referee was to stop play and award a direct free kick there is every possibility that a goal might not be scored.
One of the best examples of this was in the 2006 Champions League final between Arsenal and Barcelona. Early in the first half Referee Terge Hague awarded a direct free kick to Barcelona and dismissed the Arsenal goalkeeper Lehmann for a foul just outside the penalty area. Had he waited a second he could have awarded a goal as Barcelona scored instantly after the foul. It took Barcelona until the 81st minute to equalise even with 11 players. Barca eventually went on to win.
Referee Hague acknowledges that it was a mistake in judgement and had he waited a second before stopping play he could have awarded the goal.

http://www.uefa.com/trainingground/referees/video/videoid=746585.html?autoplay=true#latest
As he points out as had the decision been a penalty the decision to stop play might have been less significant due to the high chance that a goal will be scored.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

If it was a foul, the ref should apply advantage and allow the goal.

But without seeing it, I'm not certain it was a foul or not. You said that the ball hit the defender's hand - was it deliberate handling? Several factors come into consideration here, including the position of the hand and whether the defender had time to get it out of the way or not.