Was it a pen?

[Presto]

VAR shows the ball hit his upper body underarm area ie the “green zone” therefore not a penalty. The ref was right not to give it and that was confirmed by VAR. Less competent refs in the lower leagues and without VAR would probably have given it - as several posters on here have.

 

[Pogleswoody]

Penalty.

It wasn't.

They didn't give it.

It was.

I saw it.

' They' (the mysteriously competent 'they') got it wrong.

If only all the posters on here were as saintly and gifted as Presto!! :angel: :nworthy:

Opinions, you see?

 

[Knibbsworth]

Ball was coming right at his face at speed, naturally as humans your hands go up to protect your face (without even thinking) Making this a natural hand movement in my opinion, therefore, not a penalty.

I'm not one for macho bravado but I don't think an adult professional sportsman should be putting their hands in front of their face because they're afraid of getting hit by the ball (maybe slightly more acceptable if they're playing cricket or tenpin bowling)!

If Watts was consciously putting his arms up to protect his face, he'd have used his palms like a goalkeeper, not his armpits.

Also it is easy for you to say you wouldn't protect your face if a professional footballer fired a shot as hard as they could at your nose. Do you remember when Alan Smith blocked John Arne Riise's free kick and it literally broke his leg? It snapped the bone in two on impact. I bet your kids/grandkids couldn't throw a tennis ball at your face without you instinctively trying to protect yourself, yet you are full of criticism for Watts for flinching in that situation.

 

[Pogleswoody]

Ball was coming right at his face at speed, naturally as humans your hands go up to protect your face (without even thinking) Making this a natural hand movement in my opinion, therefore, not a penalty.

I'm not one for macho bravado but I don't think an adult professional sportsman should be putting their hands in front of their face because they're afraid of getting hit by the ball (maybe slightly more acceptable if they're playing cricket or tenpin bowling)!

If Watts was consciously putting his arms up to protect his face, he'd have used his palms like a goalkeeper, not his armpits.

Also it is easy for you to say you wouldn't protect your face if a professional footballer fired a shot as hard as they could at your nose. Do you remember when Alan Smith blocked John Arne Riise's free kick and it literally broke his leg? It snapped the bone in two on impact. I bet your kids/grandkids couldn't throw a tennis ball at your face without you instinctively trying to protect yourself, yet you are full of criticism for Watts for flinching in that situation.

I may have imagined this but I'm sure that as he shaped to hit it, Watts had his hands clasped behind his back in the 'protective' position. Obviously, as the ball was kicked directly at him, as he is a human being, he put his hands up (as most would) for protection. In the old days (sensible times), he would not have committed a deliberate offence but in these days of 'hitting his upper arm area in the deltoid t-shirt region' ( :lol: ) it would be a pen. :facepalm:

 

[Ponty]

Penalty.

It wasn't.

They didn't give it.

It was.

I saw it.

' They' (the mysteriously competent 'they') got it wrong.

If only all the posters on here were as saintly and gifted as Presto!! :angel: :nworthy:

Opinions, you see?

The ref nor VAR official didn't give but it was a penalty?

Sometimes in life you're wrong.

Your time is now.

 

[Pogleswoody]

Penalty.

It wasn't.

They didn't give it.

It was.

I saw it.

' They' (the mysteriously competent 'they') got it wrong.

If only all the posters on here were as saintly and gifted as Presto!! :angel:

Opinions, you see?

The ref nor VAR official didn't give but it was a penalty?

Sometimes in life you're wrong.

Your time is now.

Opinions, you see?

 

[greenpilled]

Ball was coming right at his face at speed, naturally as humans your hands go up to protect your face (without even thinking) Making this a natural hand movement in my opinion, therefore, not a penalty.

I'm not one for macho bravado but I don't think an adult professional sportsman should be putting their hands in front of their face because they're afraid of getting hit by the ball (maybe slightly more acceptable if they're playing cricket or tenpin bowling)!

If Watts was consciously putting his arms up to protect his face, he'd have used his palms like a goalkeeper, not his armpits.

Also it is easy for you to say you wouldn't protect your face if a professional footballer fired a shot as hard as they could at your nose. Do you remember when Alan Smith blocked John Arne Riise's free kick and it literally broke his leg? It snapped the bone in two on impact. I bet your kids/grandkids couldn't throw a tennis ball at your face without you instinctively trying to protect yourself, yet you are full of criticism for Watts for flinching in that situation.

I play Sunday League football every week and have been hit by shots in the face (and more sensitive areas) quite a few times. I don't think I've ever seen anyone at that level or professionally put their hands in front of their face for protection. If it was as instinctive as you suggest, it would happen pretty much every time a direct free kick or close range shot was taken, which would plainly be ridiculous.

I'm not saying that's what Watts was doing, just that if it was, he shouldn't be. He may have been trying to balance as he threw himself into blocking the ball. Either way, as others have said, he's already given one penalty away this season from having his arms too high and he was lucky to get away with it on Saturday.

 

[Ottawa Green]

The ref said it was not a penalty.

VAR said it was not a penalty.

End of story.

 

[Daz]

The ref said it was not a penalty.

VAR said it was not a penalty.

End of story.

Thanks Mike.

This is a football message board though. Would be pretty rubbish if we all just accepted decisions like that! :lol:

 

[German Shepherd]

At least he didn't duck like Thiago did when facing Fernandes's free kick yesterday.

 

[Cobi Budge]

At least he didn't duck like Thiago did when facing Fernandes's free kick yesterday.

That was pathetic. Paid 100k a week or so and he wouldn't take one for his team in a local derby.

 

[Ponty]

Penalty.

It wasn't.

They didn't give it.

It was.

I saw it.

' They' (the mysteriously competent 'they') got it wrong.

If only all the posters on here were as saintly and gifted as Presto!! :angel:

Opinions, you see?

The ref nor VAR official didn't give but it was a penalty?

Sometimes in life you're wrong.

Your time is now.

Opinions, you see?

Oh i agree. We need opinions.

Wether they count or no is a different matter...

 

[Balham Green]

Penalty.

It wasn't.

They didn't give it.

It was.

I saw it.

' They' (the mysteriously competent 'they') got it wrong.

If only all the posters on here were as saintly and gifted as Presto!! :angel:

Opinions, you see?

The ref nor VAR official didn't give but it was a penalty?

Sometimes in life you're wrong.

Your time is now.

Opinions, you see?

Oh i agree. We need opinions.

Wether they count or no is a different matter...

0bviously we know it wasn't a pen. No need for you to tell us that. The point is SHOULD it have been.

 

[Pogleswoody]

It was.

I saw it.

' They' (the mysteriously competent 'they') got it wrong.

If only all the posters on here were as saintly and gifted as Presto!!

Opinions, you see?

The ref nor VAR official didn't give but it was a penalty?

Sometimes in life you're wrong.

Your time is now.

Opinions, you see? [/quote]

Oh i agree. We need opinions.

Wether they count or no is a different matter...[/quote]

0bviously we know it wasn't a pen. No need for you to tell us that. The point is SHOULD it have been.[/quote]

Thanks BG (always liked you)

Thing is, there is having an opinion and being opinionated.
Different thing altogether dontcha know!

 

[Knibbsworth]

Ball was coming right at his face at speed, naturally as humans your hands go up to protect your face (without even thinking) Making this a natural hand movement in my opinion, therefore, not a penalty.

I'm not one for macho bravado but I don't think an adult professional sportsman should be putting their hands in front of their face because they're afraid of getting hit by the ball (maybe slightly more acceptable if they're playing cricket or tenpin bowling)!

If Watts was consciously putting his arms up to protect his face, he'd have used his palms like a goalkeeper, not his armpits.

Also it is easy for you to say you wouldn't protect your face if a professional footballer fired a shot as hard as they could at your nose. Do you remember when Alan Smith blocked John Arne Riise's free kick and it literally broke his leg? It snapped the bone in two on impact. I bet your kids/grandkids couldn't throw a tennis ball at your face without you instinctively trying to protect yourself, yet you are full of criticism for Watts for flinching in that situation.

I play Sunday League football every week and have been hit by shots in the face (and more sensitive areas) quite a few times. I don't think I've ever seen anyone at that level or professionally put their hands in front of their face for protection. If it was as instinctive as you suggest, it would happen pretty much every time a direct free kick or close range shot was taken, which would plainly be ridiculous.

I'm not saying that's what Watts was doing, just that if it was, he shouldn't be. He may have been trying to balance as he threw himself into blocking the ball. Either way, as others have said, he's already given one penalty away this season from having his arms too high and he was lucky to get away with it on Saturday.

The difference between Sunday league and playing Sheffield United in the FA Cup is that a Sunday league referee doesn't have VAR to refer to, 3 minutes thinking time, the opinion of other officials, and about 5 different camera angles. No lower league ref in matches I have seen/played gives penalties for shots being drilled into their stationary arms like that.

It is only armchair supporters who watch MoTD/Sky Sports in the post-VAR era who seem to have these forthright opinions on where a defender's arms should be whilst defending, and how having your hand here or there when a striker blasts a rocket into your elbow constitutes a "stonewall penalty". 5 years ago these types of penalty were 'ball to hand' and waved away every time, and at lower league/local level they largely still are.