Question Number: 35771

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 10/22/2024

Stuart Willis of Leicester , England asks...

I was recently watching a game at the local park when an incident happened that nobody really knew what the answer was.
An attacking player rounded the keeper and a defender had act with the ball as it passed him on the way into the net. The referee sent the player off but hesitated what to do next. He then decided to give the goal and not a penalty. I thought it would be either a red card and a penalty or a yellow card for ungentlemanly conduct. It’s been on my mind for the last few days. Please could you clear it up for me and I will look forward to seeing the teams next game and telling them what the correct decision was. Thank you

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Stuart
Thanks for the question.

I assume from your question that a goal was scored with the ball fully crossing the goal line before any action by the referee. That is the only way a goal could be awarded.

If that was the case then the defender did not deny an obvious goal or goal scoring opportunity so the player could NOT be sent of as nothing was denied. Indeed a referee could decide not to even caution the defender for the attempt to stop the goal yet probably most referees could caution for unsporting behaviour for the failed attempt to stop the goal. At one time it was mandated that a caution should be given yet that was subsequently removed from the Laws and discretion given to the referee with the use of MAY be cautioned.

Non-deliberate handball offences are usually the result of a player attempting to play fairly, so when a penalty kick is awarded for such offences, the same philosophy should apply as for offences (fouls) which are an attempt to play the ball or a challenge for the ball, i.e. DOGSO offences result in a yellow card and SPA offences result in no card. Deliberate handball remains a red-card offence when a penalty kick is awarded, as it is similar to holding, pulling, pushing, no possibility to play the ball etc.

If a goal was not scored and a penalty awarded the defender would be sent off for denying an obvious goal or goal scoring opportunity through deliberate handling.
Where a player denies the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by committing a non-deliberate handball offence and the referee awards a penalty kick, the offender is cautioned.

If it was a genuine attempt to play the ball in a challenge the red card would be reduced to a yellow card based on tne penalty award.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Stuart,
a bit unclear what the defender did?
In as much as I am uncertain what the referee did and why?

If it was a FAILED attempt by the defender to make a save and the ball was deliberately handled but still managed to fully cross the goal line, under the crossbar, between the posts -BEFORE- a referee whistled play dead.
Then in theory the goal should count, restart kick off.

BUT ? there is no DOGSOH, no red card is needed as it did not prevent the goal.

A caution show a yellow card for the blatant USB in trying to stop the goal is plausible but is it necessary, given the failure to prevent the goal it could, in my opinion, seem harsh.

If the ball simply struck the arm of the defender on its way into the goal, you award the goal & nothing else but a kick off restart is necessary. No caution is required!

Now if the referee jumped the gun and rather than apply advantage, simply WHISTLED play dead BEFORE the ball crossed the goal line, he has created a ugly incident as the correct way to legally proceed is to award the PK and show the red card sending off the player reducing the team by a player!

If the defender had attempted a tackle resulting in a DFK/PK foul, but the referee wisely refrained from blowing the whistle to see if an advantage occurred which apparently given a goal resulted, it did indeed, then the SPA caution could be waved just as the DOGSO red card criteria would no longer apply, because a goal resulted
Only if the tackle was reckless are we going to caution or show a yellow card.
Only if the tackle was considered excessive would there be any consideration of a red card for SFP or VC!
Cheers