The Ref Stop

England v Czeh

The Ref Stop
Looking for contact, INITIATED the contact. Sterling saw the leg and went, hey, that's what I was looking for

its not your conventional dive. But, if you go looking for contact and then play on it, that is you initiating the contact.

I honest thought at the real time, ref was not giving it, thought it was a dive, but cos it a friendly, was going to let it go
Then, because in his head (understandable) he played it back, and , it looked like a pk, he gave it.


There is no foul. No defender fouls Sterling. The only reason there is any contact with anyone, is cos Sterling leaps into the defenders.

Simulation is not just, taking a dive, its, initiating the contact, looking for it, and then making most of it. Neither defender, whilst clearly clumsy, did anything to Sterling

Its a great clip though and it splits opinion. I was at a game this morning and guys were talking about it, calling him diving B and so on...no, its not like that for me, its not like he was fouled and made most of it..that's diving....
he though was the only reason there was any contact with anyone, he looked for the legs, then went over the top of them, carefully putting his arms out to cushion his pre meditated fall....

half way line, yes we give them, because it looks like a foul,, so give it

so its not right in this case to say you would give it on half way.

You can sell giving it on half way, cos it looks like a foul

a pk, well, its not a foul.

great incident though

Because it was a friendly? It was a Euro qualifier, if you are going to disagree with everyone best to get your facts straight … :)

I still believe that Sterling didn't dive, he tried to get through a gap that was closed off by illegal actions of at least one defender and arguably two.
 
Because it was a friendly? It was a Euro qualifier, if you are going to disagree with everyone best to get your facts straight … :)

I still believe that Sterling didn't dive, he tried to get through a gap that was closed off by illegal actions of at least one defender and arguably two.



I think its textbook iniatiated contact


No way through? Kick ball and hurdle defender. Iniating contact
 
You run at speed towards a brick wall and I bet you dont land anything like he did !! It cant be more picture perfect simulation if he tried.

Ever heard a coach scream "get something" when player is in the box? ...... at all costs, get something !! (but dont hurt yourself in the process)

Try falling over without putting your arms out to cushion your fall. See how far you get. Sterling's arms are in the exact position you'd expect them to be from a non-simulated fall.
 
I think this is also one of those incidents that splits football. IE you ask a footballer and you'll do well to find even one who thinks it's a pen. Most refs appear to think it is and the reality is that you can make a very good argument either way. It's a tough job!
 
I think if he hadn’t of give it we wouldn’t even be discussing it, The game was a non event really!
 
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