What is a handy/soft free?

[Estimator]

There is a lot of talk on the Tyrone v Mayo thread about handy/soft/easy frees that were awarded to Mayo.

What is everyone's definition of such a free?

A. Is it one were contact was accidental?
B. Is it one where the tackler has committed a foul but only a little bit? (Wee tug on the geansai)
C. Is it one where the contact is the norm for a physical game?

Any ideas?

[thewobbler]

I've no love of hurling but I do appreciate their 'only blow up when it's obvious everyone needs a breather' style of refereeing. Goes against the rules of the game, but goes fully with the spirit of the game.

Football doesn't have that spirit. Mainly because everyone is obsessed with winning frees and seem genuinely shocked when any decision isn't their way. It's never a case of 'fair play boss', always a case of 'you didn't blow for the same thing earlier'.

Bring in the Aussie rules tackle I say. f**k interpretation.

[Arthur_Friend]

How many steps are you allowed in football anyway? Looks a lot like Rugby League at times...

[regal]

Anything that involved Philip Jordan going to ground

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

A handy/soft free is any free given against your team.

Losing teams tend to notice these more than the winning team.

[Aristo 60]

Anything that involved Philip Jordan going to ground

You read my mind 

[regal]

Anything that involved Philip Jordan going to ground

You read my mind 

He may have retired but I can still see him rolling with both hands on his face

[Rossfan]

A handy/soft free is any free given against your team.

Nail hit on head.
I'd like to out a smilyface but apparently that upsets some of your County folk Godhelpus.

[Mario]

How many steps are you allowed in football anyway? Looks a lot like Rugby League at times...

About 10 if you don't show hesitation. If you do hesitate, about 3, it's more about perception than anything else. The application of this rule has always annoyed me.

[blanketattack]

If you're 6'5" you're allowed 5 steps tops.
If you're 5'7", you're allowed anything up to 12.

[brokencrossbar1]

If you're 6'5" you're allowed 5 steps tops.
If you're 5'7", you're allowed anything up to 12.

In terms of distance covered both circumstances would even out!

[deiseach]

A handy/soft free is any free given against your team.

Losing teams tend to notice these more than the winning team.

So you've never seen a soft free given to Mayo? I've seen plenty given to Waterford over the years. Maybe we're just lucky that way.

A handy/soft free is one where the decision could just as easily have gone the other way. Some fouls are obvious, some are not, but the ref doesn't have a choice of putting them on a number line. A good example of a soft free is when there is a dodgy 65/45. The ref is suddenly alive to the possibility of square balls or pushing by attackers.

[deiseach]

How many steps are you allowed in football anyway? Looks a lot like Rugby League at times...

About 10 if you don't show hesitation. If you do hesitate, about 3, it's more about perception than anything else. The application of this rule has always annoyed me.

Yep. Kevin McMenamin's goal in the All-Ireland final two years ago was a classic of the genre. It should have been disallowed, simple as that. Yet if a free had been awarded against him, even the Kerry players/fans would have been surprised.

[Milltown Row2]

If two lads are hauling each other the referee tends to give it to the person who falls first, I don't, they are both doing it so fcuk them, the balls usually drops and is played on, the soft frees in my view are the shirt pulling, never any complaints from players or management.

The push on back when player is dipping the ball, this is annoying as I'll never blow if the player doesn't push him, he can have his hand on his back but actually needs to push him or apply pressure for it to be a push. If the player falls and there is no push I tell him to get up. Trips are an easy soft free, they will be a black card next year so watch out.

Square balls are really no existent now, in football the player can enter the square after the ball's been kicked very rare now to see players doing it. Haven't called one this year, hands on the keeper while he's in the small square is a given, outside the square he's a normal player, normal rules apply.

As for taking too many steps it can be annoying as a defender when you count out the four steps and tackle the opponent only for him to take an extra 2 steps to get away from you. In some cases the player is being held back and the referee has 2 things he can do, blow for a free for the pulling of the player on the ball or give the player an extra few steps, using the advantage rule. Frustrates players/management but in the rules. There are ones that are blantant overcarrying but the referee can't get it right all the time, have to give the armchair/barflys something to moan about

[Hardy]

hands on the keeper while he's in the small square is a given, outside the square he's a normal player, normal rules apply.

This one is a real gear grinder. Nearly all refs give a free if you tackle the keeper even outside his small square. In fact you can tackle him anywhere, even in the small square. The only thing you can't do, that's legal to do to any other player, is shoulder charge him in the small square.