ANGE POSTECOGLOU referenced a little-known rule as he claimed Lucas Bergvall was right not to be sent off against Liverpool.
The 18-year-old midfielder was the hero for Tottenham, scoring the winner in their 1-0 Carabao Cup semi-final victory last night.
Liverpool were furious that Bergvall should have been given his marching orders for clearing Kostas Tsimikas when he was already booked.
But a second yellow card and subsequent red remained in Stuart Attwell's pocket.
Asked about the decision, Postecoglou cited a little-known rule, claiming the referee was correct in Bergvall's challenge because he took an advantage immediately afterwards.
The Spurs boss said: “The rule is and we have been told for some time that if an advantage is played the yellow card is not given as long as it is not a cynical tackle.”
Postecoglou is partly right, but there are more important details about the rule that you need to understand.
If Attwell thought it was a fair attempt to go for Bergvall's ball in this incident, he was right not to give the yellow card as Liverpool's attack continued.
But it remains in doubt as many felt the Spurs man's tackle was reckless, meaning the referee should have immediately red carded him and not played an advantage.
The rules state that advantage may not be used if the challenge was a “second offense with warning.”
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This means that the decision on Bergvall comes down to the referee's opinion on whether it was a reckless tackle or not.
Playing advantage has no influence on this situation.
Rules on advantages state: “If the referee plays the advantage for an offense for which a warning/expulsion would have been given if play had been stopped, the warning/expulsion must be given the next time the ball is out of play.
“However, if the foul denies the opponent a clear scoring opportunity, the player will receive a warning for unsportsmanlike conduct; if the foul hinders or stops a promising attack, the player will not receive a warning.
“Advantage should not be applied in situations involving serious foul play, violent behavior or a second warning violation unless there is a clear opportunity to score a goal.
“The referee must send off the player the next time the ball is out of play, but if the player plays the ball or challenges/hinders an opponent, the referee will stop play, send off the player and restart it with an indirect free kick, unless the player has committed a more serious offense.”
Reckless is “when a player acts without regard to the danger or consequences to an opponent and should be warned.”
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