VIDEO: EPL Referee Makes Great Decision During Game

We all do this, we all criticize and trash referees on pretty much everything and hardly ever give them any credit when they make a great decision, which is way more often than when they don’t. Today, we have to give a referee some credit for making a great decision.

EPL referee, and Ed Sheeran fan, Mark Clattenburg, was well within his right to call a foul put on Romelu Lukaku during the Everton/West Ham game. Instead, Lukaku pulls off the pass to Samuel Eto’o as he was fouled so Clattenburg played the advantage rule. Because of that, Eto’o crossed to Leon Osman who scored the game winner.

I have long been a proponent of referees utilizing the advantage rule whenever possible. For whatever reason, referees don’t like to do that but it’s great to do because stopping play could hurt the team who was fouled. Look at this for example, West Ham committed that foul in order to stop the counterattack and prevent a 2nd goal. If Clattenburg blows his whistle and gives Everton a free kick, that plays into what West Ham wanted to do, the counterattack goes away and West Ham is likely drawing this game 1-1. It never hurts to give the fouled team a chance to keep play going because it may lead to a goal anyway. Kudos to Mark Clattenburg.

About Phillip Bupp

Producer/editor of the Awful Announcing Podcast and Short and to the Point. News editor for The Comeback and Awful Announcing. Highlight consultant for Major League Soccer as well as a freelance writer for hire. Opinions are my own but feel free to agree with them. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @phillipbupp

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