No because deliberate handball, like dangerous tackles, should be reds regardless of where they take place on the pitch. Denying a goal scoring opportunity is a sending off, unless it's in the area, because you're not denying a goal scoring opportunity. This is how it should be. At the moment we have the ridiculous situation where a slight misjudgement by a GK results in the double punishment of red card and pen.
i.e. stay on their line? This is really the only option they have because it's in the striker's best interests to win a pen because they get the added bonus of getting a player sent off.
How many times has a keeper been sent off in relation to outfield players though? Few. There can't be one rule for keepers and one rule for everyone else.
I think if a player is clean through and gets hauled down outside the area, it's a sending off because it's 'denying a goal scoring opportunity'. The same isn't true if it's inside the area, so should only be a yellow; because it's not 'denying a goalscoring opportunity'.
But if it becomes only a yellow inside the area it openly encourages players to cheat and that is not a good thing.
If the FA got tough on diving and handed 3 game bans to those who were found to have dived that would sort that out.
It would also help if Clubs, their Managers and players made it clear to divers that they were cheaters and not welcome?
Woah. Let's not overreact everyone. Diving is annoying but rare and a yellow card offence. There are a few more pressing matters, like racism, sexism, corruption and so on. No one said the rules are fair, but they are the way they are. But there is a mass rewrite on the way in a couple of years, so you never know.
The trouble is refs are no longer empowered. That rule (as a for instance) was introduced to make things more consistent, but it's not really worked. And then we get instances like Saturday where a ref is afraid to get a decision wrong because it's not just a penalty but a sending off, which would have a huge impact on the game. So they end up making ridiculous non decisions Butland made a genuine attempt for the ball and didn't get it. That should be a penalty and yellow card at worst
Only saw it once, but I thought it continued into the box and I believe in the current climate that the refs have the authority to first allow advantage and then apply the maximum penalty, should the foul be repeated/continue into the box. Will look out for it again.
Isn't this rule changing, next season? Infringements that currently incur a red card AND a penalty will just attract a yellow, as the goal scoring chance hasn't been lost, with the award of a penalty. Last ditch fouls, like Fonte last week, OUTSIDE the box will still be a red card offence, as they do deny a "decent" goal scoring opportunity.
