[Penalty Kick] The referee's positioning, judging a sliding tackle inside the penalty area from close range

Look at where the referee stood and at how they judged the incident. 1. Where the referee stood, and how they moved into position First, look at the referee's position when they finally awarded the penalty kick. They are standing in what can fairly be called a position right in front of the challenge. It is not that the closer the position is to the challenge the better, but the fact that, objectively, the referee was watching from close range makes the decision very convincing. Blowing the whistle for the final decision from this position surely produces a strong sense that the decision is right. It may be easier to see this if you imagine the opposite, with the referee standing a long way away. Distrust of the decision, or doubts about it, might then have arisen. Having watched from this close is likely to be what gives the decision its objective credibility. Looking at how the referee moved, it is also excellent that, as the decisive incident was about to occur, they raised their speed and ran into the penalty area. 2. Judging the contact Some will take the view that the Shonan player was challenging for the ball and that there was no offence. Watching the footage closely, however, it appears that the contact with the ball is made in a way that also catches the leg of the Omiya player. The player does get to the ball, but there is contact with the leg as well. As contact occurred even though the player was challenging for the ball, the decision to award a foul can be regarded as reasonable.