The View From South Texas -- Arsenal v. Fulham FC

[BarryP]

FIFA's rule, although widely misunderstood, is actually very short and very clear.  It is the interpretation of the rule in the split second viewing that a referee has that causes problems.  K-Cat's information is dead on and the actual rule taken directly from FIFA's Laws of the Game from page 112 is as follows:

Handling the ball

Handling the ball involves a deliberate act of a player making contact with the ball with his hand or arm. The referee must take the following into consideration:

•  the movement of the hand towards the ball (not the ball towards the hand)
•  the distance between the opponent and the ball (unexpected ball)
•  the position of the hand does not necessarily mean that there is an infringement
•  touching the ball with an object held in the hand (clothing, shinguard, etc.)
   counts as an infringement
•  hitting the ball with a thrown object (boot, shinguard, etc.) counts as an
infringement

A foul should only be called if in the referee's judgment a player has deliberately handled the ball.  My opinion is Reither did not deliberately handle the ball but my opinion is only good for debate purposes.

Excellent write-up as usual HD!

[jarv]

Thanks for the report. I was out of town so missed the march on tv. Elated when I got a text stating 3-3.  Keep this up and Fulham will definitely be labelled the premier's entertainers. yee-haw!

[grandad]

On the whole a fair assessment but I don´t agree with your comment about Dejagha. He does possess pace & quickness.

[epsomraver]

The law says it has to be deliberate

Not for the last twenty-odd years, it hasn't. Deliberate hand ball went out with the four-steps rule for goalies and poor old T-Rex (the big lizard, not the band, although I am willing to stand corrected on that if anyone disagrees).

I think you will find itstill is the case as borne out by previous  posters, I did google it before stating that fact also.

[Rupert]

Fair dos, I'm simply going by what I (and everyone else who trained at the same time as me) was taught by the FA. The 2005 law has switched it back, yet there was no attempt to spread the word amongst us lot (I was secretary for a local referee association about that time, so I should have been informed, but was not), so obviously it was not seen as that important.
Strange, but there you go.

[FC Silver Fox]

I haven't seen any match report that mentions the fact that we were playing with 10 men when Arsenal scored their 2nd goal. Richardson had gone off with a pulled hamstring and our Special K hadn't been able to get on yet.

[TonyGilroy]

"Deliberate" is subjective - only the "offender" knows so the referee has to make a judgment call.

If every foul or ball on hand or arm incident in the box was called we'd have a dozen penalties a match so pragmatically referees have to try to limit penalties to serious incidents meriting that punishment.

I know that's not in the laws but it nevertheles is the way games are officiated.

On that basis it was a bad call by Dowd.

[Count Berbatov]

I haven't seen any match report that mentions the fact that we were playing with 10 men when Arsenal scored their 2nd goal. Richardson had gone off with a pulled hamstring and our Special K hadn't been able to get on yet.

MOTD did I think ...

[FC Silver Fox]

I stand corrected, my dear Count.

[Burt]

A good read, thanks Mr HD sir.

What impressed me the most was that we didn't cave in when we were 2 down, and gave it a real go throughout.

A really encouraging performance, this.

COYW

[Count Berbatov]

I stand corrected, my dear Count.

Yet no other source, newspaper or blog or anything mentioned it. Richardson should have stayed down,  till Kaca was ready to come on.  
On a different note, all reports seem to talk about how poor Arsenal were and little to nothing about Fulham's performance. After all, they played as much as the opponent allowed them to. When a smaller team wins, it's the big boy's bad performance. I see it clearly now. Thanks to Hater Don for the article. MOTD was a disgrace. No credit to Fulham whatsoever. Perhaps honorable mentioning of Berba-Ruiz. No Kaca, no team play, no nothing  ...

[Rupert]

 
On a different note, all reports seem to talk about how poor Arsenal were and little to nothing about Fulham's performance.

Ah, yes, welcome to Fulham. T'was ever thus, I'm afraid. Every time we beat or draw with Arsenal/United/City/otherbigclub, especially at their place, it is simply God's provenance and the fixture computer that had us as the lucky opposition that day, when the immortals failed to perform. Nothing at all to do with us.


Actually, thinking about it, there was once when we got credit, the 2-0 over your lot when Scholes was sent off for handling on the line (Zamora header. Murph buried the penalty), then Gera did an acrobatic over-head kick for 2-0 before Shrek was sent off for throwing the ball at Dowd (by strange co-incidence), his second yellow in ten minutes. The papers the next day were full of praise, one saying that for one day only the most polite fans in the Premiership went rabid, and their team followed suit.

I've always loved reading that one.

[A Humble Man]

A status quo exist where the press believe certain teams are destined to succeed because of their history.  Arsenal have won the title umpteen times, we have never won anything or even ever finished in the top four.  So Arsenal did not beat us because they were poor not because we are good.  If we can start turning these draws into wins and start rising up the table and consistently do well against these top teams we will be noticed.   The press do not even except that Liverpool are a poor team now and expect them rise up.  Even Spurs are having difficulty in breaking into this Club.

In the last two season a revolution has started where the gaps between all the Teams has narrowed mainly because of a dearth of decent defenders.  

[Count Berbatov]

Can't imagine how frustrated you must have been feeling all those times credit wasn't given where it's due.. Perhaps the players even more so

[Count Berbatov]

 
On a different note, all reports seem to talk about how poor Arsenal were and little to nothing about Fulham's performance.

Actually, thinking about it, there was once when we got credit, the 2-0 over your lot when Scholes was sent off for handling on the line (Zamora header. Murph buried the penalty), then Gera did an acrobatic over-head kick for 2-0 before Shrek was sent off for throwing the ball at Dowd (by strange co-incidence), his second yellow in ten minutes. The papers the next day were full of praise, one saying that for one day only the most polite fans in the Premiership went rabid, and their team followed suit.

I've always loved reading that one.

Yes. That hurt. I remember. many gave credit to you. Doesn't hurt as bad when losing to a decent team. Rooney has acted t**t far too many times in the past

[nevzter]

Solid VFST as ever and interesting comments. 

COYW

[sipwell]

Not too many responses in this thread please. HD will be extatic and that's bad for his heart!

His doctor
:HD:

[HatterDon]

Not too many responses in this thread please. HD will be extatic and that's bad for his heart!

His doctor
:HD:

I'm thrilled. And, as for you ... .

Whats up doc

All we need is a pancake and we've got a friend of ours.