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https://www.theguardian.com/football/video/2017/feb/20/vietnamese-football-team-refuse-to-continue-playing-after-controversial-penalty-video A strange one, especially at professional level (perhaps cultural, as the players didn't look emotionally distraught). As long as they keep kicking off, I...

I entirely agree that the goalkeeper's likelihood of getting to the ball is a crucial factor, but under the amended laws a caution for handball has to include some intent to prevent a promising attack: There are different circumstances when a player must be cautioned for unsporting...

To continue a theme I've been thinking about lately, I think Taylor was brave here. Many referees would probably pretend not to have seen the handball, and would unfairly be said to have got the decision right. He saw a handball, and yes he got the identity of the offender badly wrong, but not...

Sorry if the tongue in cheek didn't come off with the disclaimer comment. I'm a pretty easy-going ref and empathise with players to the extent that I have been in their position and follow football enthusiastically. I cannot manufacture further empathy, and my character will inevitably emerge...

I suppose that sounds more natural, but the point remains that if a player has his hands on the ball, set and ready, he's going to wonder why he is being asked that question. Maybe if we said it was like ticking the disclaimer boxes online, they would understand better!

I was taught from early on this was a key part of the procedure. Despite the fact that saying "number 9, are you the elected taker?" often gets a funny look and does indeed ask the bleeding obvious, I'll always do it, as it's my escape clause as soon as a team tries to be too clever and gets an...

Another interesting scenario, which reminds me of the foul on Koscielny in the Arsenal vs. Burnley match in January. He was offside, but the assistant had not yet flagged and Jon Moss adjudged that he was fouled at the back post. Now, of course, the real question is how early should we call...

It's perfectly legal to shoot from an IDFK, though, regardless of outcome. The rebound was just a suggested reason for invoking DOGSO.

I think I remember that, yeah. Let's not open up the can of worms about deducing decisions/guesswork. There was a recent incident in the Watford vs. West Ham match where the referee gave a defensive free kick when it should have been a WH penalty. Question is, should officials lean towards...

On reflection, I retract what I said previously and will go for penalty and yellow card. This is DGSO; there's definitely an opportunity, because the ball could have deflected off the defender, but it's not obvious.

As an Arsenal fan, I accept the Xhaka yellow for dissent. Team was predictably abject on the day, but even so, I thought Madley was poor. He seemed to blow up for every trifling touch on a Liverpool player. Lallana and Coutinho both went to ground far too easily. The Can decision was awful, full...

Indeed, I was shocked to the point of wondering whether this was a cynical journalistic ploy. My brother and I refereed mini soccer for several years, and this was an extremely rare occurrence. To have it happen multiple times in one season is an indictment of the league, county, clubs, and by...

Thank you, yes, that's the one. My internet skills were lacking there. Maybe I'm overreacting, but the whole tone and gist of it irritated me.

I was unsettled to read a magazine column from Law graduate and now journalist, Miranda Sawyer, who appeared to take satisfaction (through feigned exasperation) in having watched her seven-year-old participate in an raucous mini soccer match, without conveying to the reader her sympathy for the...

Interesting one, but surely it's still a red card for DOGSO and penalty. This is still an attacking opportunity, no matter how certain you are that the ball would have gone in. For example, it could have struck the bar and rebounded to another attacker.

Yes, I thought he did well overall. I called penalty (resignedly, given my allegiance on the night) on immediate viewing. I agree also about the commentators/pundits: rather than simply repeat how difficult it is for referees etc. (that's when they're not criticising), I would prefer them to...

Did anyone see Leroy Sané's treatment of referee Paul Tierney immediately following his equaliser last night? Retreating to the City half for kick off, he appeared to raise three fingers in Tierney's face, an allusion to the three handballs he had allegedly missed prior to the City goal. It was...

Thanks, I had the same initial intention before it went awry! My point is that 'deliberately kicked to the goalkeeper by a team-mate' is sufficiently nuanced that it may be as properly applied to penalise a result (that it ended up being handled after a team-mate's deliberate kick) as to infer...

I just don't see why we are expected to read minds on this issue. Judging intent is difficult enough for handballs and other forms of misconduct, but we can often tell when something is out of the ordinary in these cases. However, for a completely legal act such as a pass, which only becomes a...

I am happy to be corrected, but wouldn't it be much easier to interpret almost all of these scenarios if we just asked two simple questions? First, was it a deliberate kick? Second, did the keeper, after no subsequent interference, touch the ball? If both these conditions are fulfilled, I will...