Sometimes a random incident from the heavens is sent to try you, and that certainly happened yesterday. Relatively straightforward game: 4-2 to the home side with around 5-10 minutes of the second half to play; home striker bears down on goal and appears to hit the post; ball is cleared and I turn to follow its trajectory. I remember thinking it sounded slightly strange, but I had no reason to doubt what I'd seen. Moments later, I hear bewildered players/coaches on that side telling me, 'it's a goal, ref.'
I look over and the away CAR is beckoning me. So approximately 30 seconds after this incident, I stop play as the ball goes out on the other side, and jog over to consult the linesman.
He says (with admirable honesty, I might add) that the ball hit a lower stanchion barely half a foot inside the post, and therefore crossed the line before rebounding out. I am astonished/embarrassed, but award the goal for the sake of match control. The consensus around this sequence of events seems to be unanimous, but from my angle it hit the post. During the last five minutes, the above playing on my mind, I am overcome by a flummoxed daze, and I will admit I gave a couple of strange decisions.
At the end (5-2 FT), I apologise for confusion. Both managers are happy, and in the ensuing conversation it transpires that, such is the way the goals are designed, something similar occurred earlier in the season.
I still have doubts about how I handled the incident in terms of stopping play (i.e. when is it no longer possible to go back?) and acquiescing to a CAR (albeit against his own team) on a goal-line decision, which must have been very tight. Finally, should I/the club recommend that these goal frames be examined with future referees in mind?
Thanks in advance to all
I look over and the away CAR is beckoning me. So approximately 30 seconds after this incident, I stop play as the ball goes out on the other side, and jog over to consult the linesman.
He says (with admirable honesty, I might add) that the ball hit a lower stanchion barely half a foot inside the post, and therefore crossed the line before rebounding out. I am astonished/embarrassed, but award the goal for the sake of match control. The consensus around this sequence of events seems to be unanimous, but from my angle it hit the post. During the last five minutes, the above playing on my mind, I am overcome by a flummoxed daze, and I will admit I gave a couple of strange decisions.
At the end (5-2 FT), I apologise for confusion. Both managers are happy, and in the ensuing conversation it transpires that, such is the way the goals are designed, something similar occurred earlier in the season.
I still have doubts about how I handled the incident in terms of stopping play (i.e. when is it no longer possible to go back?) and acquiescing to a CAR (albeit against his own team) on a goal-line decision, which must have been very tight. Finally, should I/the club recommend that these goal frames be examined with future referees in mind?
Thanks in advance to all
