Question Number: 34550

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 4/5/2022

Petr of Prague, Czech Republic Czech Republic asks...

This question is a follow up to question 34547

Hello,

in today's match Benfica vs. Liverpool there was a similar clash between Fabinho and Otamendi.

It was at the additional time and the referee ordered a corner kick.

Have any of you seen it? That's exactly the situation I had in mind. Including the referee's decision :-)

Have a nice day!

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Petr
I watched the game live and this was an offence by Otamendi. It was a careless challenge by him and he clearly heads Fabinho in the back of the head in an aerial challenge for the ball. His intention was to head the ball yet it looked like he closed his eyes and tried to head "something" making contact with his opponent who headed the ball away over the goal line. In that regard it was just a free kick to the defense and no card,

In my opinion the referee was incorrect in awarding a corner kick as it was a clear foul for me. Move this to the ground and a player plays the ball with then heavy contact by an opponent would be an offence every single time. I even think that despite the knock on the head that Fabinho seemed to making a point to the referee about the contact to his head after he got up. I suspect he may have been correctly questioning the referee on the no offence call.

As to why it was not given I just can't figure that out. The referee has a great view of it as he has moved to the see the challenge and he is looking straight at it. Maybe he had the non award of the earlier penalty kick call in that same area on his mind and did not want to look like uncertainty with a change of call. Maybe as it was so late on with a corner kick signalled that it was *ignored* It certainly could not be the level of contact being incidental as Otamendi was holding his head as well and needed treatment so it was not as if Fabinho was exaggerating the contact to win a free kick.

Whatever way one looks at it the challenge was a careless foul by Otamendi and similar incidents should be called as foul challenges. The game is trying to stamp out head contact injuries for obvious reasons and we simply cannot have such challenges allowed without being called.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Petr,
referee was right there,
both players attempting to head the ball
no malice in the challenge
BUT
One guy got there, the other did not.
Free kick out better decision than Corner, but reverse this, if attacker not defender would we award a PK rather than a goal kick? ? I thought close only occurred in horseshoes and hand grenades?

Based on the incidents I have witnessed apparently these challenges are not looked at as a foul and given the severity and safety issue I find that a bit surprising. It appears more leniency for head to head issues created by both players leaping into the air thus partially not in control of their bodies ? Love to have the referee in the match give his view which is likely 50/50 but was it??

The current thinking must be the Liverpool player leaned back into the Benfica player with as much chance of causing impact even if the Benfica player had headed it first. NO VAR intervention! NO discernible doubt of the referee decision! NO noticable input from the AR Only the Liverpool player who had his noggin rocked & the Liverpool manager looked a tad surprised there was no foul!

While it is true not all contact is automatically a foul, the figure of speech they use is what would the game expect or want? Perhaps the awarding a free kick out would auto imply the reverse could result in a PK controversy so they lean to not intervene? Giving them pause so not wanting to award a PK for the same event on 49/51% reasonable challange especially if a goal is NOT scored or the ball is headed into touch off the attacker and a just a fraction late defender head crunch occurs . I have been mystified at why missed opportunities seem to allow a bit extra crash and burn behaviour almost as if punishment for missing? It might be the thinking is the clash is inevitable when challanging in close proximity so both players bear some responsibility unless they go straight up? Just guess work on my part as to the rational for not seeing these incidents as a free kick event?

Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Hi Petr,

I have a particular frustration that in certain top-tier competitions I watch, this sort of thing is not recognised as a foul.

Sure, he was going for the ball, and there wasn't a great deal of force used - these just mean that anything is likely to be careless, not reckless.

One player headed the ball. The other got there a little late, missed the ball, and headed the player. How would that not be a foul?

The player behind has missed the ball and collected the player, showing a lack of attention or consideration when making a challenge or acting without precaution. That's a careless foul.

It's what happens all the time with kicking, isn't it? If one player clear the ball first and the other player comes in a split second later and kicks him, it's a foul even though it's careless. For the life of me I don't understand why, in certain professional leagues, it's not recognised as a foul when it's a header. Especially when the average head clash is a lot more dangerous than the average late kick.

This is a foul but I see no reason for a card. If roles were reversed I would absolutely want to see a PK.