Question Number: 30323

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 4/18/2016

RE: Other

Derek of Cary, IL USA asks...

Ref McHugh posted this video to a question, which got me wondering about a scenario:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqY8CI0ha8o

In a similar situation, what would happen if the keeper punched the ball away while outside the penalty area? Assuming that both happened at the same time, the SFP by the attacker and the handling by the keeper would be DFKs for the opposite team. Would the referee do a dropped ball in this instance, or punish the harsher foul (because a single red card was issued) by giving a DFK for the keeper's team?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Derek
Thanks for the follow up.
Fouls rarely if ever happen at the same time. The laws tell us that if the fouls are simultaneous the restart is a dropped ball. I have never seen this as it is a very rare decision.
Now this is where perhaps human nature shows it head. A referee might determine that the most insidious foul is the one that gets punished more harshly when two happen together instantly.
Many times though SFP happens when the ball is not played first with the player late into the challenge. So the GK punches and then gets caught with excessive force by the attacker. If they were so very close then IMO the SFP foul is the one that will have the most focus and attention from the referee. I also think that when a player is getting sent off that his team is unlikely to see themselves getting the restart. As Referee Dawson points out for a DOGSO to apply there must be a foul called against the offender.
Last season I had a challenge were two hard tacklers lunged at a ball 50 / 50 at the exact same time. The call could have gone either way. I went against the player that I had spoken to about the manner of a previous challenge some minutes previously. I did not see a DB as a good decision for the game at that time. While he was not happy there was little he could do other than moan.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Dereck,
In a highly contested youth match each team had a big talented guy who was likely to win most any challenge.
The sheer physics of mass and momentum they had to be careful not to simply run over the less physical players yet when they challenged one another neither felt like backing off so on a loose ball they basically charged into one another just ahead of contacting the bal. It was a vert solid ompff you could hear and literally feel the impact where they both kind of rebounded off one another. They both appeared kind of stunned and the crowd was oohing. I blew the whistle yellow carded them both and restarted with a drop ball . My reasoning was that charge would have leveled any other player out there! It was full speed and definitely reckless, in fact I might well have shown a red card given the force used. I used a drop ball to restart and warned them both they best be careful. It was the ONLY time I can recall carding and using a drop ball for a simultaneous foul? If you are going to sell the drop ball you must see the events from both as occurring at the same time, chances are one occurs first.
If the keeper is guilty of DOGSO then there CAN NOT be simultaneous fouls as there can be no DOGSO from a drop ball restart. You would award the PK or DFK send off the keeper if it was DOGSO or caution if breaking up the attack then send off the attacker for VC!
Cheers