Some years ago I used to work with a guy who was also a qualified referee - he officiates lower league teams mainly, but he has refereed at Highbury and at the Millennium Stadium, which were the highlights of his refereeing career. During quiet spells at work, to relieve the boredom, he would quiz me about football rules and here's a fascinating one - a bit fantastical, but ...... Imagine a situation with the ball rolling towards an open goal with the goalkeeper stranded. The defender is on his arse in the box with no way of intercepting the ball in the 'normal' way, so he pulls off his boot and hurls it, thus deflecting the ball and preventing a goal being scored. What would the referee do? (No googling!)
It sounds ok to me. So I'm guessing the ref would play on if the ball was still in play or award a corner or throw-in if the ball had gone out ?
Wouldn't that be a foul? If they get booked for no shin guards then taking a boot of would be regarded the same.
Hmm these things always get me as there is no sense in the answers, if it hits a dog on the pitch and goes in its a goal.. but I guess in this case its ungentlemanly conduct. and no goal!
Nobody has got it right yet - although yes, some of you are partly correct - it would be a foul and the game would be stopped.
It would be a red card for the defender and a penalty. An object thrown by a player is considered as an extension to the hand - so it would have been a deliberate handball in the box denying a certain goal.
It would be the same even if the defender was OUTSIDE the box when the boot was thrown - because the CONTACT (the offence, the 'handball') happened INSIDE the box, therefore it would still be a straight red and a penalty.
Me. On sort of the same situation I was at a game in Edmonton Canada to watch Edmonton Drillers vs Tampa Bay when a penalty was awarded to Edmonton. As the penalty was just about to be taken Rodney Marsh (loved the man) picked up a clump of soil and threw it at the back of the penalty taker hitting him just as he was about to kick the ball. Penalty missed and no action taken against the criminal. What should have happened?
Marsh should have been awarded a medal for his ingenuity. He was a fantastic player and I loved him on Soccer Saturday too.
Not quite my thoughts angelic because my team lost a play-off because of the incident. I remember him once picking up the ball and shoving under the ref's nose (Kirkpatrick?) and saying "you couldn't possibly have seen that" referring to his handball offence and to see both of them smiling at each other ruefully put a human touch on the event. What a shame modern players can't have the same repartee with the officials rather than questioning every decision as if it was unbelievable.
Applying the same rule I assume it would be as if he thumped him, but I am out with my Ref mate on Thursday so I'll ask him. Steam Railway pub, old town, Swindon if anyone fancies joining us!
