Referees are regularly accused of not using common sense when making decisions during a game. However, on the occasions when they try to use common sense they are then criticised for not enforcing the laws of the game. Confused?

The following incident highlights the pitfalls facing referees.

During a local cup tie a few years ago, the home team were winning 3-0 but with 15 minutes to go a defender from the losing side used his hand to on the goal line to top a goal being scored.

The referee awarded a penalty and players from both sides urged him to use his common sense and not send the defender off as his team were well beaten.

The penalty was taken, the keeper saved it. No problem so far. The defending team then scored a minute later to make it 3-1 and with less than ten minutes to go scored again to make it 3-2. A few minutes later the score was 3-3, following a late equaliser.

A minute from time, yes you guessed it, the player who should have been sent off less than 15 minutes earlier, scored the winner.

No prizes for what happened next. The referee was accused by the home team of costing them the game because, if he had done his job in accordance with the laws of the game, the home team would have won. However, because he used so called 'common sense', which everyone agreed with at the time, he became the villain of the piece and was criticised by the home team.

The visitors, though, were more than happy.

However, had the referee sent the player off earlier and the home team had won easily, he would have again been criticised for not using his common sense.

The moral of the story? The referee cannot do right for doing wrong on occasions, and what, at the time could be the common sense decision, may turn against him at a later stage in the game by not refereeing to the laws of the game.

If you have played in or been at a game where there has been an unusual incident which the referee has had to deal with, please let me know.

You can contact me by logging on to the Darlington Referees Society Web site www.darlingtonreferees.freeserve.co.uk