Correct call in handball/DOGSO situation?
I meant to ask a director or assessor this past weekend but forgot so figured I’d ask here.
Small tournament final with U10/U11s,
Attacker receives the ball in his own half with all defenders near his own box. He advances to the opposing box and while attempting to dribble the goalie within the box, the goalie dives with his hand extended towards the ball, missing the ball and getting the attacker’s leg causing him to fall. While falling the ball bounces up and away from the goal but deflects right above the attacker’s elbow into the goal. When the ball was deflected, the attacker was in the process of extending his arm to break his fall and the position on his arm where the ball made contact was only slightly distanced from his torso.
The decision was goal and no disciplinary action given an attempt to play the ball within the box with a goal being scored as well as age. My justification was the arm to have been for support and as such no unnatural. On rereading the law, I noticed the bullet point for handling that directly enters the opponent’s goal to be separate from other offenses. I did not believe the attacker deliberately moved to touch the ball.
So does the immediate entrance to goal from the arm overrule a natural position? At older ages, would downgrading the goalie’s offense to no card be justified? And would a potential handling be considered more severe in this situation? Also, if handling were called would there be a sanction for the goalie?
I was very relieved that the scoring team went up by 4 or 5 goals with this and that it didn’t seem to have a major effect in the last few minutes of the match. But the play is still puzzling to me as of how to approach.
Thank you for any help or advice!