With the regular season coming to an end across the Bank Holiday weekend, former EFL and Premier League referee Chris Foy is on-hand to go through a selection of key match decisions from the Sky Bet Championship, League One and League Two action.
Although many decisions made on the pitch are of a subjective nature, Behind the Whistle aims to give supporters of EFL clubs an insight into the decision-making considerations and also clarification of certain calls to provide an understanding of how the laws of the game are interpreted.
For the final time this season, Chris Foy is here to run you through the latest refereeing matters in the EFL.
Sky Bet Championship
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Birmingham City 1-2 Sheffield United
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Was a clear handball missed by the officials during Birmingham’s 2-1 defeat to Sheffield Utd on Monday?
Incident: Potential penalty (Birmingham City)
Decision: No penalty awarded (Birmingham City)
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Foy says: I think the better outcome here is to award a penalty kick to Birmingham City.
Whilst the ball is played from relatively close proximity, it is not unexpected, and the way in which the defending player jumps to block the ball means that he takes a huge risk. The arms of the defender are clearly extended making his body unnaturally bigger.
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This I feel is an unnatural position for the arms and the action blocks the ball. On this occasion, I feel that the correct outcome should have resulted in a penalty kick.
Millwall 3-4 Blackburn Rovers
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There was a suggestion that Joe Rankin-Costello’s goal for Blackburn during their dramatic 4-3 win against Millwall was offside. The goal was awarded, but should it have been disallowed?
Incident: Goal scored – Potential offside (Blackburn Rovers)
Decision: Goal awarded (Blackburn Rovers)
Foy says: This is in relation to Blackburn Rovers’ second goal of the day and is a tight offside decision involving the Rovers player who makes contact with the ball directly after the goalkeeper’s initial save.
I think the assistant referee has judged this very well. With the benefit of slowing down the clip, it supports the excellent real-time judgment that the attacking player has timed his run well and is in line with the second-last defender. A tight decision, but ultimately a correct one.
Sky Bet League One
Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 Derby County
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Derby’s Curtis Davies was shown a straight red card as well as conceding a penalty after he was judged to be denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity in the 1-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday
Incident: Potential penalty (Sheffield Wednesday)
Decision: Penalty and red card awarded for DOGSO (Sheffield Wednesday)
Foy says: In this decision, the referee has concluded that the defending player has pulled back the attacker and therefore denied him an obvious goalscoring opportunity without attempting to play the ball.
Once a penalty has been awarded, the subsequent disciplinary action must follow – in this case a red card for the denial of an obvious goalscoring opportunity.
There is contact made by the Derby defender on the Sheffield Wednesday attacker and the judgment for the referee is then how impactful that is but, given he is in a very good position to make that call, I can understand why he’s given the penalty kick and the subsequent red card, the latter being because the next action of the attacking player would be to take a shot on goal.
Barnsley 0-2 Peterborough United
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Should Barnsley’s James Norwood have received a penalty during their 2-0 defeat to Peterborough?
Incident: Potential penalty (Barnsley)
Decision: No penalty awarded (Barnsley)
Foy says: We see situations such as these regularly, where a goalkeeper/player has a heavy touch and the opposition player nips in front of them before going down.
In this instance, the goalkeeper misses the ball after swinging his leg and, while the footage is not fully conclusive, for me he does make some contact with the opposition player.
It’s difficult though to be certain as to the level of that contact and, given how quickly the play moves, I don’t believe the referee can be either. With that in mind and when there’s an element of doubt, the referee is unlikely to give the penalty which is what happened on this occasion.
Sky Bet League Two
Stockport County 1-1 Hartlepool United
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Stockport County were awarded a penalty in their 1-1 draw against Hartlepool United for a handball by the visitors, but was the correct decision made?
Incident: Potential penalty (Stockport County)
Decision: Penalty awarded (Stockport County)
Foy says: This decision was testament to the officials’ concentration levels as the game was approaching the end of additional time.
It’s quite an unusual act by the defender, but it’s certainly a handball as the arm is clearly extended, and is not in a justifiable position, and therefore a penalty. It’s a good decision by the referee here.
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