Referees on Euro 2016 penalty area clean-up mission
By Julien Pretot
ENGHIEN-LES-BAINS, France (Reuters) - Putting attacking players between the defensive wall and the keeper at free kicks will lead to any resulting goal being disallowed during Euro 2016 as referees aim to clamp down on penalty area infringements.
Speaking at a referees workshop before the finals in France starting in June, UEFA's chief refereeing officer Pierluigi Collina said goal line technology would allow the additional assistant referee (AAR) to focus on what happens in the box.
Collina explained the reasons behind the decision at a news conference on Wednesday after meeting all the 24 national team coaches whose teams will play at the June 10-July 10 tournament to discuss the interpretation of the game's rules.
"All of them 100 percent agreed with this interpretation (of the offside rule)," the Italian said. "Putting an attacking wall (between the defensive wall and the keeper) influences the goalkeeper's ability to do his job.
"Normally they (the attacking players) try to go back to an onside position before the kick is taken but often they can't manage it.
"What we agreed with all 24 coaches in Paris (last month) is that if a team uses these tactics and the ball goes into the net the 'goal' will be disallowed because the goalkeeper's vision is obstructed."
Collina added that the referees, who have gathered on the outskirts of Paris for a four-day workshop ending on Thursday, had been instructed to be "proactive" in warning the players.
TECHNOLOGICAL HELP
Referees will be greatly helped by goal line technology.
"(Before the goal line technology) they would miss something in the penalty area because they were not watching the penalty area but had already an eye on the goal line," said Collina.
"With the goal line technology the additional assistant referee can really be focused on the rest of the area", where shirt pulling and holding can be a problem.
"I have to say that in UEFA competitions the problem of holding and pulling has already been reduced, greatly diminished in the last seasons," said Collina.
English referee Mark Clattenburg told Reuters: "Now with the goal line technology... to clear up the goal, the additional referee can concentrate more on the penalty area decisions, which are just as crucial as the ball crossing the line.
"They both complement each other. With the instructions we've had we'll be successful."
Last weekend, holding and pulling in the area were a concern in Premier League leaders' Leicester City's 2-2 home draw against West Ham United and Clattenburg said the problem could be reduced if additional assistant referees were used.
"In our federation we don't have the additional referees we have in UEFA competitions (where) it (holding and pulling) has been heavily reduced. It's a deterrent the players can see," he said.
(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Ken Ferris)