SM
The avuncular one
So, dying moments of a league OA match that the home team are winning by a goal. Not much of a game until the few minutes. Couple of cautions during the game for reckless tackles. Bit routine, no real excitement. The final few minutes were action packed, but did not improve the football. At all.
Ball is on the right flank with the blue away team. I am standing just outside the penalty area, a yard or so past the edge of the 6 yard box, looking in the area. Throw In to the blues and the ball is thrown to a player who crosses into the penalty area to a waiting team mate who makes a short sprint on to it. I am looking directly at this guy, who is side on to me. A yellow player mirrors his run, just behind him and subtly sticks both hands into the blue players back as blue controls the ball, pushing him over (blue player forced to put his hands onto the grass to stop himself falling over) and making him miscontrol the ball which goes out of play. I am at an angle where I can see the hands clearly in the blue players back - looks to me like the defender couldn't quite get as tight as he would like to the blue player and tried to pressure him unfairly. This is the sort of push you only see with a good side on angle, which I have, from other angles it looks like it's possibly a good bit of tight marking (difficult to describe, but you know what I mean). Blow, penalty.
Cue: CHAOS!
Game ends a draw. The thought occurred to me after the game, I could have made an easier choice and let play continue (restart with a goal kick) and ignore what I had seen. No one would have cared (a few away team players maybe). However, I would care as it would make me a cheat. Even with all the ensuing chaos, sendings off and misconduct reports plus supporter abuse I had to endure (walking through the supporters to the changing room was an adrenaline fuelled moment of tension) given the opportunity to relive this situation - you bet your ass I would do exactly the same thing.
So let us consider no surprises refereeing - None of the supporters saw the push (based on the torrent of abuse). Barely any players would have seen it. Is there there anyone on here who would just take the easy option, just ignore it and let play continue? No surprises? Discuss.
Ball is on the right flank with the blue away team. I am standing just outside the penalty area, a yard or so past the edge of the 6 yard box, looking in the area. Throw In to the blues and the ball is thrown to a player who crosses into the penalty area to a waiting team mate who makes a short sprint on to it. I am looking directly at this guy, who is side on to me. A yellow player mirrors his run, just behind him and subtly sticks both hands into the blue players back as blue controls the ball, pushing him over (blue player forced to put his hands onto the grass to stop himself falling over) and making him miscontrol the ball which goes out of play. I am at an angle where I can see the hands clearly in the blue players back - looks to me like the defender couldn't quite get as tight as he would like to the blue player and tried to pressure him unfairly. This is the sort of push you only see with a good side on angle, which I have, from other angles it looks like it's possibly a good bit of tight marking (difficult to describe, but you know what I mean). Blow, penalty.
Cue: CHAOS!
Game ends a draw. The thought occurred to me after the game, I could have made an easier choice and let play continue (restart with a goal kick) and ignore what I had seen. No one would have cared (a few away team players maybe). However, I would care as it would make me a cheat. Even with all the ensuing chaos, sendings off and misconduct reports plus supporter abuse I had to endure (walking through the supporters to the changing room was an adrenaline fuelled moment of tension) given the opportunity to relive this situation - you bet your ass I would do exactly the same thing.
So let us consider no surprises refereeing - None of the supporters saw the push (based on the torrent of abuse). Barely any players would have seen it. Is there there anyone on here who would just take the easy option, just ignore it and let play continue? No surprises? Discuss.