Question Number: 35680

Mechanics 8/31/2024

Crebs Crem of Zagreb , Croatia asks...

This question is a follow up to question 35679

Hello,

Given that there is an offence by the attacking team in the phase of play, the referees on the pitch misses the offence, play goes on, the attacker crosses the ball into opponents' penalty area and a defender who has no opponents nearby puts the goal into his/her own net. In this case, can VAR intervene because of a potential offence by the attacker's team or since the defender played the ball with no opponents around, shall the referees consider this action resets the attacking phase of play and therefore decide that the offence has no impact on the goal (own goal)?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Crebs
Simple answer is yes VAR will intervene on any offence in the build up to a goal.
That is the whole basis of the VAR system

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Crebs
our colleague Ref McHugh explained earlier that IF during the build up there was a missed offside/foul that CLEARLY affected the FINAL outcome of play VAR would ensure the referee was aware of that impact.

The length of time and how play develops might erase that impact of a past event.
Who has possession, was it on and then off, then on again, clear control? Ball moves up or down the field? The fact a defender makes an error of an own goal
only is the first touch for his team and UNLESS there is/was a PIOP involved in the outcome/lead up.

The lead up to this event where a defender is attempting to prevent a shot on goal or clear the ball that is inadvertently hit into their own goal is MOST likely considered as an attempted save should that ball be from an opponent's shot. So if there was PIOP that was in the mix that was interfering it would NOT reset. If there was an offside missed earlier but play moved up and down with clear possession so the shot was onside and the PIOP had no real effect earlier given what occurs after held no continued threat chances are the goal stands!

As to when that foul occurs, if it was missed, but led to the pass, so that the shot could occur, VAR is able to give that info to the CR to rethink awarding the goal, due to the fact the scoring circumstances originated from the missed foul.

A MISSED foul is a matter of timing and how play later developed to create the situation. The fact a defender makes an error that led to an own goal is NOT central to the issue. Was that past incident crucial to the NOW of that goal? Is that past incident too important, not to go back too?

Cheers