Question Number: 35875

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 2/3/2025

RE: Adult

AEK Fan Club Of NY of ASTORIA, NY USA asks...

Is this a penalty?

https://youtu.be/JSB_laTbqOY?feature=shared&t=238

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi AEK
Not according to the match officials

I have looked at this multiple times and I am unsure whether the defender played the ball or not. Certainly the direction of the ball suggests some sort of play by the defender.

What I did not like was the mobbing of the referee by the attackers. UEFA is trying to eliminate this from the game and with VAR present it is certainly way out of order. VAR looks at every single incident in a game and if it requires an on field review that will be done. It does not need for multiple players to be confronting a referee in the manner seen in the video. The UEFA advice is that at least one player should be cautioned in these mobbing situations.
The advice is that Only the Captain should be approaching the referee and in a respectful manner.

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi AEK,

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, once again I think I would have to agree with my colleague ref McHugh - it's difficult to say, one way or the other. Again, however, it's another YHYBT scenario where really only the officials in the game are in a position to judge.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI AEK,
ONLY after I slowed it down and replayed it back and forth could I arrive at the decision it was likely a foul. In real time it would be difficult to say with certainty . I think it was fortunate to NOT have been awarded but I saw no malice just careless by being late on the reach in. As we often point out the match officials do the best they can based on the angle of view and must decided in a split second. REAL TIME decisions are loaded with pressure! They do NOT have the armchair easy screen as we do.
Cheers