The Football.....

[No Ta Doctor]

Much debate as to whether it should have been allowed or not. I guess if it was one of our players who did it, it would be genius but as it is the goal should not have stood and the miscreant never allowed near a football pitch again!

I think the rules were made fairly clear and precise when Nigel Clough Gary Crosby err... "used his head" (headed the ball off the goalies palm as the keeper was about to drop it to boot it)

 

[laurentian]

I think the rules were made fairly clear and precise when Nigel Clough Gary Crosby err... "used his head" (headed the ball off the goalies palm as the keeper was about to drop it to boot it)

It seems the main debate is whether the scorer should have stayed off the pitch for so long "hiding" behind the goal before coming back on

 

[AndyRM]

Was there a lot of wrestling last night, as per all Arsenal games last season?

Not aware of the rule changes this year then?

 

[matticus]

It seems the main debate is whether the scorer should have stayed off the pitch for so long "hiding" behind the goal before coming back on

IMO "ethically" it's a dodgy trick, BUT not sure there's any rule/law against doing that?

 

[Alex321]

I think the rules were made fairly clear and precise when Nigel Clough Gary Crosby err... "used his head" (headed the ball off the goalies palm as the keeper was about to drop it to boot it)

That is a very different case. You aren't allowed to interfere with eth goalkeeper releasing teh ball from hand and kicking it. But once the ball is on the ground, rolling, it is normal football.

The question here is whether what he did could fall under "unsportsmanlike conduct". Some people think he needed to ask permission from the ref before re-entering the field, but that is not the case when he has left the field as part of normal play, and the rules don't say you can't delay before re-entering.

Whether delaying to gain an advantage is unsportsmanlike conduct is down to the opinion of the ref, and in this case, he obviously didn't think it was.