The Professional Foul...

As we've just seen in the Spuds - Chelsea game, Cech fouled Adebayor and would have been deemed as the last man if a goal hadn't have been given..

That is perfectly understandable... But there's flaws to this rule: If a player is running through on goal and is taken out by a defender, the defender would be sent off as the last man, even though the keeper really is the last man.

Chelsea v Arsenal in November: Ashley Cole was running down the left and was fouled by Szczesny.... Szczesny only had Koscielny behind him and was only given a yellow card because Koscielny was the last man... Why is the keeper ignored and the defender isn't in these scenarios?

Probably because the keeper has different abilities to an outfield player regarding picking up the ball and diving at feet with hands, and defenders are outfield players and are only regulated to doing the same actions as attackers etc.

Wouldn't Ashley Cole have more of a chance scoring against Koscielny in goal rather than Szczesny?

No one knows.

The rule doesn't say: last man=red card, if it's a clear goal scoring opportunity then the player has to be sent off, doesn't matter if last man or not.

Yes I know but why is it more of a goalscoring opportunity when someone is approaching the keeper rather than approaching just a defender?

Hmm, it's one of football's big mysteries

Gegilworld93 wrote:Hmm, it's one of football's big mysteries

Not that big if no one's really given it much thought.

Rick Rosstrich wrote:As we've just seen in the Spuds - Chelsea game, Cech fouled Adebayor and would have been deemed as the last man if a goal hadn't have been given..

That is perfectly understandable... But there's flaws to this rule: If a player is running through on goal and is taken out by a defender, the defender would be sent off as the last man, even though the keeper really is the last man.

Chelsea v Arsenal in November: Ashley Cole was running down the left and was fouled by Szczesny.... Szczesny only had Koscielny behind him and was only given a yellow card because Koscielny was the last man... Why is the keeper ignored and the defender isn't in these scenarios?

That isn't even a rule? The rule is if you deny a clear goal scoring opportunity you get a red card, if not it's a yellow.

That has been followed on underneath the OP. Keep up, son.

Szczesny should have been sent off to be honest. He even admitted it. It was a refereeing error.

Grenade wrote:Szczesny should have been sent off to be honest. He even admitted it. It was a refereeing error.

I have seen that happen more than once though and every time the commentator has said the keeper wasn't sent off because of the covering defender.