Atlético Tucumán against Banfield is a play that forced us to review the rules of football: is the referee who will direct the Superclásico right or wrong?

In the first half of the match between Atletico Tucumán Y banfieldat the close of the 17 appointment of the Lega Professionisti, there was a super curious move that created a legal void in the rules of the game of football and that triggered an endless controversy that went viral on social networks.

What happened? Local team right-back Martín Garay intentionally handed the ball to his goalkeeper, Carlos Lampe. The former Boca and Vélez, in that case, could not touch the ball with their hand. However, the passage, very high, passes it and goes non-stop to the bottom of the door. That’s why the Bolivian reached out and stopped the shot.

The Banfield players quickly overtook referee Darío Herrera, who next Sunday will be in charge of directing the Superclásico between Boca and River, author of an indirect free kick, as indicated in the regulation when the goalkeeper uses his hands to control a pass of one of his companions, and did not move from that decision.

Rule 12, which speaks of fouls and misconduct, says so:

• An indirect free kick will be awarded if a goalkeeper commits any of the following infractions inside his own penalty area after a teammate has kicked it.

So far, so good. But that light punishment is opposed to another paragraph of the same rule which speaks of crimes punishable by expulsion.

Follow the holy book of football in the same rule 12 and it says:

Any player, substitute or substituted player who commits any of the following infractions must be disqualified:

• prevent a goal by hand ball or prevent an obvious goal chance (except in the case of the goalkeeper inside his own area);
• prevent a goal or obvious goal from an opponent heading towards the offender’s goal through an offense punishable by a free kick (except in the situations described below),

What are the exceptions in the case of avoiding a goal or an obvious chance to score?

• When a player prevents a goal or obvious goal from the opposing team by committing a handball infraction, he must be disqualified, regardless of where the infraction occurred (unless he is the goalkeeper in his own area). .

And here’s the big question.

Although the goalkeeper is the only player who has the power to touch the ball with his hand in his own area, in this case, due to a pass by a teammate, he is unable to do so – hence the indirect -. But what Lampe is doing is avoiding an obvious goal chance … he Can’t touch the ball with his hand, but can he touch the ball with his hand? Is there a gap in the regulations that the deans of the International Board review year after year? Or was Herrera’s decision correct?

Yes indeed: the Superclásico referee was not wrong. How come? Because there is a directive that when an archer uses his arm it is not considered a last resort because it is a part of the body that he can use the arm. When it comes to a teammate back pass, it is not considered an obvious opportunity to score.

How did the story end? The indirect free kick was taken after Lampe and his teammates took the lead without anyone touching the ball three or four times. Until Ramiro Enrique touches it to Jesús Dátolo, who with the entire arc covered by an 11th barrier, pulls it hard and high and the ball goes to kiss the crossbar.