Penalty

[scawsby steve]

The penalty awarded to Coventry last night was just about the worst penalty decision I've ever seen, and we've seen some stinkers at the Keepmoat; Fergie was right when he stated how appalling refereeing is at lower league level; they simply aren't good enough.

[Donnywolf]

I concur - it was a terrible decision but I suspect there have been "worse" decisions - both those given and those that were not

VAR is poor at present but ultimately it will (or should) prevent travesties like this one.

My resevation about it is it will still be subjective where tackles / hand ball etc are being judged - rather than being definitive as Goal Line Technology is (when used of course)

[drfchound]

Just had a look at the sky highlights of the game and there is no doubt that it was not a pen.
Also, how poor was that last “not offside” decision by the linesman?
Good grief, they have naff all to do really bar sort out the offsides (they always wait for the ref to decide who gets the throw in awards) and how many times have we seen them mess that up.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

It's almost a premeditated mistake. We see it a lot when a foul is anticipated. The refs are already putting the whistle to their mouths and as soon as the player goes down it seems it reaffirms the decision the ref had already made. It's the dive that catches the eye.

VAR will eradicate these errors by enlarge which is the main positive.

[The Red Baron]

On the basis that he is getting a play off semi, Gavin Ward must be considered as one of the best referees in League One and Two. The fact that the dreadful penalty decision capped a poor display merely proves how poor referees are at our level.

[tommy toes]

The Coventry players were giving the ref grief all game, constantly arguing with him and getting in his face. I wonder if that pressure contributed to him giving the pen.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Watch the view from where the referee was. It’s perfectly fair to read that as the defender taking the attackers right leg, not the ball.

Refs make mistakes. Players make mistakes. Managers make mistakes. Fans see replays a dozen times and still mis-interpret what they see. We’re all fallible. That’s part of the game.

[The Red Baron]

BST

I saw it on TV in real time and my first thought was that the defender had got the ball. When you see it from behind (the view the ref had) it's even more clear. It wasn't even a case of "I've seen them given." It was a shocking decision. In fact, when he blew the whistle I thought he was going to book the Coventry lad for diving.

[BillyStubbsTears]

TRB

If you ONLY see in from behind, you cannot possibly say that it’s a clear-cut non-penalty. You are seeing what you want to see in the view from behind because you know what the view from every other angle tell you.


It’s a shocking mistake of course, but it’s understandable. Just like when our keeper this season had an air shot at a ball that’s rolled into the net. People make mistakes. There are usually extenuating circumstances. The ball hit a divot when Lawlor missed it. From the view that the red had yesterday, that looked quite possibly like the defender took the attacker’s leg. It’s the ref’s misfortune that there was no other view that could have given him that impression.

[Bentley Bullet]

That was a clear cut dive, and the ref was in a perfect position to see it.

[Colemans Left Hook]

The Coventry players were giving the ref grief all game, constantly arguing with him and getting in his face. I wonder if that pressure contributed to him giving the pen.

it was quite understandable that they would have so much "verbal energy" to dissipate in view of their "library"  & "conservation of energy " performance against Morecambe last Saturday

[The Red Baron]

TRB

If you ONLY see in from behind, you cannot possibly say that it’s a clear-cut non-penalty. You are seeing what you want to see in the view from behind because you know what the view from every other angle tell you.


It’s a shocking mistake of course, but it’s understandable. Just like when our keeper this season had an air shot at a ball that’s rolled into the net. People make mistakes. There are usually extenuating circumstances. The ball hit a divot when Lawlor missed it. From the view that the red had yesterday, that looked quite possibly like the defender took the attacker’s leg. It’s the ref’s misfortune that there was no other view that could have given him that impression.

Most referees will say that they only give penalties when they are certain - hence the old "anywhere else on the pitch it's a foul." If they apply that maxim consistently then fair enough. Giving a penalty in that situation, without the assistant being close enough to offer a view, was always going to involve a degree of guesswork. He made a number of poor decisions and seemed to be struggling to maintain control, so it wasn't a case of a poor decision marring a good performance.

Incidentally when VAR comes in my feeling is that you will see a lot more penalties. Think back to the one given by the VAR in the England v Italy game. Unless the referee on the field took a lucky guess very few penalties would have been given in that situation without VAR.

There will also be the "DRS Effect." Once referees are shown the VAR playback they will become more bullish about giving penalties. For those who follow cricket, think back to pre-DRS days when if a batsman got his front leg down the pitch he was hardly ever given out LBW.

If you want a good bet for the World cup, where VAR will be in use, take the number of penalties awarded in 2014 and double it.

[scawsby steve]

Watch the view from where the referee was. It’s perfectly fair to read that as the defender taking the attackers right leg, not the ball.

Refs make mistakes. Players make mistakes. Managers make mistakes. Fans see replays a dozen times and still mis-interpret what they see. We’re all fallible. That’s part of the game.

Billy, even from the view the ref had, he must have seen that the trajectory of the ball changed from moving forwards to moving sideways; that alone should have told him that the defender played the ball.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Watch the view from where the referee was. It’s perfectly fair to read that as the defender taking the attackers right leg, not the ball.

Refs make mistakes. Players make mistakes. Managers make mistakes. Fans see replays a dozen times and still mis-interpret what they see. We’re all fallible. That’s part of the game.

Billy, even from the view the ref had, he must have seen that the trajectory of the ball changed from moving forwards to moving sideways; that alone should have told him that the defender played the ball.

Yes but that could happen from the defender kicking the attacker’s right foot onto the ball. Which is very much what it looks like happened when you see the footage from behind.

[Wiltshire Exile]

Watch the view from where the referee was. It’s perfectly fair to read that as the defender taking the attackers right leg, not the ball.

Refs make mistakes. Players make mistakes. Managers make mistakes. Fans see replays a dozen times and still mis-interpret what they see. We’re all fallible. That’s part of the game.

Spot on, BST. I’ll always remember the risible Alan Green on BBC Five Live a few years ago arguing the point about whether a referee had dropped a b***ock during the game, saying something on the lines: “Well let me tell you ref., I’ve now watched the replay 8 times and you got it definitely wrong.”