Denial of an Obvious Goal Scoring Opportunity (DOGSO)
Any potential denial of an obvious goal-scoring opportunity (DOGSO) in a match is a key decision the referee must make. DOGSO can occur in the situations:
DOGSO outside the penalty area
DOGSO inside the penalty area – where there was an attempt to play the ball fairly
DOGSO inside the penalty area – where no attempt was made to play the ball fairly
Each of the above situations has its own sanction and requires in-depth knowledge of the laws of the game in order to know which to apply. But how do we know if we’ve got a DOGSO situation? The referee must consider the 4 following things:
Close distance – What was the distance between the offence and the opponents’ goal?
Goal-bound direction – Was the attacker going DIRECTLY towards the opposition goal?
Low number of defenders – How many defenders were there between the ball and the goal, and could any of them make have made a fair challenge?
Active control – Was the attacker in control, or likely to gain or maintain control of the ball?
If ALL four of the above criteria are met, you have a DOGSO situation, if you had 3 or fewer, it is not a DOGSO situation. Remember, the opportunity must be OBVIOUS.
But what if I know I have a DOGSO situation?
Situation 1: If the DOGSO offence occurs outside the opponent’s penalty area, the sanction is a red card with a direct free kick to the attacking team.
Situation 2: If the DOGSO offence occurs inside the penalty area and the defender attempted to play the ball, the sanction is a yellow card and a penalty kick.
Situation 3: If the DOGSO offence occurs inside the penalty area however the defender did not attempt to play the ball (pulling, pushing or handling the ball) the sanction is a red card and penalty kick.
Remember, DOGSO requires all 4 conditions to be met!