Question Number: 32467

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 5/23/2018

RE: All levels except professional Other

Dimitrios G. Panagiotidis of DES PLAINES, IL United States asks...

Attacking team crosses the ball into the goal area almost parallel to goal line, goalie attempts to handle the ball but only touches it lightly still enough to make a defender (who is standing behind him and in front of the right vertical goal post) to misjudge and instead of controlling the ball with his chest, clumsily hits the ball with his head then the ball richocets twice, first to his left, then to his right hand (who were in a raised position) then exits the field from the goal line. The defending team expects a corner, the attacking team asks for a penalty and a yellow card to the defender, as an attacker was about 5 yds away, thus claiming DOGSO.

I decided the restart was a penalty kick but not a DOGSO (e.g. attacker was too far, not part of the action and never got involved in this play at all) so I did not award a yellow card. I am also positive that at this level (U-14) it was more of a skills/technique issue (the defender was surprised by the goalie's touch and was caught with his hands up) and the (double) hand-ball was 100% unintentional.

What would you have done?

(for the history the goalie saved the penalty!).

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Dimitrios
Thanks for the question. A lot going on there
The first question is whether the handling was deliberate or not. That is a judgement call based on the actual circumstances. At Underage it is never easy as protection is a reflex action. Proximity here to the goalkeeper had a bearing with an unexpected ball that startles the player who raised both hands for protection with the ball hitting both. These are tough calls as the reaction is to call such incidents as DHB yet was it deliberate and intentional? I would say the majority of times DHB will be called yet it is more reaction and instinctive rather than an attempt to stop or play the ball. Many will say that the action of raised hands is a deliberate action and yes it can but not easy when it is an underage players whose natural instinct is to raise the arms for protection particularly at close proximity with no time to avoid the ball, The second part which is the DOGSO decision it does not read as denying a goal or goal scoring opportunity in any way. So no card is necessary. It does not read as a tactical foul so no need for a yellow card. I suspect your decision not to go with yellow was as much to do with lack of intent and not deliberate than anything else.
So I would probably have done the exact same as yourself. That can be the easy decision to take. There is a little voice though inside my head saying that I might go with the corner kick with a roar of NOT DELIBERATE. It is easier to do that if it not relevant to the game such as 5 minutes to go with the team well beaten. I know that is not the advice to referees on decision making yet human nature and common sense is always lurking. I certainly would not have any card sanction here of any description.
To finish with I recall a standout incident a number of years ago in a ladies game. Near the end a young substitute came on and she was stood inside the penalty area. A high ball came in and she did not have to move to play the ball and at the last moment she realised that this big, hard, heavy ball was going to hit her on the head so she raised her arms, turned away to protect herself and the ball hit her arm and bounced down. Queue shouts of penalty which I waved away as not deliberate. She had no intention of handling the ball and it was a pure fear of the ball reaction. The penalty meant nothing in the game although there were gripes about not calling it.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Dimitrios,
Hmmm hard to say without seeing it. Although my visualization is the keeper DEFLECTS THE ball into the defender might satisfy my seeing this as a non deliberate play more of an instinctive reaction? The part that I am confused about is the hands /arms you claim they were raised up? Why is he playing with his arms up over his head in the mouth of goal? WE generally take dim view of wider or taller stances when the hands are used to effectively deny space. Otherwise a roar of not deliberate and the corner kick might be a practical solution. There is NO DOGSO unless you felt the ball was headed into the goal & only the deliberate handling prevented it.
It is hard to discount it as not deliberate if the hands are above the head in an unnatural playing position. Yet in many instances I KNOW there was NO Intent to play the ball with the arm/hands but it still is a deliberate act by virtue of positioning to deny space!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Dimitrios,
Based on your description, especially the way you say that that the defender was taken unawares, making this in effect, an 'unexpected ball' and since in your own words, it ''was 100% unintentional'' then I would have to go with no handling offence and a corner decision. If the handling was not deliberate (and you appear to say it wasn't) then it should not be penalised.

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