Free indirect legal, illegal goal

The indignation has grown in Almería. The rojiblanca squad did not come out of their amazement yesterday at the rigorous way in which Ocón Arráiz punished Makaridze's slip, anger increased today when learning that Juan Hernández's goal should not have risen to the scoreboard as there was not enough distance between the Sabadell players and the barrier, as dictated by the new rules, in force since the summer of 2019.

Ocón Arráiz signaled an indirect free kick inside the area in favor of Sabadell after Makaridze's slip, which caused the Georgian goalkeeper to touch the ball twice on his goal kick. Although the rule is very clear and leaves no room for doubt, in the rojiblanco environment it is not explained that the punishment is so disproportionate when it is a fortuitous and not voluntary error, understanding that the spirit of the rule is that it is not lost weather. “If once the ball is in play, the player who took the throw-in touches it again before another player touches it, an indirect free will be awarded”, says rule 16.

However, rule 12 approved by the International Football Association Board two years ago indicates that there cannot be a distance of less than one meter between the barrier and the attacking team, something that was not fulfilled yesterday at the Estadio de los Juegos Mediterráneos in La play that made it 2-2. “If the defending team forms a barrier of three or more players, the players of the attacking team must keep a minimum distance of 1 meter from the barrier; otherwise, an indirect free kick will be awarded (Rule 13)”, you can read in that twelfth rule.

Despite the outrage and despite the fact that Alfonso García did once rise against the arbitration group in the past, Almería has not made a public statement beyond the statements of José Gomes at the post-match press conference. “There is no intention of Makaridze, as he slips. That image will be passed on in referee courses and it will be a world example, I never saw it”said the rojiblanco coach.