I don't think the total elapsed time from foul to foul was anywhere near
four seconds...but if it was, IMHO it only suggests the need to be slower
with the whistle than we might otherwise think: Assuming an onside
teammate, who is now the closest player to the ball and within 20 yards of
the goal with only the Keeper to beat, the play fits the textbook depiction
of an "advantage" call to perfection. While the defender denied the goal-
scoring opportunity to one attacker, the second attacker had an even better
chance to score (since the lone defender was now out of the play) --- and
the person who denied HER OGSO (and, as it turned out, her dazzling goal)
was the Referee.
Jeff Caminsky
On Mon, 25 Aug 2003 17:11:13 -0700, The Geissmans <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:
>>A foul occurred that was DOGSO. Two seconds later the goalkeeper makes a
>>tremendous block on the ball. almost two seconds later the attacker has
>>hopped over the GK and managed to get a foot on the ball. Brilliant play.
>
>Did it really take that long? It seemed quicker to me. I must say that
>when the ball is loose in front of the goal like that, or even upfield if
>the path to the goal is undefended, my whistle tends to be very slow.
>That avoids the necessity of being clairvoyant, as long as you are prepared
>to rewind and make a "retrospective" call when needed. That said, if it
>really did take a long time, then making the call does tidy things up.
>
>>The referee saw the foul, waited to see what happened, observed the GK
block
>>the ball and blew the whistle. End of story. No mistake. No error.
>
>I realize that when the GK blocked the ball, that phase of play was
>technically over. However, the defense didn't have the ball under control,
>and there were some attackers right there, so my whistle might have
>become very heavy at that moment.
