Advice on soft penalties

[rayb]

Hello all,
I ref adult games in Australia and would like to know how you handle decisions for "soft penalties"

I know the LOTG states it shouldn't make a difference where the foul is but in reality for a game defining decision I need to make %100 sure that it's a foul. The fact that players sometimes elaborate the fall in the hope of deceiving the ref doesn't help either. I think calling a soft penalty could affect player management for the remaining game time not to mention the howls of frustration etc.

I think I'd prefer to deal with any complaining players with a "for me - it wasn't enough for a penalty" reply rather than all the howls of frustation and accusations of a soft penalty or "he faked the fall ref"

I just want to be in NO DOUBT that it's a penalty for my own peace of mind.

Does anyone else's feel like this and rises their foul line in the penalty box.

 

[RefRyanAus]

Although the LOTG do not indicate a difference when it comes to foul location, it is generally accepted by most referees that a higher threshold should operate for fouls in the penalty area (and this is the guidance offered to referees by most professional competition bodies). One reason for this is simply because the consequences are more severe and so you want to be confident the foul is real and impactful. Your approach seems pretty sound to me. Cut the grass (if that is your style and it is appropriate in the circumstances), move away as if to continue with the game (don’t linger near the incident location) and if you feel the need to comment on your decision be direct and clear with the players while on the move or at the next stop in play. Penalty decisions are almost always highly emotive for both teams (and their fans) so being clear in your own mind about your own approach to decision making before you start the game is helpful.

 

[one]

Pretty much summed up in the first two posts. I'd add a couple of things. Being confident and relatively quick in the decision is very important. Players shouldn't smell doubt. This helps to stop the appeals quicker and get on with it.
The same thing applied for red card decisions. A higher threshold is the convention. Close to a clear and obvious threshold used by VAR.

"for me - it wasn't enough for a penalty"

I recommend to drop the "for me" part to make it more assertive and firm. Depending on the context, I may add "I would have made the same decision if this was on the other side".

How to handle if being mobbed in a situation like this is another topic

 

[santa sangria]

Although the LOTG do not indicate a difference when it comes to foul location, it is generally accepted by most referees that a higher threshold should operate for fouls in the penalty area (and this is the guidance offered to referees by most professional competition bodies). One reason for this is simply because the consequences are more severe and so you want to be confident the foul is real and impactful. Your approach seems pretty sound to me. Cut the grass (if that is your style and it is appropriate in the circumstances), move away as if to continue with the game (don’t linger near the incident location) and if you feel the need to comment on your decision be direct and clear with the players while on the move or at the next stop in play. Penalty decisions are almost always highly emotive for both teams (and their fans) so being clear in your own mind about your own approach to decision making before you start the game is helpful.

Not just accepted - briefed in training and guidance at all levels that there is a higher bar for penalties. See other threads!

Very fine margins here though. A foul is still a foul.

Excellent advice on movinh away.

If players approach you, back up out of the area to the side, this makes dissent more obvious.

 

[rayb]

Thanks so much for your comments. It was never defined to me that there should be a higher threshold in the penalty box but if it's taught by ref trainers where you are then that's good enough for me. It was always my gut feeling anyway so the confirmation of this definitely increases my confidence when "cutting the grass" (which is my style and enjoy doing ) on soft penalty decisions.

I really like your advice on dealing with the nay-sayers in regards to my positioning, attitude and body language. I will try that next time.

I understand about the psychology of making the decision quickly as the longer I leave it players might think there is doubt in my mind (even though I would prefer 1-3 seconds to confirm it I can see the disadvantages of this). I also suspect that if I leave the decision for 3 seconds players my think I was influenced by the shout of the attacking team & spectators (I had a player state this once but don't know if it's a common occurrence)

Thanks for your advice @one I will remove the "For Me . . ." prefix from my replies (I do use that one in other situations as well). I can see now that MY opinion is THE opinion and my attitude and mindset needs to reflect that.

Thanks again - very helpful advice for me for what I regard as one of the most stressful decisions when I ref.

 

[GraemeS]

With regards to the time - it will feel like much less time to you than it will to people watching. And in line with the idea of a higher threshold of certainty, if you're actually stood there thinking about it for a while, it's probably not certain enough to reach that threshold, so the appeals should likely be turned down.

 

[BCMilan]

Years ago when I was playing, I had a moan at a ref for a soft pen and he said to me "penalties are like eggs. There are soft ones and hard ones. But a soft egg is still an egg"

 

[one]

A soft of anything is still that thing. But in most cases a soft one is not what you want to offer

 

[Viridis1886]

Years ago when I was playing, I had a moan at a ref for a soft pen and he said to me "penalties are like eggs. There are soft ones and hard ones. But a soft egg is still an egg"

I regularly use something similar.

"That was a soft foul ref."

"Excellent, we both agree if was a foul then."

 

[DJIC]

The hardest decision, I find, is the late challenge when a shot has been saved or gone wide an easy free kick on the half way line but working out is it a penalty?

A little bit late, not with force, genuine attempt to block the shot? All considerations.

 

[OldNavyRef]

I don't agree with acting quickly for the hell of it. It can help, but think about it.

My last game a ball was floated into the box, bounced then hit the defenders hand that was slightly away from their body.

I thought about it. No idea for how long, but a few seconds for sure. Then blew, a big decision and I wanted to think it through and get it right.

What I ended up giving it for was the ball was struck from a decent distance giving the defender plenty of time to get his hand out of the way. He also gained a huge advantage by playing it with his hand. I was just sanity checking the ball wasn't deflected or anything.

It then allowed me to briefly explain the decision to the captain and move on.

The captain did say at full time 'I don't agree with it, but I get why you gave it'. Which to me is as good as you'll get.

 

[SammyT5]

I thought about it. No idea for how long, but a few seconds for sure.

I always feel like this is the case. Time just kind of stands still in those few seconds before a big decision.

The captain did say at full time 'I don't agree with it, but I get why you gave it'. Which to me is as good as you'll get.

I reckon this essentially means that the captain agreed with the decision but didn’t want to admit it because it may have cost his team the game.