I’ve seen this tactic backfire SPECTACULARLY very recently.I've seen referees have decent games only to totally lose control towards the end because a winning team are trying to hold it in the corner and a defender has come steaming in and caused a near riot. It just isn't worth the risk, if they give you ANY opportunity to give a foul then take it.
Game had gone pretty smoothly with nothing that would have caused issues at full time.
Home side were 2-1 up with about a minute to go and the striker was holding the ball up in the corner.
I was the AR right in front of it and there was no hint of a foul and I’m communicating with both sets of players in front of me. Ref came steaming in with huge last on the whistle gave a FK and then pegged it out of there leaving me to deal with the fallout.
Away side took a quick FK while the home side were asking what the FK was for, broke down the other end and scored the equaliser with the last kick.
Cue the fulll time whistle and the home side immediately surround the referee and myself on the line, we come together and to cut a long story short - the home side are facing a hefty FA charge of threatening a match official.
Whilst we can argue that they could and should have defended the attack better, that counter attack was instigated by the referee “finding” a FK where there wasn’t one. Totally avoidable and soured an otherwise decent game.
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