Question Number: 30374

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 5/2/2016

RE: Select Under 16

TODD FOWLER of Wappingers Falls, NY United States asks...

A foul is called in the box, before that player scored a goal. The goal was waved off and the player was awarded a penalty kick. Should the goal have counted and not even had a penalty kick?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Todd
The answer depends on the timing of the whistle. If the foul is called before the ball fully crossed the goal line it cannot be awarded so the restart is a penalty kick. As a goal has been denied by a foul the offender is sent off and his team plays short.
It is for this reason that advantage should be played with no foul being called.
Now some teams would prefer the penalty kick as the opponents play short. That though is not the referees opinion as his advice is to always try to award a goal. Over eagerness to call the penalty kick always cause this.

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Hi Todd,

Unfortunately, once play is stopped, it is stopped. Even if the whistle had no impact on play, the goal cannot be allowed. Sometimes the referee needs to consider the possibility of advantage and should hold the whistle for a few moments, sometimes it looks like no chance of scoring and somehow the ball slips through as the whistle is being blown. It happens to every referee - but in the Penalty Area, often a quick decision is required.

Quite often when people do get upset about this sort of incident, the players who could have stopped the ball have actually stopped in response to the whistle anyway.

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 30383