*This content was translated by AI.
The Korean Football Association (KFA) issued an official statement regarding the controversial rulings in the match between Ulsan HD and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. It is highly unusual for the KFA to quickly issue a formal position on disputed calls, yet the conclusion remained unchanged: "It was not a referee error."
On the 14th, the KFA released a statement explaining that, in response to numerous media inquiries, it would convey the results of the Referee Evaluation Committee meeting instead of holding its usual "Monday Briefing." The association addressed the controversy surrounding the rulings in the Hana Bank K League 1 2026 Round 17 match between Ulsan and Jeonbuk held three days earlier at Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium.
The controversy unfolded as follows: In the 29th minute of the first half, during an attacking play by Ulsan, Boyanich sprinted directly toward the penalty area to connect with a teammate's pass via a one-touch shot. Referee Kim Dae-yong attempted to avoid the incoming ball but collided forcefully with Boyanich, who was rushing from behind. Boyanich immediately collided shoulder-first with referee Kim and fell heavily to the ground. Boyanich lost his shooting opportunity, and the loose ball quickly led to Jeonbuk's counterattack.
However, referee Kim Dae-yong did not even glance at Boyanich, who had fallen after colliding with him, and immediately ran alongside Jeonbuk's counterattack. This attack ultimately resulted in Jeonbuk's opening goal. Had the referee not been present, Boyanich would have taken the shot; even if he hadn't, Jeonbuk's counterattack and subsequent goal likely would not have occurred. In effect, referee Kim Dae-yong's "screen play" clearly influenced the match outcome, yet instead of stopping play and restarting with a dropped ball, he allowed the game to continue uninterrupted.
In response, the KFA's Referee Evaluation Committee emphasized: "We confirm that this ruling does not constitute an error under the Laws of the Game as defined by FIFA (International Federation of Association Football) and IFAB (International Football Association Board)." The committee further added: "The situation involved contact between a player and the referee, not contact between the ball and match officials. Therefore, no separate provision for stopping play exists under the Laws of the Game."
However, during stoppage time in the second half of the same match, referee Kim Dae-yong did blow his whistle and halt play immediately after colliding with Ulsan's Jang Si-young. This inconsistency in rulings within the same match sparked further controversy. The Referee Evaluation Committee explained: "There is no specific provision in the Laws of the Game regarding physical contact between a player and a referee. The rules governing dropped balls and restarts are outlined in Law 8 (The Start and Restart of Play) and Law 9 (The Ball In and Out of Play), which do not directly apply to situations involving physical contact between a player and the referee as seen here."
The committee further stated: "Therefore, whether to stop play following physical contact is not mandatory under the Laws of the Game but falls within the referee's discretion regarding match management. In this case, at the 90th+6th minute, the referee stopped play because he was knocked down and could no longer observe the direction of the ball."
The KFA added: "However, to enhance consistency in restart decisions following future similar instances of player-referee contact, we will carefully review and refine our guidelines. Moving forward, we will do our utmost to improve confidence in K League rulings through accurate application of the Laws of the Game and consistent match management."
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*This content was translated by AI.
