The voice of “disbelief” towards the referee is still high.
The first showdown of the season took place between FC Seoul and Ulsan HD at the Seoul World Cup Stadium, where 52,600 spectators gathered. In time for the Children’s Day holiday, the record for the largest number of spectators in a single K-League 1 match was set again. The result ended with Ulsan’s 1-0 victory.
Ulsan has secured 23 points for its fifth consecutive win. It played one game less than the leading Pohang Steelers (24 points), paving the way for the team to rise to No. 1. Ulsan had a tough game against Seoul, but Martin Adam scored a penalty kick in the last minute of the second half and secured three points. 스포츠토토
However, the penalty kick decision became controversial during the process. Ataru headed Hwang Seok-ho’s cross at 40:20 of the second half when he was hit by Seoul defender Choi Jun’s arm. Referee Kim Hee-gon did not declare a handball foul at first. When the ball was touched out at 41:50 of the second half after 1 minute and 30 seconds, he started communicating with the VAR room. After reading the on-field review, referee Kim Hee-gon declared PK due to Choi Jun’s handball foul. Choi Jun was even given a warning.
The International Football Council (IFAB) stipulates that handball fouls are ‘when the hand or arm touches the ball, and the body is unnaturally enlarged due to the hand or arm. When the player unnaturally enlarges the body, it means that the position of the hand or arm cannot be justified by the player’s movement in a specific situation, or it does not have continuity with the movement. Since the hand and arm are in that position in the situation, the player is at risk of being punished by being hit by the hand and arm.’
According to the regulations, Choi Jun does not have his eyes on the ball when Ataru heads. The ball was hit in the back arm during the aerial ball contest.
Also, the referee reportedly said that Choi Jun’s arm was open and declared a handball foul. The referee must have judged that Choi Jun’s body was enlarged “unnatural.” From Seoul’s point of view, it is possible for them to protest whether they can attach their arms to their body in a heading contest. It seems that this is where Ilyushchenko and Palosevic protested by attaching their arms to their body even after the game was over after the penalty kick was declared.
However, words such as “unnaturalness” and “continuity” in the IFAB regulations are extremely subjective. Handball fouls can be judged in the subjective area of the referee. It may vary depending on the viewer’s point of view, but they should be consistent. This is one of the voices that continue to be heard not only this season but also in the field. They say inconsistent handball fouls are fueling controversy.
Moreover, Palosevic’s consecutive shots were hit twice by Gimcheon defender Kim Bong-soo’s arm in an attack situation after Ilyushchenko’s header hit the crossbar in the early part of the first half of the match against Seoul and Gimcheon Sangmu on the 3rd. In this process, it seems possible to ask from the perspective of “consistency” that he did not even see VAR.
What’s more, referee Kim Hee-gon has already judged a wrong umpire once this season. He cancelled the score due to Mugosa’s foul while watching the referee in the sixth round showdown between Incheon United and Jeju United. He declared a foul without going through an on-field review. In the end, the ruling was ruled a wrong umpire, and Incheon lost points in a 0-1 loss. Referee Kim Hee-gon immediately returned to the court after being suspended for only one game. The Korea Football Association (KFA) dodged any announcement about the punishment and the severity of punishment without explanation. Then, he returned and created another controversial scene.
After all, KFA and its own referee Kim Hee-gon are raising suspicions about the referee’s decision. Some players in Seoul as well as club officials reportedly strongly protested the PK decision after the game. Coach Kim Ki-dong, who did not speak much, also expressed regret at the press conference. Choi Joon, the person involved in the handball foul, asked the reporters for their understanding and exited the mixed zone without an interview.
A misjudgment will be decided through a subcommittee on judges to be held after the 11th round. If it is a misjudgment, a clear explanation and a convincing level of disciplinary action should be taken against the judges. Even if it is not, it is necessary to look back on why there is great dissatisfaction and distrust of the referee. This is because it is not limited to games between Seoul and Ulsan.
