Holding (climbing)

[boblardo]

game today red v blue, red plays a long ball from left back forwards into the blue penalty area

Red player clearly being held down (imagine someone climbing on another persons back), red player isn't being prevented from winning the ball as it's been over hit so I cut the grass along with a big no shout.

No one other than the red player being held claimed for a penalty so I was pretty happy it was right but wonder what others think!!

 

[RustyRef]

Technically if he is being held whilst the ball is in play you can give a penalty. Credibility comes into it though, if there was no chance whatsoever of the held player getting to the ball even had he not been held then a penalty is always going to be controversial.

 

[WilliamD]

Interesting. LOTG doesn't mention "preventing someone from winning the ball". This is pretty clear to me in Law 12 - impedes an opponent with contact. Pen.

Edit - hit post too soon. Was going to add that the ball needs to be reasonably in the same area for credibility - not playable but somewhere credible.

 

[Peter Grove]

Interesting. LOTG doesn't mention "preventing someone from winning the ball". This is pretty clear to me in Law 12 - impedes an opponent with contact. Pen.

I dunno - it seems pretty clear to me from the description (and the thread title) that this was a holding offence.

Edit - hit post too soon. Was going to add that the ball needs to be reasonably in the same area for credibility - not playable but somewhere credible.

It doesn't matter where the ball is, so long as it's in play - if there's a foul in the penalty area by a defender, the ball could be up the other end of the field and it should still be a penalty.

The only question for me is whether you believe it was a clear foul. If you weren't sure about it, you shouldn't give it. But if you're absolutely sure it was a foul, it doesn't matter if nobody appealed (even the player being held) you should still give it. There have been a number of incidents of holding in the area in Premier League games this season where the player being held had no chance of getting near the ball but the penalty was still (rightly) given.