July 07, 2016

SportsFilter: The Thursday Huddle:

A place to discuss the sports stories that aren't making news, share links that aren't quite front-page material, and diagram plays on your hand. Remember to count to five Mississippi before commenting in anger.

posted by huddle to general at 07:00 AM - 12 comments

Wow.

What a call to make in a Euro semi-final.

Terrible.

posted by cixelsyd at 04:21 PM on July 07, 2016

I was amazed the call was made at that point in the game. I had trouble on replay seeing it strike the hand.

The Premier League will have at least two Friday games in 2016-17.

posted by rcade at 06:47 PM on July 07, 2016

I didn't like it, but it was a long way from terrible imho. Why are he and Boateng jumping like that? It ain't volleyball.

posted by yerfatma at 08:57 PM on July 07, 2016

I had trouble on replay seeing it strike the hand.

I didn't have to actually see the contact to know hit his hand.

After the French player headed the ball, the direction the ball bounced afterwards said it struck SOMETHING (as it went up softly instead of horizontally quickly). The only thing that it could have struck was the hand.

And yes, like yerfatma said, what they hell would you jump in the air like that?

posted by grum@work at 10:30 PM on July 07, 2016

I'm with yerfatma and grum. You don't go leaping toward an airborne ball (in the box!) with your arms raised. Schweinsteiger went in recklessly and got burned.

posted by bender at 10:39 PM on July 07, 2016

That is what Boateng also did iin the previous match. More coaching is in order there. Which neither of those guys ought to require at this point.

posted by beaverboard at 11:31 PM on July 07, 2016

what they hell would you jump in the air like that?

With you on that. Fundamentally something that players have already had drilled into them by the time they reach the age of 13. Terrible positioning by the defender. Don't ever expect to see that kind of lapse from a world class player.

At the same time you also don't expect a world class official to make a call that dictates the outcome of a contest unless completely warranted.

posted by cixelsyd at 10:44 AM on July 08, 2016

What a pair of disappointments! I so wanted to see Germany v. Wales.

posted by billsaysthis at 11:30 AM on July 08, 2016

After the French player headed the ball, the direction the ball bounced afterwards said it struck SOMETHING (as it went up softly instead of horizontally quickly). The only thing that it could have struck was the hand.

I question the physics of this observation. There are plenty of times in soccer a ball hits a body part and produces a fizzle instead of a screamer. It depends on the momentum and angle of the part it hits.

Here's a suggestion I like to reduce the arguments over the interpretation of the handball rule. Define it as "handles the ball deliberately or in a way that is deemed unnatural."

posted by rcade at 12:46 PM on July 08, 2016

From this angle it seems like a pretty clear handball.

posted by tron7 at 02:21 PM on July 08, 2016

At the same time you also don't expect a world class official to make a call that dictates the outcome of a contest unless completely warranted.

Look at the link tron posted. It hit his hand. The second ref on the line had a good view.

posted by yerfatma at 03:02 PM on July 08, 2016

Hmm.

Looks like a pretty deliberate motion in that link. Pretty stupid as well. Best tender on the planet well positioned to make the stop off of a corner header versus a free kick in penalty .. wrong choice.

posted by cixelsyd at 11:10 PM on July 08, 2016

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