A defender from Team A endangers the safety of an attacker from Team B while challenging for the ball in the middle of the field. The attacker falls, but their team-mate retains possession of the ball near the touchline, with no clear opportunity to score. What is the correct decision?

THE DECISION

The defender is guilty of ‘serious foul play’ which is a sending-off offence. In this situation, the referee stops play, awards a direct free kick to Team B and shows a red card to the offender. The referee should not apply advantage because Team B does not have a clear goal-scoring opportunity, and the attacker may be seriously injured and require medical attention.