During Leicester City’s 2-2 draw against Preston, a controversial officiating decision took center stage when North End defender Jordan Storey was issued only a yellow card despite bringing down Patson Daka.
The Incident
The clash occurred when Storey fouled Daka as the striker was about to break clean through on goal. While the foul appeared to be the “denial of an obvious goal-scoring opportunity” (DOGSO)—which typically results in a red card—referee Benjamin Speedie allowed play to continue because Oliver Skipp picked up the loose ball. Skipp subsequently had a scoring chance but was thwarted by goalkeeper Daniel Iversen.
The Rule Explained
According to Law 12 of the game’s regulations, the referee’s decision to downgrade the punishment was technically correct:
- If an official plays the advantage on a red-card offense involving the denial of an obvious goal-scoring opportunity, the offender is only cautioned with a yellow card once the ball goes out of play.
- This is because the “advantage” allowed the attacking team to maintain their scoring opportunity, effectively neutralizing the grounds for a dismissal.
Manager’s Reaction
Leicester manager Gary Rowett remained pragmatic about the situation. He acknowledged that while the foul on Daka was a potential red card offense, he supported the decision to play the advantage since it gave Skipp a clear path to the goal. Rowett noted that had the chance resulted in a goal, there would have been no complaints regarding the lack of a sending-off.
