Figueroa's Handball

[Corky]

So if Niall Quinn is pulled back when about to tap in a header , if is not a clear goal scoring opportunity as Adrian Heath may not have reached it?

Some players have never scored therefore there no one should be sent off unless it is handled on the line.

No, a tap in header would be an obvious goal scoring opportunity. A breakaway from half is not as cut and dry. Plenty of great finishers wouldn't have the speed to break away cleanly even given a head start. Aguero is an exceptional player, not the norm.

The player got booked for unsporting behaviour for stopping an attack developing, but to most it was obvious he was clear through with Figueroa static and no other player within 15 yards.

It is down to interpretation and there is no correct answer, but I think most refs would have given the red. Cases like this was why the change was made in 1991 for hand ball, as the defender can give away a free kick with little attacking potential.

 

[macmanson]

So if Niall Quinn is pulled back when about to tap in a header , if is not a clear goal scoring opportunity as Adrian Heath may not have reached it?

Some players have never scored therefore there no one should be sent off unless it is handled on the line.

No, a tap in header would be an obvious goal scoring opportunity. A breakaway from half is not as cut and dry. Plenty of great finishers wouldn't have the speed to break away cleanly even given a head start. Aguero is an exceptional player, not the norm.

Does the identity of the player(s) involved come into the ref's decision making then?

Edit:
Sorry mate - not having a go at you personally, I'm just so pissed off with the inconsistency.

The indentity shouldn't come into the ref's decision making, but with referee's allegedly being human beings, there is likely to be some personal bias. Your decision making should be guided by the level you are refereeing for not so much the players. In the case of it being DOGGSO, I would look at it this way.

If you took the top 40 strikers (2 per team x 20) in the PL, would more than half of them have a 100% percent goal scoring opportunity in that case. Not sure that you could say that, so if they only "might" score then that's not obvious by the letter of the law, hence a yellow for USB and not a red card.

For a red card, it would have had to be one of the 10 direct free kick offences, even it it wasn't considered dangerous. Example pulling back a player (holding) about to tap in a header.<br /><br />-- Mon Jan 23, 2012 9:51 pm --<br /><br />

I was under the impression that deliberate handball - which is what Figueroa committed - was an automatic red card.

Anywhere on the pitch, regardless of whether it was a DOGGSO, or not.

No, it is a tactical foul. A handball by definition has to be deliberate for it to be a handball. (ie: hand to ball and not ball to hand). Law 12 clearly states that a Direct Free Kick should be awarded to the opposing team if a player handles the ball DELIBERATELY (except for the goalkeeper within his own penalty area.)

A penalty kick is awarded if a defending team player deliberately handles the ball inside his own penalty area (except for the goalkeeper within his own penalty area).

A red card is only issued if it was DOGGSO like the Suarez incident. A penalty is awarded regardless of where the handball occured in the box.

-- Mon Jan 23, 2012 6:28 pm --

I think its interesting that a group of referees get together and back up the decision of another referee - shock.

They are effectively saying that Sergio Aguero running unaccompanied into the visitors half of the field is not a goal scoring opportunity. He had to run 40 yards before he would be in the penalty area, with at least a 10 yard start, if not 15.

I don't think having a group of referees backing up your viewpoint carries much weight. The officials this season have been poor each week - Howard Webb really didn't have that much to do yesterday and still managed to miss things / get things wrong.

The Balotelli incident aside, he also gave a free kick against David Silva when Kaboul dived across and headed for a corner - for dangerous play presumably as he raised his foot. Silva 5'7" and Kaboul 6'2" - what chance did he have of kicking him in the head unless Kaboul is throwing himself to the floor?

The standard of refs has been shocking all season and we see it time and time again at the Etihad and then on Match Of The Day.

Tell me one thing ...... when Skrtel brought down Yaya in the box during the league game was that not denying a goal scoring opportunity? He didn't even get a yellow card for that - and he was lucky to avoid punishment for crashing through the back of Milner during the first half of the same game.

Referees are all the same, useless. Linesmen are just as bad as they shit themselves if anything happens and flag for a free kick as soon as someone falls over. They can't see obvious stuff right in front of them and then flag for an offence on the other side of the pitch.

Webb had nothing to do on Sunday really - and still cocked it up.

Not really arguing that officiating hasn't been poor, as it has been. Just arguing that by the letter of the law, the referee was correct to award simply a yellow for a tactical foul and not a red for DOGGSO in this case.

So by the letter of the law, balo's second booking at klanfield, was that for violent conduct, if so was the ref wrong to issue a yellow?

No, I would have likely been marked as a USB (unsporting behavior), hence the yellow. If it was serious foul play or violent conduct he would have had to been given a straight red. The USB code is kind of used as a catch all for stuff that isn't explicity spelled out in the laws of the game.

 

[nijinskybell]

...have a 100% percent goal scoring opportunity...

Isn't that the relevant word though; "opportunity"? Not a certain goal but the clear opportunity to score a goal, which is what Aguero would have had.

As Corky says, there used to be many handballs of this type before the denying a goal-scoring opportunity rule was introduced... should be a red card always for me.

The problem is, and always will be, no matter how tight the FA/FIFA/UEFA try to make the rules/laws, refs will always interpret them differently.

 

[brand blue heavies]

Haven't seen a proper thread on this but Figueroa's handball was correctly penalized with a yellow card. Reviewed this play with some senior referees during an education session over the weekend. Figueroa committed a tactical foul which is why he was given a yellow.

It was not a red card because it was not a DOGGSO (Denial of Goal or Goal Scoring Opportunity) by it's strict definition. While it is true that Augero likley would have skinned Figeuroa to goal, the evaluation of DOGGSO has to be based on whether it was a clear chance for any player at that level and on that mark it's not a clear goal or goal scoring opportunity.

Ballotelli's is a straight red as well. For the record, I do not believe Kompany's was and would not have given a card in that instance.

I do see your point however my arguement is this. If the ball had gone through Figueroa`s legs and Sergio was about to latch onto it and run through clean on goal..but figueroa then decided to pull him back or foul him,would that have been a straight red as he was the last man and according to the law if he`s the last man he has to go??What is the difference? If it happened 30yds out or at the half way line whats the difference?? Sergio still has a bit to do regardless of where he is plus the keeper? I know if he`d have pulled his hirt back or took his legs from him he`d have been off but because he handballed it it was just a yellow??Ridiculous!

 

[mike channon´s windmill]

Haven't seen a proper thread on this but Figueroa's handball was correctly penalized with a yellow card. Reviewed this play with some senior referees during an education session over the weekend. Figueroa committed a tactical foul which is why he was given a yellow.

It was not a red card because it was not a DOGGSO (Denial of Goal or Goal Scoring Opportunity) by it's strict definition. While it is true that Augero likley would have skinned Figeuroa to goal, the evaluation of DOGGSO has to be based on whether it was a clear chance for any player at that level and on that mark it's not a clear goal or goal scoring opportunity.

Ballotelli's is a straight red as well. For the record, I do not believe Kompany's was and would not have given a card in that instance.

Not a DOGGSO? No just dogshite!
There wasn´t a player within 20 yards of Kun had that ball gone over. It would have been a clear one on one with the keeper. If that´s not a DOGGING CLEAR DOGGING OPPORTUNITY I don´t know what is.

 

[mad4city]

Bollox.
Deliberate hand ball = a straight red.
This has been the rule for a very long time.

 

[hertsblue]

If it wasnt a red as it was so far out, how did Cahill get sent off for fouling Parker on the half way line at Spurs, when Atwell deemed it a professional foul, on the half way line. Again, consistency or lack of it is evident. Aguero would have been clean through, 1 on 1 with the keeper if the player didnt handle the ball

 

[cheddar404]

If he doesn't handball it, Aguero is through on goal and has an opportunity to score a goal. This is the clearest example of a red card offence I have ever seen. Luckily it didn't cost us the match because I may have literally cried with anger.

 

[GStar]

I think the OP and his referee mates are wrong and dismissed this one too easil. If Figueroa misses the ball, Aguero is one on one. There's no one anywhere near him and there's no one going to catch him.

 

[Dubai Blue]

If you took the top 40 strikers (2 per team x 20) in the PL, would more than half of them have a 100% percent goal scoring opportunity in that case. Not sure that you could say that, so if they only "might" score then that's not obvious by the letter of the law, hence a yellow for USB and not a red card.

I've got to disagree there. I'd expect 100% of the Premier League's strikers to have a goal-scoring opportunity in that situation. Not all of them would score, granted, but that's completely irrelevant. They'd be clean through on goal with not a single other player anywhere near them; of course it's a goal-scoring opportunity, regardless of who the player involved is.

He would have been sent off for a tug of the shirt or a trip in the same position, so handball shouldn't be treated any differently. It was blatant cheating.

And when you say USB is a catch-all for things not explicitly covered by the laws of the game, I think you actually mean that it gives referees complete carte blanche to make it all up as they go along.