Re: Re: Re: odd man outAlberto,Even before shirt grabbing reaches the level of advantage, it mus still pass through the criteria of doubtful or trifling. Remember. as others have stated, a players hand touching an opponents shirt is not a foul (though it might be misconduct if done in an usporting manner) but rather a doubtful offense.
Like the "Handball" (Not to be confused with the offense of deliberate handling), "Shirtgrabbing" (Not to be confused with the offense of holding) appears to be an obvious breach, because any moron can see it, so parents, coaches, and even oversensitive adolescents who have a phobia about being touched at all, loudly proclaim their ignorance by screaming "shirtpulling, ref! Why don't you call it!"
What they do not realize is that shirtgrabbing only becomes a foul when it is used to hold an opponent. If no effect, we still do not call the foul, because it is trifling (though we can still go back at the next stoppage and caution the offender).
See AlsoOffensive Holding | NFL Football OperationsWhy did Aboubakar get a yellow card for taking shirt off in celebration?What is Offensive Holding in Football?Why footballers get a yellow card for taking their shirts off after Chloe Kelly's celebrationIt is only when shirt pulling rises above not being an offense at all (doubtful), past being a foul but not having effect (trifling), to having an effect where the referee now must make a call and now we finally get to the issue of advantage. After recognizing that a foul has indeed occurred and there has been an effect on play we must judge whether to whistle to stop and restart play because the offended team has been disadvantaged and the world will not be at peace unitl we intervene, or we can decide that stopping play would be a greater disadvantage to the offended player, so we swing our arms up, annouce loudly "Advantage Play On!" and allow play to continue, observing to see whether the anticipated advange materializes, and if it does not, after 2-3 seconds, reserving the right to stop play anyway, and restarting for the offended player, recognizing that it is a poor second choice but better than doing nothing at all.
In my experinece, unlike the "Handball" where 95% of the time there is no offense at all, there is a much greater probability that there is a foul when you observe "Shirtpulling". My guress is that about a third of the time we see a hand on an opponents shirt there is an offense (which means that 2/3 of ht time it is nothing), but so often it is of so little consequence and has zero effect so it is trifling and not called at all. Only rarely does the offense rise to a call and then, because shirt pulling is usually a desparate measure, we most often signal APO because it would most often disadvantage the offended team to stop.
From what I have seen, and this includes my own game as well as how it is handled by other referees, the problems with shirt pulling do not come from how we call the fouls, because I think we do a pretty good job of this (and I suspect that Keith is no exception and problaby does this better than most), but rather, that we drop the ball when dealing with the misconduct. Speaking for myself, I know that there are many times when I allow play to continue after a trfiling shirtpull/hold attempt, or signal APO, and even though I recognize the misconduct and think about cautioning the offender at the next stoppage, I rarely follow through on it, and usually only after a second or third breach assuming my verbal warnings had no effect.
I see how this might send some mixed messages to players, coaches and spectators. A player migh assume that they are getting away with something and this could encourage more shirtgrabbing. Spectators not only want to see a good game, but they want to see good triumph over evil and justice prevail. Shirtpulling looks bad and screams for justice, even when none is required.
Of course, as I discoverd recently, shirt pulling can take on a whole new dimension in the adult womens indoor game...
... but my favorite uniform grabbing story was from an unaffilated men's summer league. I the final minutes green down someting like five to nothing, a very large green defender dispossesses an orange attacker, who upon being dispossessed, reaches out and grabs the defenders shorts, which remain in his hands as the defender breaks free. In fact, everything breaks free, but no-one challenges the defender.
Wearing only shirt, shoes, socks and shinguards, the defender proceded to dribble the length of the field, shoots and scores, the ball passing within inches of the keeper, who was at that moment doubled up on the ground laughing too hard to make an effort to make a save.
In reflecting on this, I realize I was remiss in not going back to caution the orange attacker for the short pull.
