Anyone with refereeing knowledge on here? If so can someone explain...
It's common to see players jostling and wrestling while waiting for a free-kick or a corner to come over. You never see anyone being booked (or worse) for this. The Champions League is notorious for this behaviour. Players are spoken to and told to cut it out - nothing more.
I've always assumed that the ball is "dead" between the ref blowing for a free-kick, corner etc until he blows for it to be taken and that as such he can't sanction players in between the two whistles. Is this a common misunderstanding or is it one of the laws of the game? So, leaving aside whether Smyth's 2nd yellow merited a booking, did our friend in the black apply the law precisely or did he just make it up?
Even with due deference to QP and their place in the history of Scottish football, I'm beginning to think QP matches are becoming the new toxic. It seemed the effect mikes were picking up a mixture of abuse and foul language rather than from across the park. In contrast the fans on the far side seemed more restrained. I heard a reference during the commentary to the police intervening in hospitality.
ETA to add... QP highlights package far better. Thistle's look amateurish by comparison. Why did the cameraman seem to have an aversion to following the ball into the corners?