Question Number: 32980

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 1/13/2019

RE: Rec Adult

Russell of Sydney, Australia asks...

Penalty or no penalty?

Keen to hear the panels thoughts on this one.

https://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/sydney-fc-win-dramatic-clash-against-adelaide

The televised camera angle and CR angle are very different. Slow motion replay and heat of the moment, even more so " and thats'all that counts.

Lots or arm contact - just not sure how that translates to legs suddenly jerking and stuttering and falling in such a manner.

Can I just say that I hate it when there 'technically' is a penalty, but the attacker 'over eggs' it to sell it to the officials.
Possibly the attacker may have taken inspiration from the Brighton v Liverpool match overnight.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Russell
Penalty for me. The attacker exaggerates the foul yet it is still present.
The defender gets the wrong side of the attacker and he makes no effort to play the ball making contact with the attacker from behind
One of the consequences of slight foul contact in the penalty area is that opponents ensure that the referee has to make a decision by exaggeration . Could the attacker have kept going? Possibly yet there is also an onus on the defenders to not allow the question to be asked.
Poor defending for me and a penalty was the correct call.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bptDZzMrqrY

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

His match! His decision! His reputation!

While I like to think players would not choose to go down too easily not all fouls need to be wipe-outs to be unfair!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Russell,
The only video I have seen of this does not give a very good angle to fully and definitively assess the nature of the challenge but the referee had a good view of it and judged that the defender was at least careless. I certainly don't see anything to suggest that it was an obvious error to award a penalty and the admittedly dramatic nature of the fouled player's reactions does not negate a foul that has occurred.