Behind the Whistle: Former Premier League referee Chris Foy explains the latest EFL decisions
Former Premier League referee Chris Foy examines decisions from the Sky Bet Championship, League One and League Two; including QPR's red card against Leeds United and Preston North End's tight offside call against Portsmouth
Thursday 20 March 2025 12:17, UK
In Behind the Whistle, former Premier League referee Chris Foy goes through a selection of key match decisions from the latest action in the Sky Bet Championship, League One and League Two.
Behind the Whistle aims to give supporters of EFL clubs an insight into the decision-making considerations and also clarification of certain calls to provide an understanding of how the laws of the game are interpreted.
As part of a regular feature on Sky Sports following the conclusion of a matchday, Foy will be here to run you through some refereeing matters in the EFL…
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Sky Bet Championship
Preston North End 2-1 Portsmouth
Incident - Goal scored, possible offside (Preston North End)
Decision - Goal awarded, no offside (Preston North End)
Foy says: "This is good officiating from the assistant referee here, as he correctly identifies that there is no offside for Preston North End across multiple phases of this attacking free-kick.
"Firstly, when the ball is headed across the box, there is a potential offside situation. However, the replay clearly shows that Portsmouth's Terry Devlin keeps the Preston player, who wins the header, in an onside position.
"The ball then finds its way to the back post, where it initially appears as though Preston's goal scorer might be offside. However, a side-on angle, level with the 18-yard box, confirms the decision is spot on, with the Portsmouth No 5 being the deepest defender. The flag stays down, and the goal rightly stands."
Queens Park Rangers 2-2 Leeds United
Incident - Possible red card, serious foul play (Queens Park Rangers)
Decision - Red card shown (Queens Park Rangers)
Foy says: "When considering the criteria for a red card for serious foul play, this challenge undoubtedly meets the standard.
"As the Leeds United player moves away with the ball, QPR winger Koko Saito makes a lunging challenge, and makes full and forceful contact on the calf of Leeds United's Dan James.
"At first glance, it may appear to be a cynical attempt to stop a counter-attack - worthy of a caution - but the replays show that it's actually more serious.
"With the tackle being high, the leg straight and no attempt to play the ball, it endangers the safety of the opponent. The correct decision here is absolutely a straight red card."
Sky Bet League One
Charlton Athletic 2-1 Wigan Athletic
Incident - Possible penalty (Charlton Athletic)
Decision - No penalty (Charlton Athletic)
Foy says: "Unfortunately, I believe the referee here has missed a penalty-kick for Charlton Athletic.
"Although it can be difficult to spot in a crowded penalty area, in the replay you can see that Wigan defender Will Aimson raises his arm, making reckless contact with the face of Charlton's Lloyd Jones, sending him to the ground.
"From the replay, it is evident that this was a deliberate attempt to disrupt the opponent. A penalty should have been awarded and at minimum a yellow card shown to the Wigan defender for his actions, which were at the very least reckless."
Rotherham United 2-3 Wycombe Wanderers
Incident - Goal scored, possible handball (Rotherham United)
Decision - Goal disallowed, handball (Rotherham United)
Foy says: "This is a great example highlighting the importance of communication between the officials to reach the right outcome.
"As the ball is kicked forward, we can see from the replays that Rotherham United's Jonson Clarke-Harris moves his arm and controls the ball with his arm before he goes on to score - a deliberate handball offence.
"Although it seems as though the referee doesn't initially spot the handball offence, following advice from his team who had a view of the incident, he correctly disallows the goal and awards a free kick to Wycombe Wanderers."
Sky Bet League Two
Swindon Town 3-3 Cheltenham Town
Incident - Possible penalty and second caution (Swindon Town / Cheltenham Town)
Decision - Penalty awarded, second caution shown (Swindon Town / Cheltenham Town)
Foy says: "This is a good example of strong, decisive refereeing.
"As the ball is swung into the box, Swindon Town's Harry Smith moves to attack it, but he is pulled to the floor, preventing him from getting onto the cross.
"The referee correctly identifies that this pull is sustained and impactful, and not just fleeting contact.
"Once the penalty is awarded, the referee also correctly shows a second caution to the Cheltenham Town captain Tom Bradbury. The contact is enough to warrant a yellow card as it stops a promising attack, and the offence was not an attempt to play or challenge for the ball."
