Date:         Tue, 25 Sep 2001 17:29:21 -0500
Reply-To:     Discussion of Topics for Soccer Referees <[log in to unmask]>
Sender:       Discussion of Topics for Soccer Referees <[log in to unmask]>
From:         Rick Troup <[log in to unmask]>
Subject:      some late afternoon fun
Comments: To: SOCREF-MAIL TO THE LIST <[log in to unmask]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

This one is new to me, but of course I'm in my first year of soccer as
an anything; and yes, this did happen, last sunday

Under 19 boys competitive league
Player A on attacking team
Player B on attacking team

Player A takes a shot that has a chance to go into the top of the net
Player B, in the area, attempts to head the ball into the net - is not
in offside position
Player B, missing the ball, somehow uses his hand to deflect the ball
back out - away from the goal - frustration, stupidity, the uncluttered
mind of a 19 year old hoping that no one would see this????? Who knows

The referee, enforcing the laws of the game, sends player B off for
intentionally denying a goal scoring opportunity

When I heard of this I took the position that player B should have been,
at the worst, cautioned for unsporting behavior - logic would tell us
that an attacker is not going to deliberately deny a goal for his own
team - logic and common sense should have prevailed

Wonder if the referee awarded a p k, since the foul was in the area -
probably not; but would have been a nice touch to an otherwise untenable
situation

The only way that this send off can be changed is for the referee to
admit to a mis-application of the laws of the game; but is it a
mis-application in the most literal sense - if not, the player sits this
weekend, and has accumulated a minimum of 12 caution points for
himself/his team; points are accumulated from the beginning of the fall
season, and don't end until june 30th, 2002 (at 48 the coach gets to
explain what's going on - at 60, the coach, the manager, and the entire
team get to have a hearing to explain why the team should not be
disbanded)

Your views, oh wise ones