Question Number: 32317

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 3/17/2018

RE: Adult

Kostas of Belmont, California United States asks...

Would you call a foul against the scorer of the last minute goal in Olympiacos-AEK (Feb 4 2018) seen at 5:15 in the link below?

http://www.novasports.gr/afieromata/superleague-highlights/video/50522/olubiakos-aek-1-2-hl/

Thanks!

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Kostas,
hmm the arm over the shoulder at the very beginning had me concerned lol
But could the match referee have been any closer or in a better position?
The referee waved him up without too much of a fuss from the player who was leaning to draw the foul.

Note the close offside at 4.14! Close tight but right! so was the other one lol

AS to the goal at the end . There appeared to be contact but how much and who was at fault I have some doubts given the angles of view. AS a coach though I will say this, the defender #14 white who was checking the goal scorer on that goal he should be given an assist just TERRIBLE defending . The defender who felt he was knocked down was backing in without looking. I can see there was some contact but from the angle, I do not know if the opposing goal scorer used his hips surging forward into the back of the white defender or he caught the leg or if he actually used his hands to push? I thought the referee needed to move in about ten yards tighter and to the left in anticipation? He seemed to be following the ball rather casually looking right and only turned his head into the middle after the ball was on its way but the contact was occurring right about that time. The referee may not have had a clean look just the aftermath. Just remember our couch perspective in slow motion no where near as much pressure as in real match time!
His decision! His match! His reputation! not tarnished by what I saw.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Kostas
Having watched the full video I noticed that players go down easily on all sorts of contact. There are a number of penalty appeals with players going to ground on soft contact.
That tells me that the referee allows a certain level of contact and he has to be certain of foul contact before calling a foul. Perhaps with all that has transpired in Greek football over the past number of years that referees have been advised to call only those fouls that are without doubt? I do not know.
At the start of the video there is a penalty appeal and at 1.58 there is also an appeal. The contact is minimal on both and I feel that referees in this League have great difficulty in discerning between levels and type of contact with all sorts of player 'falls' with pressure then exerted on the referee.
On the video of the foul at the end I do not see enough contact that suggests a clear foul to me. The referee is looking straight at the angle of contact and he does not call it. The player that goes to ground is a big strong physical player and if a player tried to knock him over it would be difficult requiring a strong amount of contact. I do not see that here.
More alarming was the behaviour of the player afterwards and his raising his hands to the referee for which he was rightly sent off for. Not sure if it was a straight red yet I would hope so.
Also the scenes after this game were disgraceful and they have has no place in the game. All is not well in the game in Greece and I would be fearful that very strong action will be taken here by the authorities. I believe that there are much bigger issue at play in Greek soccer and it is unfortunately not about a penalty call here or there or a foul not called. The recent events in the Super League have drawn the world's attention to Greek soccer. It is attention that Greek football can do without if it is truly trying to change.