A&H

A-League - Changing decision to allow a free kick

CapnBloodbeard

RefChat Addict
The Australian Hyundai A-League has fans talking, again......

http://www.foxsports.com.au/footbal...h-western-sydney/story-e6frf4gl-1227703147967

Might be geoblocked, it's an Australian site.

EDIT: Here's a facebook version
https://www.facebook.com/aleague/vi...0153919107047728/?type=2&theater&notif_t=like

Here's what happened:

Foul is given in the middle of the field. Referee calls a defender some 20 yards out of position to speak to him. Referee releases player, immediately blows the whistle to restart play. The player this defender should have been marking is now free, so the kick is taken to that player. 4th official gets in the referee's ear, referee blows the whistle again just as the shot is taken (and goes in the goal, of course). Referee goes back to the initial restart (and of course, the other team, the one who was defending here, scored a couple of minutes later).

Thoughts?

Given the defending team were only going to capitalise off a referee's mistake, I think it's clear that this was the fair decision. Permissible in law though?
 
Last edited:
The Referee Store
Ha, just saw this and came here to post it. Agree 100% with you - it was a bad mistake to blow in the first place, and it's no wonder WSW feel aggrieved (although typical overplaying of the issue by Tony Popovic), but it would have been unforgivable to play on and let the goal stand.

I'm not sure I could make a case for it from the law books, but this is one where I think the referee bosses will be thanking him for making the common sense decision.
 
Brain fart to blow the whistle with the defender pulled out of position - correct decision to pull it back when he realised his mistake.
 
Somebody on another fb page pointed out that retaking the FK was incorrect in law, but awarding a DB wouldn't be.
Despite breaking the law IMO, I think he chose the lesser of 2 evils.
 
Quite right. Or he could even argue that he was correct in law to have the free kick retaken - after all, I'm sure the ball was moving by at least 1/100th of a millimetre :D

Or the 1/10000th of a millimetre taken from the wrong spot on reflection. So fair play to the ref for not letting his standards slip ;)
 
Sheffield Wednesday vs Leeds United 16/01/16
Anthony Taylor awards Leeds a free kick. Sheff Wed request a sub. Player leaves field; Taylor signals kick can be taken. Leeds take kick and score. 4th official points out sub had not entered the field when the signal was given. Taylor disallows goal and orders re-take. Leeds do not score.
 
Back
Top