Debatable Decisions EPL – Week 7

You know what we need in this league? Some diving controversy. Thankfully we don’t have to deal with either Mr Bale or Mr Suárez in that context this week, but shorn of our full number of judges, we still have plenty of decisions to get through. And it wasn’t a vintage week for the refs, with eight of the fifteen major decisions proving to be incorrect.

Chelsea – Norwich

Oscar Penalty Shout

David – Really not too sure, angle isn’t great for checking. I think he’s looking for the ball and that the contact is not really a push, more accidental. I just don’t think there is enough to call a foul there.

Callum – Looks like a penalty to me, no contact has been made at all there.

Simon – The camera angle isn’t the best, and from what we have to judge there doesn’t look like enough contact to impede Oscar and cause him to fall as he does. I’m backing the referee on this one.

Ant – There’s a bit of contact but not enough for a penalty.

Overall verdict – Correct decision.

Wigan – Everton

Kone Possibly Offside Goal

David – He’s got at least a foot ahead of the last defender. Offside.

Callum – Yep, a fair way offside too. Poor decision from the officials.

Simon – Not much to say on this one, clearly offside and a poor decision from the officials.

Ant – He is just offside and it should have been spotted by the linesman.

Overall verdict – Incorrect decision.

Possible Fellaini Elbow (Yellow Given)

David – I couldn’t give a red for this, just seems to be trying to balance himself as he comes down from the jump, nothing malicious at all.

Callum – He’s hit him the face, not sure whether he knows too much about the Wigan player being there though. Still, enough for it to be a red card.

Simon – I can’t call this violent conduct. Yes he has caught the Wigan player in the face, but it’s reckless more than anything and a yellow card was the right decision.

Ant – I don’t think there’s too much in this a yellow card is more than enough for that sort of thing.

Overall verdict – Correct decision.

Jelavic Penalty Shout #1

David – I think that he misses the ball and kicks the man, which is enough to impede his goal scoring chance. Penalty.

Callum – I don’t think there’s enough there for a penalty, both obviously going for the ball, and it seems as if the defender got something on it.

Simon – I think the defender catches Jelavic and it’s enough to impede his chances of shooting. It should have been a penalty for me.

Ant – This should have been a penalty the challenge stops Jelavic from having a shot on goal.

Overall verdict – Incorrect decision.

Jelavic Penalty Shout #2

David – “Nudge” said the BBC man. Nudge or not, it’s illegal force into the back that is enough to send the player toppling. Penalty.

Callum – Definite shove in the back from Caldwell. Penalty.

Simon – Caldwell has been quiet of late, but he definitely shoves Jelavic in the back and Everton should have had (another) penalty.

Ant – There’s hardly any contact made and I don’t think this is even close to being a penalty.

Overall verdict – Incorrect decision.

Everton Penalty

David – The first possible infringement, I don’t think the defender is pulling the man down. The second, after many slowed down looks, I think is a trip. Penalty.

Callum – Think both could be penalties in all fairness. However, you can’t give the one directly after another, so one will do.

Simon – I’ve watched again and again and again, and I can’t see the trip on Mirallas, but I do think that Anichebe was pulled down and prevented from getting to the ball. So either way Everton should have had a penalty.

Ant – Heard people saying that the Everton player went down too easy but I think it’s an obvious foul.

Overall verdict – Correct decision.

West Ham – Arsenal

Ramsey Penalty Shout

David – Another with enough contact for a foul but exaggerated by the player. Regardless, I think it is just outside the box. No penalty.

Callum – Think a penalty should have been given there, there’s more than enough contact there.

Simon – A very tough one. Not in deciding whether there was a foul as I’m convinced of that, but whether it was inside or outside the box. On close inspection, the defender is clearly outside the penalty area and makes contact with Ramsey’s foot outside the penalty area, which by my interpretation of Law 12 (A penalty is awarded if any of the …offences is committed by a player inside his own penalty area) means that no penalty should have been awarded.

Ant – I think this is a foul but it looks to be just on the edge of the area not inside.

Overall verdict – Correct decision.

Man City – Sunderland

Cuellar Tackle On Tevez (Yellow Given)

David – Not malicious I think, but studs out, right onto Tevez’ ankle. Red card for me.

Callum – Yellow card fair for me.

Simon – A question of whether he was reckless or used excessive force. For me he is just the right side of the line and the referee was correct to show a yellow card.

Ant – Not a good challenge by any means but I don’t think it’s bad enough to warrant a red card.

Overall verdict – Correct decision.

Newcastle – Man Utd

Tiote Tackle On Cleverley (Nothing Given)

David – Could have done serious damage to Cleverley, but this seems to happen because he only has eyes for the ball and not where his foot is landing. FIFA rules don’t say anything about accidental stamps, just serious foul play. Red card for me.

Callum – That’s a red card. Awful challenge, and hasn’t even made any attempt to miss Cleverley’s leg.

Simon – Late and certainly using excessive force. I’m stunned that there was no punishment in this instance.

Ant – I’d have given a yellow card for this as I’m not sure there was that much intent in the challenge. If I’d seen it from a few different angles then my opinion might be different.

Overall verdict – Incorrect decision.

Cisse Penalty Shout

David – Laughably obvious call here. Should have been a penalty.

Callum – Evra is just letting Cisse know he wants his shirt at the end of the match, no? A penalty should have been given there.

Simon – Here we go with the shirt pulling again. A clear penalty.

Ant – Clear shirt pulling and if this is not a penalty for that kind of offence then I don’t know what is.

Overall verdict – Incorrect decision.

Cisse Shot Possibly Over Line

David – MOTD, commentators and analysts’, talked this up like it was hard to tell, but it isn’t. The whole of the ball is definitely not over the line, therefore it is not a goal.

Callum – Looks just over to me, a goal should have been awarded for Cisse.

Simon – The top-down angle is the clearest one to see from the footage we have, and the whole of the ball does not appear to be over the line. Correct decision.

Ant – Very very close but it doesn’t look like all the ball crosses the line.

Overall verdict – Correct decision.

Van Persie Possible Elbow

David – Don’t know what Van Persie is up to here, it’s such a patently unnecessary thing to be doing. Certainly worth what would have been a second yellow at any rate, so should have been red.

Callum – Don’t see why he’s done that, should have been shown a red for that as well. Looks pretty clear that he’s trying to hit the Newcastle player in the face.

Simon – It’s not a great angle to judge from, but it certainly appears that Van Persie has attempted to strike Cabaye, and as such should have been shown a straight red card.

Ant – I can’t tell for sure how much is in this.

Overall verdict – Incorrect decision.

Spurs – Aston Villa

Clark Possible Handball In Area

David – Not convinced its low enough on the arm, no unnatural positioning. Not a penalty.

Callum – No penalty. Arm clearly by his side.

Simon – Like David I don’t think his arm is in an unnatural position, and therefore I wouldn’t have given a penalty.

Ant – No intent to handball it and there’s no way this should have been a penalty.

Overall verdict – Correct decision.

Southampton – Fulham

Goal Disallowed For Foul On Schwarzer

David – I think the attacker does give him a little flick from his boot, maybe, but it’s a comical reaction from Schwarzer from negligible contact. Not a foul.

Callum – It’s a foul, but Schwarzer was silly to go over, but it’s highlighted it to the referee’s attention. Foul the correct decision.

Simon – There is contact (inventive contact at that, not sure I’ve seen too many attempts at an arse foul before) but was Schwarzer impeded? I don’t think he was, and therefore it shouldn’t have been given as a foul.

Ant – No foul at all GK’s get way too much protection.

Overall verdict – Incorrect decision.

Liverpool – Stoke

Huth Possible Stamp On Suarez

David – Stamp’s a stamp. Suarez hardly endeared himself to refs with his later dive, but Huth steps on his chest here, and it’s not like he couldn’t know where Suarez was. Red card.

Callum – I think that is deliberate, and he’s stamped on Suarez there. He should have been sent off.

Simon – For all the furore over diving of late, for me this is much worse. Huth clearly knows what he is doing and although there isn’t a huge amount of force behind his stamp, it’s still a stamp and he should have been sent off.

Ant – There was contact but but he trod on him more than he stamped on him, however should have been a yellow card.

Overall verdict – Incorrect decision.

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You can follow all four judges on Twitter; Ant – @Acidburn81, Callum – @callummaclean91, David @NFBblog, and Simon F – @SFurnivall.