Date:         Wed, 16 Apr 2003 18:56:19 -0700
Reply-To:     The Geissmans <[log in to unmask]>
Sender:       Discussion of Topics for Soccer Referees <[log in to unmask]>
From:         The Geissmans <[log in to unmask]>
Subject:      Re: Conferring with AR for show
In-Reply-To:  <[log in to unmask]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

I once saw a report of a match in Argentina seen on TV here.  Hot and heavy
as always, and shortly into the second half, the CR is going to issue a
caution.  He reaches into his pocket.  Oops, nothing there.  He tries all the
rest of his pockets.  Still nothing.  He tries them all again, to no avail.  By
this point, the camera has zoomed in really tightly, enjoying his discomfort,
so all you can see is his face, which carries a very pained expression, and
torso.  Then an arm appears, reaching around from behind, holding a red
and yellow card.  The ref takes them both and holds up the appropriate one,
and then the camera withdraws a bit and we can see the AR, standing right
behind him.

>estimation.  Orange team comes on the attack, and from about 20 yards out
>on the my side of the pitch, the attacker takes a shot.  The defender in
>Red charges but is a ways away and puts his hand up to block the shot in
>the PA, an obvious DOGSO-handling in my estimation, with a PK restart.  I
>look to the CR who is in the proper position but possibly a bit shielded
>from view by the players in between him and the offender, and since he
>stands about 5'7", I signal the offense.  The CR whistles and comes toward
>me, and since this is an intense game in which he is being assessed, I am
>prepared to explain quickly what I saw so that the correct call can be
>made.  Rather than make a show of the confirming the sendoff, however, the
>CR comes close to me while I am watching the pitch and with his back to the
>field and the assessor says in a quiet voice, "Good call, Steve.  Can I
>borrow your cards?  I forgot mine!"  I surreptitiously slipped my cards to
>him, we exchanged a few more words and nods and he sent the offender off as
>we took up positions for the PK.

Now for the substance of this.  ;-)  There are two goal-related send-off
offenses
that come from to handling -- denying a goal (the ball is going into the
goal and
nobody would have been able to stop it legally), and denying an obvious goal-
scoring opportunity, which means something like knocking down a pass headed
to a player who is wide open and standing in front of the goal.  Because this
was a shot, the first rule would seem to apply.  One would think that a
shot from
20 yards is rarely an obvious goal, unless the goal keeper not in
position.  Was
that the case?  Certainly this is USB because of the poor sportsmanship that
deliberate handling demonstrates, but it is only a send-off if you can be
pretty
sure that a goal would actually have resulted without it, and the scenario as
presented didn't seem to make that clear.