Source: Daily_Mail
Beach fall: Ref Mike Jones dropped from Premier League duty after gaffe
Referee Mike Jones has been dropped after his beach ball clanger.
Jones was in charge of Liverpool's defeat at Sunderland on Saturday when Darren Bent's winner deflected into the net off the inflatable that had been tossed on to the pitch.
The official has now been taken off top-flight duty to oversee the Championship match between Peterborough and Scunthorpe at London Road this weekend.
FIFA's laws of the game state 'the referee should stop, suspend or abandon the match because of outside interference of any kind', meaning the goal should have been ruled out and the match re-started with a drop ball.
Jones' mistake has been widely criticised by a number of his former colleagues with Jeff Winter, Dermot Gallagher and Graham Poll all stating their surprise that such a basic error was made in a Premier League game.
Gallagher said: 'It was a glaring error and it's difficult to fathom. Even referees in local parks should know that if there is an outside agent on the pitch then you stop the game and restart it with a drop ball.
'When you set out as a referee you learn the laws of the game and everyone should know it.
'For it to happen at this level and in such a high-profile game is unbelievable. Any one of the four officials should have stepped in.'
The possibility if the game being replayed has been rejected by the Premier League.
