Question Number: 29454

Mechanics 5/31/2015

RE: Select Under 15

Brad of Plymouth, Michigan United States asks...

This question is a follow up to question 29453

As detailed as I was in describing the question, I realize now that omitted one key bit of information, which may help explain my AR1's call: The foul in question was a push with both hands extending (again--the attacker's body kept me from seeing the smaller defender shoving with both hands).

The physics of the collision was weird, because from my angle it looked like a play on ball, but both players fell away from each other. AR1 saw both hands from his angle, even from 30 yards+ away. And even black acknowledged the clear foul--his instruction post-game was not a mean criticism, but one referee trying to give advice. Thus the question focusing more on what I should do.

Wonderful answers referees--I have read them once and need to read them through more--what a wealth of information.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Brad,
we enjoy your efforts, each of us try to drop useful hints into the pool of knowledge yet it can be murky given words are not always good at giving a clear mental image. You provided more than enough information.
I am very bad of heaping too much on the plate at times. I tend to think, given you... CAN... take your time here, to read and think , without pressure, more information than requested is not so bad, even if less might be better understood. Every issue , in every match comes right down to the Law and every referee is ultimately faced with knowing the Law cold so he may arrive at a decision based in Law and what is acceptable to that instant in the match. In many of our answers we offer the referee an opportunity to think off the field so he may arrive at the solution without the stress of the match at hand.

The fact the AR saw it and you did not and he had the courage to take that responsibility is kudos for him.

The learning portion here though is do you grasp that your positional play did not reflect the circumstances in front of you? If you drew a straight line between the two handed shove and the AR1, you needed to be on that line, you were too far left of play.

What my colleague Ref Wickham pointed out was, stop the diagonal run, cut back across or go straight to the net to isolate the separation, ball and projected collision or challenge which by being on that same direct line your AR1 had, you could have seen. It would be beneficial to see your position which was blocked and how far away you were from the correct angle of view the AR1 had.

What my colleague Ref McHugh points out is the what if you had seen it as not a PK? The other AR did not see it as a PK or if he did was strangely absent from input here? The AR1 took a HUGE risk in flagging

Position is not about following the diagonal you leave the diagonal to be where you need to be, reading the development of play and how best to view it! It is not a sin for you lose the AR line of sight eye contact momentarily because you are concentrating on the best angle of view. You will regain it quickly once play transitions and if you stop play you ALWAYS look over to regain it as well.

Look over Question 29456 for additional information
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Brad
One of the real difficulties here is that had you seen the *contact* and decided that it was not a foul / penalty because the action was of a player reaching to stop an opponent falling into him or that you where close enough to sense that there was no push but rather a reach out towards the player the last thing that is needed is a flag from the trail AR.
In a game a few seasons ago I was an AR standing at half way. I saw what looked like a deliberate handling and the CR looked at the AR and the AR looked at the AR and IMO neither wanted to decide so at the end up the CR gave a corner. The last thing that the CR needed was for me at half way to be flagging for deliberate handling. Both had a good view of it and there is no way that I was getting involved and as I said previously it would be way outside the AR's remit plus there is no hope of seeing a trail AR flag in this situation. Yes if it is VC and everyone bar the CR and lead AR has not seen it then by all means the AR must intervene.