Week 12 of the Barclays Premier League was full of controversial refereeing decisions. From Wes Browns sending off for Sunderland to Kevin Mirallas yellow card for Everton in the Merseyside derby, it wasnt a comfortable weekend to be a referee. Whenever an incident happens on the field, every fan expects the referee to make the correct decision. Yet referees dont have the benefit of slow-motion instant replays, and have only their assistant referees with whom they can consult for input. Often times, the referees view of an incident is not ideal, and can be blocked by other players. Yet they are expected to get decisions correct every time. With the benefit of instant replays, it is often much easier to make those decisions. Should Wes Brown have been sent off for Sunderland? No. Should Kevin Mirallas have been red carded for his horrible tackle on Luis Suarez? Absolutely. What makes a referees job more difficult, though, is that the vast majority of fans (and even some professional players, coaches and analysts!) do not fully understand the laws of the game. Case in point: Arsenals penalty kick in their game against Southampton. After a Tomas Rosicky corner kick was delivered into Southamptons penalty area, referee Mark Clattenburg blew his whistle and pointed to the penalty spot. His reason was that Southampton defender Jose Fonte pulled the jersey of Arsenals Per Mertesacker. Replays showed that Fonte did indeed have a handful of Mertesackers jersey, that he impeded the German international from reaching the ball. Clattenburg was absolutely correct to award a penalty kick. Yet it didnt stop the inevitable outcry on Twitter. Fans voiced their opinions, which ranged from "Thats never a PK - referees always let that go!" to "The ball was behind Mertesacker - need to take that into account!" to "Glad to see a referee finally call that - happens all the time!" Regardless of your opinion as a fan of the beautiful game, the FIFA laws of the game are very clear on what constitutes a foul, and in particular, a direct free kick. Consider the following from FIFA: The following conditions must be met for an offence to be considered a foul:• it must be committed by a player• it must occur on the field of play• it must occur while the ball is in play Group of Four• tackles an opponent to gain possession of the ball, making contact with the opponent before touching the ball• holds an opponent• spits at an opponent• handles the ball deliberately (except for the goalkeeper within his own penalty area) For this group of four direct free kicks fouls, the referee is concerned with whether the action occurred, not with how it was done. For fouls in this group of four, the FIFA laws of the game require the following action to be taken: • restart with a direct free kick for the opposing team where the offence occurred • exception: if the offence was committed by a defender inside his own penalty area• penalty kick for the attacking team The laws of the game are very clear. Pulling a jersey (holding an opponent) is not allowed and is punishable with a direct free kick, or a penalty kick if the offence occurs within the penalty area. Mark Clattenburg was absolutely spot on to call a penalty in Arsenals favour. Fans (as well as players, coaches and anyone else who watches the game) would do well to familiarize themselves with FIFAs laws of the game. Some of your preconceived ideas about how the game is officiated might actually turn out to be completely false. Wholesale Running Shoes Uk . Scrivens stopped 48 shots and captain Andrew Ference scored in overtime as the Oilers pulled off a 4-3 upset of the Anaheim Ducks on Friday. Cheap Wholesale Running Shoes . Future Hall of Famer Ricky Ray is in his prime and back for a third season in double blue. The 34-year old was magnificent in 2013, throwing for just under 2,900 yards despite missing eight games, tossing an impressive 21 touchdowns against just two interceptions, completing 66 per cent of his passes in the process. http://www.discountrunningshoesuk.com/. That assertion is getting harder and harder to make, especially given the way 23-year-old Danilo Gallinari has been playing this season. Cheap Running Shoes Uk . The No. 5 Aztecs held Burton, the Mountain Wests leading scorer, to 11 points, 10 below his average, in beating the Wolf Pack 73-58 on Saturday night. Wholesale Running Shoes For Sale . Off-Season Game Plan looks at a Wild team that has a nice mix of proven veterans along with young, inexpensive talent on the rise. When the Wild signed Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, making a big splash in the summer of 2012, it set the franchise on a path to being more competitive, but a big reason that they have been so competitive is the contributions of young players who still have more to give.A new era will begin today for Toronto FC as they open the 2014 preseason against DC United in Bradenton, Florida. Midfielder Michael Bradley, one of the teams new designated players, will make his debut, while striker Gilberto could see his first action for TFC in the contest. Bradley, a key member of the US mens national soccer team, is expected to bring stability to the Toronto FC midfield. The 26-year-old was acquired from Serie A side Roma in January for a reported $10 million transfer fee and reportedly will collect a $7.1 million salary. The New Jersey native played every minute of the 2010 World Cup for the United States. Gilberto, a 24-year-old Portuguese forward who is considered a pure goal scorer, was signed by the club in December. &nbssp; The third, and arguably biggest, designated player acquisition of the off-season, Jermain Defoe will not be available for the preseason opener as he remains on loan with Barclays Premier League side Tottenham until the end of February.dddddddddddd. In his second tour with Toronto FC, Canadian international player Dwayne De Rosario could also see his first action since rejoining the club in the off-season. De Rosario was reacquired by the team during the MLS re-entry draft and then signed to a new contract. The opposition for the preseason opener will be De Rosarios former club DC United, who, like Toronto FC, are looking to bounce back from a tough season. DC United finished with a 3-24-7 record last season and a league low 16 points. Toronto FC ended the season 6-17-11 in 2013, ninth in the Eastern Conference. ' ' '