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Case Study: Managing Dissent
WARNING: This post contains language that could be considered offensive. In the recent Manchester derby match, Select Group and FIFA Referee Martin Atkinson was in charge. Early in the second half, Manchester City (blue) was flagged for offside. Man City midfielder Samir Nasri took exception with the decision and complained about it to Referee Atkinson.…
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Case Study: Four Decisions in 10 Seconds
Mark Halsey was the man in the middle in a recent Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Sunderland AFC. Early in the match, a sequence of events occurred that required a series of quick decisions from the referee crew. Decision #1 occurred when Chelsea midfielder Moses was fouled at midfield while facing his own…
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Case Study: shhhhh, we're using our inside voices. . .
Select Group and FIFA Referee Martin Atkinson was in charge of a recent Premier League match between Chelsea FC and West Ham United FC. During the match, the referee dealt with a lot of dissent, particularly from Chelsea midfielder Jon Obi Mikel (#12). Atkinson takes his usual calm and cool approach to dealing with Mikel…
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Case Study: Issuing a Caution for Shirt Removal
It is not news to regular readers of this space that a player who removes his shirt during a goal celebration is subject to sanction. The FIFA publication “Interpretation of the Laws of the Game and Guidelines for Referees” addresses the issue directly. Page 118 of the electronic version (published with the LOTG), under the…
In The Opinion Of The Referee 