Ok, those of you who know me, and saw the game where Freeport's Girls Varsity Soccer went to Yarmouth Tuesday night, might have been able to see this coming, and for those who don't know me, I am a total rules geek. So some of you may have seen this coming if you were at the game, and saw the handball and PK call in the first half that, when converted, gave Yarmouth the 1-0 lead. But was it a handball? And if it was, should DOGSO-H be in play, and the red card given?
(Just a note, DOGSO is an unofficial abbreviation for Denial of an obvious Goal Scoring opportunity. DOGSO-F is Denial by foul. DOGSO-H is Denial by Handling the ball. I will post a couple of example links.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODmuRSPTipI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8F1lwJEKFE
Still want more examples? Remember in the 47th minute of the Colombia vs. USA Womens World Cup game? No? Take a look at the timeline on this link.
http://www.cbssports.com/general/eye-on-sports/25221504/live-blog-usa-battles-colombia-in-round-of-16-matchup
See the video of Colombian netminder Catalina Perez tripping Alex Morgan and getting a red? Prime example of DOGSO-F.
Ok, so now that you hopefully have a basic understanding of DOGSO (or at least understand what I mean when I say it), lets look at the play from last nights game.
The play was on the goal-line. The shot was taken and blocked away, but the ref called a handball on the block, and awarded Yarmouth the PK.
I am going to work backwards here for a moment. The NFHS rules state that a player is to be dismissed if
"13. a player (other than a goalkeeper within his/her own penalty area)
deliberately handles the ball, attempting to prevent a goal, and the goal
is scored."
(FIFA DOGSO-H Rules: denying the opposing team a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball (this does not apply to a goalkeeper within his own penalty area))
The NFHS rules define a handball as
"A player shall be penalized for deliberately handling, carrying, striking or propelling the ball with a hand or arm."
So tell me this. If according to these rules, you can't have a handball without a deliberate act at any point, and it is a red card if you deliberately handle the ball to attempt to prevent a goal, but you are standing on the goal line, doesn't it stand to reason that it should be a red card for deliberately handling the ball to prevent a goal? DOGSO-H? Somebody please call me out if I am wrong, but doesn't it make sense that if you are called for a handball and you are on the goal-line, that it is a red card automatically? So from my point of view, if this should be a handball, it should be a red card.
So now the question is, was it truly a handball?
Let us compare the NFHS rules to the FIFA rules for a second.
"A player shall be penalized for deliberately handling, carrying, striking or propelling the ball with a hand or arm."
"handles the ball deliberately (except for the goalkeeper within his own penalty area)"
So no matter which rules you look at, there needs to be some form of intent. It can't just hit an arm and be a handball. So did this play have intent? That is the question. I heard from one player who said it looked like her arms were tight to her body at the time of contact. Now I didn't have the best angle, but even so. Other aspects matter.
This is a list of the aspects of a handball, that you are taught before you become a ref.
-Time to react to ball
-Position of arm/hand
-Advantage gained
-Whether the ball was expected or not
Ok, so lets say the arm was tucked in, because that is what I saw, and others said. So the position of the arm/hand was good. The shot was taken from inside the box, but not directly in front of her. Unless she couldn't see the ball (in which case why wouldn't she be stepping up to mark someone) she should have expected the shot, and had time to avoid contact with the arm/hand. Was there an advantage gained...is that really a question? She was standing on the goal line! The ball was going straight to a meeting with the back netting. Is there a way to gain any more of an advantage?
So what it comes down to is, was the contact intentional. If it was, PK was the right call, and a red card should of been given. If it wasn't, then it shouldn't be a foul at all. And that is a judgement call. But from my view, I have no issue with the foul being called.
