What do YOU think the last man rule means?

Okay, so in the Blackpool West Brom game a penalty was given. The player knocked the ball past the player but didn't pass the play himself, he just tripped over the leg. Now the ref gave the penalty (rightly so) but also a red card for what we can assume is the last man rule.



Basically it looked like

-----------goalkeeper
-----------defender
-----------attacker


Attacker knocks the ball towards the keeper, defender sticks his leg out, attacker goes over and the ref gives pen and red card.


Now is that right?


For me, I always thought the last man meant the keeper was the last man, so if the attack was past the last defender and was taken down then that would be a last man situation? I may be wrong but this always how i've seen it... If not then the rule is wrong because the defender isn't the last man, the keeper is.

I see the last man as sort of like the last outfield player in the offside rule.

I've always thought if there is no other defender in line with the one who makes the tackle then its a red.

The-Reporter wrote:I've always thought if there is no other defender in line with the one who makes the tackle then its a red.

Even if the attacker isn't goalside of the defender?

The last man is the man in between the player with the ball and a goalscoring opportunity. The last man is the last defender/goalkeeper.

Dan wrote:The last man is the man in between the player with the ball and a goalscoring opportunity. The last man is the last defender/goalkeeper.

But that aint last man then if its the defender because their is always the keeper behind him. Maybe I just got confused, either way I don't think it was a red card still.

No such thing as the last man.

Scuba Steve wrote:No such thing as the last man.

Keeper is last man.

James wrote:

Dan wrote:The last man is the man in between the player with the ball and a goalscoring opportunity. The last man is the last defender/goalkeeper.

But that aint last man then if its the defender because their is always the keeper behind him. Maybe I just got confused, either way I don't think it was a red card still.

It's considered the 'last man' because it's only that man denying a goalscoring opportunity. For example, if the play is on the edge of the box, the goalkeeper should be near to his line. The only defender is the 'last man' ahead of the goalscoring opportunity.

Let me clarify then. There is no rule that says "last man". Not in the rulebook. It's completely up to the interpretation of the referee.

If no defender could have stopped the attacker from having a clear shot on goal had he not been assaulted, then it's a red card.

James wrote:

The-Reporter wrote:I've always thought if there is no other defender in line with the one who makes the tackle then its a red.

Even if the attacker isn't goalside of the defender?

Attacker would have to be goalside imo.

Here are all the rules of the game - http://www.talkfootball.co.uk/guides/rules_of_football.html

The-Reporter wrote:

James wrote:

The-Reporter wrote:I've always thought if there is no other defender in line with the one who makes the tackle then its a red.

Even if the attacker isn't goalside of the defender?

Attacker would have to be goalside imo.

Here are all the rules of the game - http://www.talkfootball.co.uk/guides/rules_of_football.html

Thats what I thought. I thought the last man or goalscoring opportunity rule only applied if the attacker was goalside of the defender and was brought down. But tonights the defender was goalside and brought the attacker down.

If you have a link to the incident I might be able to understand it better.

James wrote:

The-Reporter wrote:

James wrote:

The-Reporter wrote:I've always thought if there is no other defender in line with the one who makes the tackle then its a red.

Even if the attacker isn't goalside of the defender?

Attacker would have to be goalside imo.

Here are all the rules of the game - http://www.talkfootball.co.uk/guides/rules_of_football.html

Thats what I thought. I thought the last man or goalscoring opportunity rule only applied if the attacker was goalside of the defender and was brought down. But tonights the defender was goalside and brought the attacker down.

The defender must be the last man, watch this video and listen to the commentators. http://www.tagtele.com/videos/voir/34688