Behind the Whistle: Chris Foy explains latest EFL decisions including Preston and QPR calls | Football News

Former referee Chris Foy also examines decisions made in the First Division between Cambridge and Cheltenham, Derby County and Lincoln City and Sheffield Wednesday and Morecambe, as well as the Second Division game between Doncaster and Barrow

In Behind the Whistle, former Premier League referee Chris Foy goes over a selection of key game decisions from the last Sky Bet Championship, League One and League Two.

Although many decisions made on the pitch are subjective in nature, Behind the Whistle aims to provide EFL club supporters with insight into the reasoning behind decision making and also to clarify certain calls to provide an understanding of how the Laws of the Game are interpreted.

As part of a regular feature Sky Sports After completing a day of play, Foy will be here to guide you through some refereeing matters in the EFL, starting with the following.

Sky Bet Championship

Preston North End 1-1 Luton Town

Incident: Possible serious foul play (Preston)

Decision: Red card awarded (Preston)

Foi says: “Once a player faces a challenge there needs to be some level of control and from an officials perspective you always have to keep player safety in mind as it is paramount.

“In this case the speed with which the Preston player makes the tackle combined with the straight leg action and lead with the cleats puts the opponent at risk, so showing the red card was the right decision in my opinion.”

Queens Park Rangers 0-3 Sunderland

Incident: Potential Penalty – Handball (QPR)

Decision: Awarded Penalty (QPR)

Foi says: “In this situation, both the defender and the attacker jump for the ball from inside the penalty area, but the position of the defender – in an unnatural position and elevated – gives the officials little option but to award a penalty to the attacking team.”

Skybet League One

Cambridge United 1-2 Cheltenham Town

Incident: Penal Complaint (Cambridge United)

Decision: Awarded penalty (Cambridge United)

Foi says: “I think that decision is certainly not clearly wrong, but it looks like the attacker initiates contact by hitting the defender.

“There is contact between the defender and the attacker, but in hindsight I think it would have been better to let the game continue as it was the attacker’s actions that led to the contact and not the other way around.”

Derby County 1-1 Lincoln City

Incident: Possible offside (Lincoln City)

Decision: Goal scored (Lincoln City)

Foi says: “These are difficult decisions for any official who has to focus not only on the attacker who takes the first shot but also on the eventual scorer who comes back from an offside position.

“On this occasion it looks like the goalscorer is actually in front of the deepest defender and therefore the goal should have been disallowed for offside.”

Sheffield Wednesday 3-0 Morecambe

Incident: Possible offside (Sheffield Wednesday)

Decision: Goal scored (Sheffield Wednesday)

Foi says: “It’s another incredibly close offside decision that distracts several players before they find the back of the net.

“We have the advantage of post-match replays and it looks like a very good decision from officials as Morecambes No 5 is the deepest outfield player and therefore the eventual goalscorer on the side.”

Skybet League Two

Doncaster Rovers 1-0 Barrow

Incident: Possible foul on goal (Doncaster Rovers)

Decision: Awarded goal (Doncaster Rovers)

Foi says: “There is a clear contact between attacker and defender before the goal is scored, so what matters now is the referee’s interpretation of the threshold.

“In this case I think the attacker’s actions – two hands behind the back – are affecting the defender’s ability to play the ball. I would suggest that in isolation a foul could be called and the goal disallowed.”