Question Number: 35536

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 5/27/2024

RE: Amateur Adult

Mühenned Elseyho of Onikisubat, Kahramanmaras Turkey asks...

Hi , how are you?
About this video ..

https://youtu.be/beykMKtcmOA?si=-i3H5OTsTxKHOtcD

Situation:

During a football match, there is often physical contact between the defender and the attacker inside the penalty area.

Scenario:

Before the ball arrives, the defender may push the attacker or vice versa, prompting the referee to intervene and separate the players.
In this case, there was contact between the defender and the attacker before the ball arrived, and the contact was mutual.
The crucial point in this situation is the moment of the joint challenge for the ball between the attacker and the goalkeeper.

Is it a penalty kick or a foul to the defender?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Mühenned
Thanks for the question.

First off I do not see any obvious fouls between the attacker and defender. Both the attacker and defender are engaged in some contact yet not sufficient in my opinion to call a foul either way.

Now the challenge by the goalkeeper in my opinion is a foul. Some leeway might have been given had the goalkeeper played the ball yet he misses the ball and crashes into the back of the attacker , knocking him to the ground.

There were two recent incidents in the EPL involving Onana of Manchester United where the goalkeeper cames for high balls, missed them and crashed in the opponents. In the Wolves one it was not given as a penalty whereas in the Burnley one a penalty was awarded. Both were penalties in my opinion.

https://m.youtube.com/shorts/SMn4U7ghCEo
https://youtu.be/1uvZlZoLHdM?si=OB_ADYsDFhaWEAdO

Having said all that I have seen like the Onana / Wolves incident referees making no calls on these type of aerial contacts. As I tell referees if the goalkeeper is just a regular outfield player would it be called?

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Mühenned,
I am uncertain as to who is who? I assumed the dark shirts were together with the dark shirt keeper? In my opinion there was nothing of consequence between the dark shirt and light shirted player worthy of a foul or even a talking to. What was of concern is the keeper climbing up over the back of the dark shirted player, in trying to get to the ball and then missing it. IF this was a team mate the keeper, should be yelling "Keeper!" or Keeper's Ball to warn his player, "Hey, back off, I got this! to avoid a collision . Yet if this was an opponent good chance that gets called a foul and a DFK, thus PK, is upcoming. Cheers