Question Number: 35184

Mechanics 10/26/2023

Crebs Crem of Zagreb, Croatia asks...

Hi,

In the following scenario, what should the referee decide?

Player A2 commits a serious foul play on player B10 outside the penalty area, the referee sees the incident but the ball falls in front of player B9, who is one one with opposition goalkeeper. However, B9 shots wide and the ball goes out. In this case should the referee restart with a goal kick for team A after sending player A2 off or give the original foul?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Crebs
The advice is generally not to play advantage on a red card particularly serious foul play or violent conduct. It is not cast in stone just advice.

If the shot happened almost immediately the referee would be well entitled to come back to the offence, show the red card and restart with the direct free kick. I believe the referee will be focused on the SFP tackle so it is likely the foul will be called. Plus after a red card it would be expected that the offended against team should get the restart unless there was the ultimate advantage.

What the referee should not do is react instantly with a whistle with the shot ending up in the goal. The best advice would be to *wait and see* and then make the call.
As described the best decision would be a red card and a direct free kick to the attacking team

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Crebs,
instilling advantage as a reasoned alternative to an immediate stoppage has resulted in some great goals.

Yet there is a dilemma of two bites of the apple when doing so if we go back to the original foul, if we do the traditional ADVANTAGE! yell, indicating using the arm and voice, then dropping them to say PLAY ON!

It means we recognized the foul, but chose not to stop for the free kick as what developed is as good or better!

We look like fabulous referees when such turn into goals . You can be sure we are ego driven just a wee bit, when it does occur. Watch the smile that appears on our faces.

There is another way to approach advantage, which is a wait and see approach without the theatrics. The MAIN reason is a quick whistle MIGHT takeaway a good goal. but we can still ponder the restart issue if it does not.

Yet we are warned NOT to use advantage on a red card SFP or VC because of the potential for immediate repercussions. Which is why we just hold off briefly to see what is going to happen because if a goal in the process of possibly being scored we do not want to call it off!

The misconduct attached to the foul itself remains, no matter the outcome and can be issued at the next stoppage!

I would say that a careless or reckless foul of DOGSO outside the PA we have greater leeway as a non goal, results in a send off. If inside the PA as a reasonable challenge the PK itself is the granted opportunity, thus not a lost opportunity .

Even a cautionable tackle inside the PA, the best result is a goal, as a PK is a very very good chance, rather than say, the advantage was there but spurned through a player missing a sitter after the foul.

The timing issue is the one that might bite the referee should the official permit the advantage to be recognized publicly, hence a wait and see moment or two as I concur with my colleague the best decision would likely be a red card reduce the defending team by a player and a direct free kick to the attacking team.

IF the shot wide was created by the keeper being active and cutting the angle quickly due in part to the way play developed a referee can chose to believe the advantage was not there in as much as the free kick provides a better one.

If the dude shooting was completely free and clear and messed up then it might seem funny that the team being short a player after being shown the red card gets the restart but you would be correct in law to do so even if not overly popular with the team not getting the free kick. As I often point out when acting as a referee!
Your Match. Your Decision . Your Reputation!
Cheers