WWC 2015 - Semifinals - June 30 & July 1 - USA vs. Germany & Japan vs. England [R]

[rkomar]

I'm not sure that the penalty necessarily takes place at the point of first contact.  When analyzing Rafferty's foul against the Japanese player, one of the commentators mentioned that the push started outside of the penalty area, but continued into it.  Thus, giving a penalty shot was the appropriate judgement.  It's not as clear cut in the case of the foul against Morgan, but you could make the same argument.  I suppose Krahn would have been better off hip-checking Morgan hard enough to keep her out of the area.

[rkomar]

My copy of Law XII states:  "A player who intentionally commits any of the following nine offences: (...) shall be penalized by the award of a direct free-kick to be taken by the opposing team from the place where the offence occurred, unless the offence is committed by a player in his opponents' goal area, in which case, the free-kick shall be taken from a point anywhere within that half of the goal area in which the offence occurred.  Should a player of the defending team intentionally commit one of the above nine offences within the penalty-area he shall be penalised by a penalty-kick"

 

There is no mention of where first contact is made.  I think Jack's take on the foul fits more closely with the written law than one interpreting the foul to take place at the point of first contact.