[Dan_]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcSXQJDIxdQ

A Brazilian referee faced suspension on Tuesday after she awarded a goal that television pictures showed was scored by a ball boy.

The 89th-minute goal allowed Santacruzense to snatch a 1-1 draw at home to Atletico Sorocaba in the Paulista Football Federation (FPF) Cup on Sunday, a regional tournament played in the state of Sao Paulo.

Pictures showed that after a Santacruzense player shot narrowly wide, the boy collected the ball with his feet and took it back on to the pitch.

However, instead of returning it to the goalkeeper, he subtly tapped it across the line into the net.

Although there was nearly 10 seconds between the shot going out and the boy placing the ball over the line, referee Silvia Regina de Oliveira awarded a goal amid furious Sorocaba protests.

Ref faces suspension

Oliveira, who has refereed in the Brazilian first division and the Copa Sudamericana, said she based her decision on the linesman.

"I should have trusted my own vision," Oliveira said in a radio interview.

Marcos Marinho, head of the FPF's refereeing commission, said the goal would stand and the referee would face suspension.

"It was a serious mistake and, unfortunately, the punishments will have to be applied to the referee and linesman," he said.

"There was a lapse of concentration and that can't happen in football."

[J.C.]

Lmao
Thats incredible.`Hire that ball boy`. I love the way he quickly realised that
somehow he needed to get a ball in the goal to convince the ref that it wasn`t just the side net. I can`t believe that officially the goal stands!!!
Technically one would have to suppose that the same verdict would occur in a world cup!! Or even here. We will see it again on question of sport fairly soon I imagine.!!

[James]

I remember in a Scottish game once a goal was scored but the ball hit the post inside the goal which holds the net up and bounced out.

The referee gave the goal even though a player then picked the ball up.

[sol]

Lmao, eh?

[BigSister]

oh yeah i saw that Dan didnt know it was by the ball boy