Click to enlarge and debate the strip below the line.
Keith Hackett’s verdict
1) You are the sole timekeeper – and you decided time had expired when the ball was being played across the backline. It won’t make you popular with the visitors, but disallow the goal and explain why. Everyone will have seen that you dropped the whistle, so they should accept your decision. Usually referees have the whistle attached by a lanyard to their wrist – a sensible precaution.
Jo Hinmers wins the shirt.
2) If it’s not too late, delay the kick and find out who the missing pad belongs to. But if the kick has already been taken, and the pad doesn’t represent a danger to, or interfere with, players in the vicinity, allow play to continue. You can then resolve it when the ball is next out of play. Thanks to Tony La Fave.
3) This one is more simple than it looks: you hadn’t signalled for the kick to be taken, so, assuming you advised the attacking player that he must not take the kick until your signal, caution him, or send him off if you consider he used excessive force. Restart with the original free-kick. Defending players standing in front of the ball to stop quick kicks is a problem in the game – but in this case, the attacking player is also at fault. Thanks to Sam.
Competition: win a T-shirt of your choice
For a chance to win a Philosophy Football T-shirt send us your questions to you.are.the.ref@observer.co.uk. The best scenario used in each new strip wins a T-shirt; Terms apply. For more on You are the Ref’s history, click here.
