Question Number: 30703

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 8/30/2016

RE: Select Under 17

Loukos Scheffer of Ashburn, Virginia United States asks...

I am a player and a referee, the situation i would like to ask about is as a player. I am a goalkeeper and in a game a couple days ago I was penalized for a play where the following happened. A forward on the other team was advancing and a center back on my team was with him. Not sure of what was going to happen i started to come out and left my feet toward the ball. Around this time the attacking player who was also getting closed down by the back took a touch to his right. Since i could no longer get the ball i pulled my arms in to avoid contact. However the attacker did not and instead of moving toward the ball ran straight through me. After conversing with the AR the referee awarded a PK. Was this justified or not. We have seen examples of this being called both ways. The famous Robben play Vs mexico in the world cup and the Vardy red card.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Loukis
As you know referees and assistants give what they see from their angle of view. Sometimes only one angle of view gives the full picture of what happened. What has happened here is nothing new as you alluded to. It is as described may have been an opponent winning a penalty through his movement. Now the referee and AR had one go at this call and I suspect a strong element of doubt on behalf of the referee when he consulted with his AR. He may have thought that the movement by the forward was somewhat iffy. Maybe he did not see it clearly?
Now as you describe it the technical decision is that the forward has illegally charged an opponent by a deliberate movement towards the opponent rather than following the ball. It should have been a DFK to the defending team. That though is not the way that it looked to the referee or his assistant who had a side on view.So they gave what it looked like.
You mention Vardy and another incident. Have a look at this video
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=v-KtGohIcnI
Blue 9 Vardy has in my opinion seen the planted leg of Red 18 Monreal and moved his left leg towards that planted leg ensuring contact. Could Blue have avoided the opponent and was the movement of the left leg by Blue unnatural to win a penalty? Blue makes no effort to follow the ball and the question arises as to whether he has to or could he have. Red 18 is certainly perplexed that he did nothing wrong and his error was planting his foot to allow the contact to happen. Some in the game were undecided with some seeing it as dubious while others thought it was a certain penalty. Thierry Henry a former Arsenal player was of the opinion that it was a penalty on the basis of no requirement to jump over an opponents leg. Monreal if asked would say that it was not a penalty.
Put it another way. It was always likely that the penalty would be awarded and to not award would result in the referee being berated for not doing so. Defenders and goalkeepers have to be more astute now in not getting positioned in a way that a foul can be made.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Loukos,
Objectivity and perception are still only opinions the officials offers on any situation. Such a viewpoint is based on what they see, how they see it and the understanding of the LOTG within the practical application of the experience and tolerance levels the match may or may not be subjected too. If the referee can determine the mindset, based SOLEY on the movement of an individual, given we do not read minds he might feel the attacker was looking for contact and lean towards a no call or perhaps a charge and or a yellow card for simulation against the attacker. That said, as a defender when you move into or towards an attacker most of the time if you make physical contact prior to the balls most calls are going to go against you. When a decision is rendered one can only hope those doing so have integrity and work hard to get into decent positions to see the interaction clearly. I must confess that if the CR was in conference with the AR it is likely he is seeking confirmation of who was at fault because he is only partially convinced. You must hope that by whatever criteria they used against you at your end is applied equally at the other. Often both teams engage in simultaneous grabbing and pushing then struggle with decisions referees arrive at when contact results in a collision or falling down. If there is any comparison it might be to setting a basketball pick if you are already standing, it is a foul to be run into. But consider that the concept of playing distance is within about 2 steps towards the ball at the speed of play, so the circle of contact is a bit wider then in basketball.
Cheers