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- Soccer Referee Questions on Soccer Rules
You-Call-It 18 Question...A defender, sprawled beside the ball, is just outside his own penalty area struggling to get up. A nearby hard charging attacker is bearing down on the ball. The ball is 1/4 partially overhanging the penalty area boundary line, right beside the downed defender. The defender as he is getting up, backhands the 3/4 portion of the ball that was completely outside the boundary rolling the ball back towards his keeper. The attacker screams for a penalty and demands the defender be sent off. The referee view of the ball is looking downfield from 15 yds away so he looks to the AR for confirmation. What signal does the AR give to confirm it was or was not deliberate in his opinion and whether it was in or out of the area or a card colour is required? How do you proceed? Your match, your decision, your reputation.
Our HintLaw 1
law 5
Law 6
Law 12
Law 14
Our Answer...There are a couple of questions to answer before the referee can make a decision in this situation. First of all, what was in the pregame regarding help from the AR on situations where there may be an offence occurring near the penalty area ? if the pregame was not complete or missed this area, it can and does complicate matters for the referee in trying to decipher what the AR may be indicating. The window of time to get it right and maintain the respect of the players in our decisions is a small one.
The position of the referee, perpendicular to the penalty area line, could make it hard to see where the ball is located when the possible offence occurred. Also, the referee must decide whether or not the hand and the ball were accidentally or illegally in contact. And lastly, the referee must decide how to deal with the attitude of the attacking player, which will be based in large part on the answers to the preceding questions.
The AR could have the superior view here, looking across and along the penalty area line, and thus is in a better position to advise the referee as to what occurred. Mind you this could depend on whether the downed defender is the second last opponent.
There are at least three possible courses of action; whichever way it goes, the referee might additionally choose to caution and show the yellow card to the loudmouth attacker bellowing for a call (Dissent) at any rate.
(1) The AR either shrugs indicating he didn't see anything as per pre-game, shakes his head as per pre-game indicating no deliberate handling, or makes no signal of any kind (common for inexperienced ARs). No call, play continues unless the referee?s independent judgment of the action says an offence occurred.
(2) a. The AR raises his flag. The referee should already have eye contact so the AR gives it a wiggle indicating he believes it is deliberate handling. Upon the whistle, he then gives direction as to which way the kick goes which indicates DFK outside the PA, as per the Guide to Procedures.
(2) b. After raising his flag the AR would move quickly toward the corner flag indicating the foul occurred inside the penalty area, so we are going to have a penalty kick.
Is this a correct restart based on the ball location in (2) a? (Remember, part of the ball was on the penalty area line, and lines are a part of the area they define. Law 1)
In our opinion NO!
If the keeper had used his hands on the ball in the same manner as the defender there is no foul possible, as the ball on the line is considered to be inside the penalty area and could be legally handled by the keeper. So if there is a foul because of the defender?s actions it must be a PK not a DFK for the same reasoning.
It is possible to decide the defender did not deliberately backhand the ball, and that the contact was accidental or incidental, and thus not an offence at all. See answer #1.
(3) If the AR did not raise his flag, but the referee chose to blow the whistle for a deliberate handling, the AR would hold the flag horizontally at waist level to indicate the offence occurred inside the penalty area, or stand at attention with the flag straight down or held slightly away from the body to the left to indicate it was outside of the penalty area. He could tap his shirt pocket to indicate a yellow card or his back pocket to indicate a red card if the deliberate handling is either a tactical or a denial of a goal scoring opportunity, if this signalling mechanic was discussed in the pre-game.
The consequences of deliberate handling can be dire. Possible consequences are a caution for unsporting behaviour for breaking up attacking play, in addition to the penalty kick. If the circumstances are deemed to be a denial of an obvious goal scoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball, a sending off must happen.
We must remember SO number 4 under the seven sending-off offences: denies the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball (this does not apply to a goalkeeper within his own penalty area). It does not require any particular alignment of players for either team, but simply the occurrence of the offence.
Generally DOGSO-H SO#4 is applied to a ball actually on its way into the goal, however, there COULD be situations, where, in the opinion of the referee, the deliberate handling prevented a clear opportunity to score even without the ball on its way into the goal. All the referee has to do is be of the opinion that the opportunity was obviously there EXCEPT for the unfair intervention of a deliberate handling.
In our scenario there is insufficient information to automatically declare DOGSO_H SO #4 of the sending off offences could apply or NOT apply.
One COULD decide on the circumstances depending on the location of the keeper and other defenders within the penalty area and the angle and proximity to goal.
The OPPORTUNITY of the attacker shooting at an open goal must be weighed against the circumstances when the deliberate handling, if indeed that is the call, occurs.
If the deliberate handling was only cautionable for breaking up attacking play then the referee must hold the opinion the opportunity to score was not affected, such factors as a bad angle, too far out, nearby defenders, keeper would get to the ball first anyway,etc..
IF the attacking player was unmarked and the route to goal is not littered with additional defenders who may yet be involved or the distance and angle provides an OBVIOUS opportunity for that shot to occur then DOGSO may well be the correct call.
That was our Question YOUR Answer is...AskTheref.com Educating and Amusing The Soccer Referee Since October 11, 1999<-->
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