Question Number: 31448

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 4/11/2017

RE: Rec Adult

Russell of Sydney, Australia asks...

Can the panel please help me understand why a penalty was awarded in this attack on the arsenal goal.

http://www.fullmatchesandshows.com/2017/04/10/crystal-palace-vs-arsenal-highlights/

In real time first viewing, I was certain the keeper had not brought him down.
So I thought, maybe there was a 'bump' from the defender, however, as I was now starting to guess, I was even more convinced it was not a penalty.
I struggles to see anything in the replays - so what have I missed.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Russell
You have missed nothing. The referee does not have the luxury of replays, slow motion, freeze frame etc. to make his decision From what we can see the Crystal Palace player anticipated the contact from the goalkeeper and he went to ground after he kicked the ball past the goalkeeper. He ensured also that he was as close to the body of the goalkeeper as possible so it would look like contact caused by the GK's actions
So in real time on the field of play this will look like a penalty. The referee was very well placed and he has a good view of the incident.
Now we know from the video that the player here has created the penalty by his actions and it would be a very difficult decision for the referee not to give this from his angle of view on the FOP. What it also points to is that in the modern game that unless a player is certain of playing the ball inside the penalty area and when that does not happen the percentages of a penalty award goes up considerably. In this case once the Arsenal keeper got nothing on the ball then it was always likely to end up as it did as a penalty. Goalkeepers at this level know that and for me it was a race to the ball that the goalkeeper lost. Once he entered the race to the ball the GK bought the ticket and lost. He gets a hand on the ball and it is nothing.
Here is another penalty awarded against Arsenal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4j1jJBB1yo
Most seen it as a penalty yet IMO the attacker also manufactured the foul. Red plays the ball and it is nothing.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Russell,
the replay shows the attacker worked the leg to ensure some contact. Yet because the challenge was never going to get to the ball the referee likely went with the fact the attacker got TO the ball first and DID go down. I think if he saw the reverse angle we saw he might have NOT blown for the PK.
Cheers