Question Number: 30142

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 2/25/2016

RE: Adult

DEMETRIS of LIMASSOL, CYPRUS asks...

hi,can you commend if the referee was right for not giving a penalty at 1:15min and at 1:38min of the following video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSzNnVR44Fs Reference match AEL vs APOLLON Cyprus cup feb24 2016. Thanks a lot /DEMETRIS

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Demetris,
in my humble opinion NO foul on the first incident. Play on! Ball skipped by the others players, caught him on the arm accidentally.
in my humble opinion on the 2nd incident the keeper was most fortunate. It appears the keeper did indeed contact the striker. I will say that a PK could have been awarded but I do not see DOGSO criteria met. Direction of run, ball direction, recovery of defenders all suspect.

The CR was too far away to have a good line of sight and the AR looking in would have been the one to give credible info but he was ten yards back farther than he should. The poor positioning by the AR and CR on THIS particular situation may have caused the foul to go unnoticed. The referee may have felt the keeper held up as the ball did slide by untouched and the striker tripped himself up as his feet did close together as he tried to go wide. The fact the keeper did not barrel through the striker my have confused the CR as to how much contact occurred. I felt it was a pk on first glance from the TV angles shown., but it was the slow motion rendering that convinced me it was a foul! The CR had no such luxury.

I was unimpressed by the running effort of the AR, who should have been across from the striker keeper collision as he was to follow the ball given it was closer than the 2nd last defender. As in any real time decision His match his decision his reputation.
Tough way to lose felt bad for the yellow keeper he had a great game up until that extra time blunder sigh!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Demitris
Penalty decisions are always big calls in the game and in my opinion they should only be given when the referee is 100% certain.
On the handling while the ball hit the defenders arm it was not a deliberate action in my opinion. The ball arrived at the player unexpectedly as it looked like Yellow was going to play the ball and his arm was in a natural position. It would have been a harsh penalty and perhaps another referee with a lower threshold might have given. Ask this question. Did the player deliberately try to stop the ball with his arm or could he have prevented the ball from hitting his arm? Take into account whether he expected the ball or not.
On the penalty call by the goalkeeper again there is an element of doubt as to what happened. The attacker does not look like he was making an effort to play the ball which goes to the left and neither does the goalkeeper. Had the attacker played the ball then I believe the contact would have been seen as more of a foul than the coming together that actually happened. Again with a lower threshold it could have been given.
Unfortunately the only mistake that I can see in the video is the unfortunate one at the end by the goalkeeper.