Arsenal!!!

[Zaphod]

Well... He obviously denied *an* opponent an obvious goal-scoring opportunity, even if *another* opponent put it in the open net two seconds later... Considering the comments from UEFA and the ref himself there is obviously some room to manoeuvre there.

Not the best refereed game ever, but I really can't see how Aresnal have much to complain about all things considered. Eboué(?) should have been sent off before their goal. At least *that* linesman didn't have a Barecelona bias as he was ca. 4cm away from the situation.

 

[Snyder]

That's what you get with a Norwegian ref...
Not that the Italian ones are any better at the moment, on the contrary: it's just been found that a half or more of top Italian refs were "fixed", if you know what I mean...

Ah well, too bad Colina had to retire...now THAT was a referee - his merciless gaze could bring down even the most arrogant players.
And to be serious, sometimes it seemed to me that this guy couldn't make any mistakes. He always knew when to blow the whistle and when to let the game flow.

 

[Mariner]

Well, all referees have a bad game once in a while - I can remember Collina having a few himself.

What is so surprising is that some referees always have bad games yet still manage get to the top of their profession! :smile:

The worst refereeing performance I've ever seen was against my team (the clue is in my username ) last season. This particular referee (whose name shall remain unspoken) basically lost us a game which we dominated from start to finish. Practically every decision he made was incorrect and in favour of our opponents. The referee broke up about half-a-dozen of our attacks by getting in the way, failed to send the opposition goalkeeper off for a blatant foul (denying a goalscoring opportunity), made us re-take the ensuing penalty for no reason (which we then missed), refused to play advantage on numerous occasions when we were clean through on goal and sent off one of our players for pointing out what a poor game he was having! It was an utterly, utterly abject display - if it wasn't for the fact that it was pretty much an unimportant game you'd be certain he had been bribed!

Oddly enough, we had a very important game a couple of weeks back which was refereed by the same man but in this particular game he barely made a mistake! The mind boggles as to how somebody could be so inept in one game then competent in the next!

 

[Crisidelm]

Well... He obviously denied *an* opponent an obvious goal-scoring opportunity, even if *another* opponent put it in the open net two seconds later... Considering the comments from UEFA and the ref himself there is obviously some room to manoeuvre there.

Not really IMHO: what counts is the continuity of the action, not of the single player. That has been confirmed several times by the FIFA (which overrules UEFA comments).

 

[Zaphod]

That last post was me conceding the point. I was under the impression that the wording of the rules made the sending off mandatory regardless of whether the advantage resulted in a goal or not. Apparently not.

Just bickering over the strange differentiation between the 'opposing team' and 'an opponent' that, if I was wrong (which I am) doesn't make much sense to me.

Also, if the red card offence is washed out by the continuation of the action, I fail to se under what rule he should have been given a yellow. The closest rules are:

# is guilty of unsporting behaviour
# persistently infringes the Laws of the Game

A single incidence isn't persistence, no? And the tackle wasn't particularly unsportsmanlike either (not from behind, not flat foot first, not retribution), so why should he get the yellow?

I never disagreed that the goal + yellow card result would have been both ‘fair’ and better for the game, I just don’t see how it fits with the rules.

 

[Crisidelm]

That last post was me conceding the point. I was under the impression that the wording of the rules made the sending off mandatory regardless of whether the advantage resulted in a goal or not. Apparently not.

Just bickering over the strange differentiation between the 'opposing team' and 'an opponent' that, if I was wrong (which I am) doesn't make much sense to me.

Also, if the red card offence is washed out by the continuation of the action, I fail to se under what rule he should have been given a yellow. The closest rules are:
A single incidence isn't persistence, no? And the tackle wasn't particularly unsportsmanlike either (not from behind, not flat foot first, not retribution), so why should he get the yellow?

I never disagreed that the goal + yellow card result would have been both ‘fair’ and better for the game, I just don’t see how it fits with the rules.

Did I say the ref should have given him a yellow card either? I said the ref could even send off the goalkeeper even if a goal scored, but only if his tackle was utterly violent...in that case it's the violence that counts.
I've seen in several occasions goalkeepers blocking the opponents, actions continue, goals scored, no sanction for the goalkeepers at all.
I've never seen, for example, a player sent off because he tried to block with his hands the ball from going in the net, but didn't quite manage to block good enough to avoid the goal: the goal scored overrules the hand-play, no offence sanctioned at all. Only if the player manages to avoid the goal, then he's sent off with a red card...

 

[Zaphod]

Did I say the ref should have given him a yellow card either?

Right. Got you mixed up with Mariner for a sentence or two there. Sorry about that.

I've never seen, for example, a player sent off because he tried to block with his hands the ball from going in the net, but didn't quite manage to block good enough to avoid the goal: the goal scored overrules the hand-play, no offence sanctioned at all.

IMHO, such a situation would/should be a yellow card for unsportsmanlike conduct.

 

[Crisidelm]

IMHO, such a situation would/should be a yellow card for unsportsmanlike conduct.

And that's another point:
1) the goalkeeper actually tries to reach for the ball in a legit way, but fails and commits offence. The actiosn continues and the goal is scored: no sanction for the goalkeeper.
2) the goalkeeper doesn't even try to get the ball and clearly stops the opponent, but the action continues and the goal is scored: yellow card for the goalkeeper for unsportsmanlike behaviour.
3) not only the goalkeeper clearly stops the opponent, but does it brutally with the intention to harm the opponent, the action continues and the goal is scored: the goalkeeper is sent off for violent conduct.