Former Premier League referee Chris Foy delved into the weekend's contentious decisions from the Sky Bet Championship, League One, and League Two matches in his "Behind the Whistle" feature on Sky Sports. The program aims to provide EFL club supporters with insights into the intricacies of refereeing decisions and clarify certain calls. Foy analyzed five notable incidents from matches involving Swansea vs Coventry, Watford vs Norwich, Crawley vs Wrexham, Reading vs Bolton, and Doncaster vs MK Dons.
In the Swansea vs Coventry encounter, a potential penalty and red card situation arose. However, the referee opted for a free-kick and a caution instead. Chris Foy praised the referee's ability to swiftly and decisively identify the handball offence during the match.
"It's good to see the speed of reaction and decisiveness shown from the referee to identify this handball offence." – Chris Foy
Foy further elaborated on the specifics of the handball incident:
"As the ball comes in from the corner, it clearly hits the arm of Swansea's No 5 before his team-mate kicks it into the back of the net. The key judgement here is whether or not the handball is an offence, as an accidental handball would not be penalised as Swansea's No 5 does not score the goal." – Chris Foy
He concluded that because the arm was in an unnatural position, making the body bigger, the goal was correctly ruled out.
"Because the arm is an unnatural and raised position, making the body bigger, the goal is correctly ruled out for a handball offence." – Chris Foy
In the Watford vs Norwich clash, controversy surrounded a goal after a foul committed by Wrexham's No 38. Despite this, the goal was allowed to stand. Foy highlighted that referees must make crucial decisions about whether fouls occur outside or inside the penalty box. In this case, he believed a red card should have been shown to Watford's player for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity (DOGSO).
"The referee has a couple of important decisions to make here." – Chris Foy
The Crawley vs Wrexham game saw Bolton's No 29 make contact with the ball using an outstretched arm. However, as contact occurred outside the box, no penalty was awarded.
During Reading vs Bolton, a penalty was awarded following a possible handball. Foy supported this decision:
"Although this looks slightly innocuous, it is the correct decision by the referee to award Reading a penalty for handball." – Chris Foy
Lastly, in Doncaster vs MK Dons, a goal was scored and subsequently awarded without contention.
Chris Foy emphasized that assistant referees face challenges when making offside judgments due to their intricate nature. His analyses aim to enhance understanding among fans about how referees interpret the laws of the game.
Leave a Reply