Refs Need Love Too

What’s your call? I think the PSV player was completely out of control and showed zero regard for the safety of their opponent. Personally, I believe they used excessive force and brutality in a red card was warranted.

What do you think?

This is extremely close. No doubt about it. It looks like the front foot is still in the air. If we are judging encroachment on the front foot alone, there is no encroachment by the player who winds up clearing the ball on this kick. If we are judging it by the back foot, it looks like the player is standing on the penalty arc. If you are on the line, you are indeed inside of the area it encloses.

I had a hard time finding any other high-quality images that would show his feet better. I assume that VAR has better angles and checked the back foot as well.

What do you think? Is it encroachment or just a very well-timed clearance? Let me know in the comments.

Everyone makes mistakes. It’s so critical as assistant referees to stay locked in and engaged throughout the match. It can be easy to lose focus. I’ve made a similar mistake on a throw in from a similar position. You need to make sure you know what is going on even if it’s happening all the way on the other side of the field.

What advice do you have for Assistant Referees to help them stay locked in during a match?

Although this player is deliberately leaving the field, they are doing so as part of their “playing movement”. No foul as occurred and they certainly should not be a caution for this exit and reentry to the pitch.

Let me know if you agree in the comments.

This certainly feels wrong, but it is correct to per the Laws of the Game. Harry Maguire wasn’t the person who scored and this wasn’t a Handball Offense. I think the decision is correct to allow the goal.

What do you think?

You can’t control everything that happens in a soccer match, but you can definitely control how you show up.

People will judge you in less than a second based on how you look. If you show up looking like a professional, players, coaches and spectators are more likely to treat you like a professional. This is true both on and off the pitch.

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