Question Number: 32158

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 1/11/2018

RE: PREMIER Adult

IBRAHIM ISHIAKU of LOKOJA, KOGI NIGERIA asks...

AN ATTACKER IS FOULED BY A DEFENDER INSIDE THE DEFENDER PENALTY AREA, THE REFEREE APPLIED AN ADVANTAGE AND THE ATTACKER GAINED FULL ADVANTAGE OF THE BALL, THE ATTACKER NOW DELIBRATELY PICKED THE BALL WITH HIS HAND. WHAT SHOULD BE THE REFEREE DECISION?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Ibrahim
Never an easy question for the referee which thankfully happens very rarely. It is more likely a paper question than one likely to happen in a game. Many players will not take the chance that the original foul will be called so the tendency is to continue particularly when the chance is still available. The modern game has players more likely to go down on the foul so the advantage opportunity is less.
Now one can argue that if advantage has been realised then it is a handling offence by the attacker. On the other side the referee can opine that advantage was not fully realised so it is a penalty kick and whatever other card sanction is appropriate.
The best advice is to adopt a *wait and see approach* which means doing nothing and call the foul depending on what develops.
Generally in these situation if it does happen the fouled player falls on the ball and it is grabbed while on the ground. The first foul is the one that is called.

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Ibrahim,
This is a tricky one and as ref McHugh points out, a referee could look at it different ways - either that the attacker has had the advantage and squandered it or that the anticipated advantage has not ensued so the referee punishes the original offence.

I think it would depend partly on how much time has elapsed between the original foul and the attacker grabbing the ball. The quicker this occurs, the more likely I think a referee would be to go back to the original offence. If the attacker waits too long and only grabs the ball after it seems he has had ample time to use the advantage afforded to him but simply chose not to, then the referee could call a handling offence against the attacker.

However I think many referees would be reluctant to penalise an attacker who was fouled in the penalty area and who at that moment, was entitled to a penalty kick, by subsequently giving a free kick against the player who was fouled.