GRAHAM POLL: Handball confusion over Scholes, Dunne and Gordon but Cech deserved his red card

Referees can handle criticism when they are at fault but they object to inaccurate comment from pundits who should know the law but don’t. On Saturday, I heard the same old comments trotted out which left fans thinking that referees had not applied law when in fact they had. Then on Sunday there was confusion for commentators at the Stadium of Light after Craig Gordon stopped a goal by illegally handling the ball but was not sent off. Paul Scholes Debate: Onlookers were confused over the crime of Paul Scholes (right) POLL'S POSER I QUESTION: Has there been a directive sent out to clubs this season regarding deliberate or accidental handball? I have noticed a few players now making a conscious effort to put their hands behind their backs when facing up to strikers? - John, Dublin GRAHAM SAYS: Handball remains the last law which needs to have intent involved, hence the ambiguity in its understanding and application. There have been no specific directives to clubs or players this season, although I have also noticed a lot of players making a clear effort to keep their hands and arms well clear of the ball when defending a shot - in particular Ibrahima Sonko of Wolves at the weekend. Let’s start with myth No 1 which came up midway through the first half at the Britannia Stadium when Paul Scholes deliberately handled the ball. He was already on a yellow card and observers predicted an automatic second yellow and the inevitable red. Referee Howard Webb merely gave a free-kick for the handball as he is perfectly entitled to in accordance with law – handball is NOT a mandatory caution. Sure, if the deliberate handball stops a promising forward move then the referee can caution but it is left to his opinion and discretion. I was pleased to answer text messages from people in the stadium who believed that a mandatory yellow had been missed. Still on handball but this time at Ewood Park, where Richard Dunne was adjudged to have deliberately handled in box in a huge turning point in Aston Villa's defeat to Blackburn. Surely it was a case of ball to hand? But that’s not necessarily enough to escape being penalised. If a player deliberately makes himself big by raising his arms then he can have little argument if he is penalised when the ball is stopped by that unnaturally positioned arm. Whether that was the case with Dunne is arguable but law states that the opinion of the referee is what matters and Mark Clattenburg couldn’t have been in a better position and was decisive in awarding the crucial penalty. That decision could certainly be called harsh but not wrong. On to the DW Stadium, where two more myths were highlighted - the position of the ball at a corner kick and the denial of an obvious goal scoring opportunity (DOGSO). Match of the Day made a big point of showing that the ball was outside of the corner arc when the corner was taken which led to Wigan’s opening goal. However, the ball can be placed outside of the arc as long as part of the ball - the curve of the ball in the air - hangs over the edge of the line marking the arc. Petr Cech Row: Petr Cech (wearing orange) is sent off by Phil Dowd POLL'S POSER II QUESTION: During a recent England match, goalkeeper Robert Green picked up the ball at least a yard outside the penalty area. Why was he not sent off? I have tried to find out what the rules say without success. Can you help, Graham? - Brian, Manchester GRAHAM SAYS: Brian, the game you refer to is England v Slovenia on September 5 when Green handled just outside his area. The law is very simple on this matter in that when a keeper leaves his penalty area he is treated as an outfield player. Therefore he cannot handle the ball and so a direct free-kick should be given if he does. Regarding cards, if the handball denies an opponent an obvious goalscoring opportunity then the keeper should be sent off but if it is merely a handball with defenders around then a free-kick is sufficient. From the pictures shown it was not absolutely clear whether the ball was definitely outside. What is known is that refs ask the assistant on the same side of the pitch that the corner is being taken to check the ball position and speak to them via their headset if the ball is outside. On to the issue of DOGSO. Law 12 states that ‘a player is sent off if he denies an obvious goalscoring opportunity to an opponent moving towards the player’s goal by an offence punishable by a free-kick or a penalty kick.’ Note that law does not mention a 'last man' or 'professional foul', and yet these two phrases are usually heard whenever the possibility of a red card for DOGSO occurs. There is little doubt that Chelsea keeper Petr Cech denied Hugo Rodallega an obvious opportunity to score but it could be argued that the Wigan striker was not actually heading towards goal. Craig Gordon Reaction: Craig Gordon palms away Kieran Richardson's pass Referee Phil Dowd felt that the only reason that Rodallega was not heading directly to goal was that he was trying to go round the advancing Cech, which would make his decision correct. Dowd showed courage and also patience in explaining the decision to Chelsea players who disputed the red card strongly. Cech could well be in trouble for the time he took to leave the field after Dowd’s red was shown to him. Finally, there was confusion on Radio 5 Live as commentator Alan Green mistakenly compared Gordon’s yellow card for handling Kieran Richardson’s backpass, which was heading into the Sunderland net, to Cech's offence. Goalkeepers cannot be shown a card for the offence of handling a backpass and so referee Lee Mason was absolutely correct to simply award an indirect free-kick. GOOD WEEK FOR... Ryan Giggs The Manchester United midfielder continues to confound the critics who believe that players are too old at 35. Giggs transformed the match against a well organised Stoke City team. I remember refereeing a young Giggs as he scored the winner in a cracking match at Loftus Road in 1994. The fact that he is still performing so well is another indication that the EU were right to declare referees compulsory retirement age illegal. BAD WEEK FOR... FA disciplinary department The FA are wrong with their inconsistent use of retrospective punishment for players who appear to have committed offences punishable by red cards which have been missed by the match officials. After successfully charging and subsequently banning Emmanuel Adebeyor for his dreadful challenge on Robin van Persie, they felt unable to charge either Craig Bellamy or Javier Mascherano for violent conduct at Old Trafford and Ellland Road respectively.

Source: Daily_Mail

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