u/crazyforbeing

>IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER

> Contact with the ball is not relevant/sufficient to determine that the challenge is legal, especially if the ball contact is at the same time or after contact with the opponent. Also, ‘playing the ball first’ does not mean that the challenge is legitimate or any less serious.

>...
Regardless of the seriousness of the foul, a player may receive the appropriate sanction if their challenge:

> denied the opponent an obvious goal-scoring opportunity (DOGSO) – RC

> stopped a promising attack (SPA) – YC

The correct call in Madison's case is to call a foul, and award a yellow card for 'stopping a promising attack' (SPA). Had the defender made contact with the ball, and knocked it out of bounds, or out of Madison's path/reach, or into the path of another opposing player it would NOT have been a foul for SPA (stopping a promising attack). As it stands, had Madison not been brought down, he would have carried forward with a promising attack.

Absolutely clear foul, yellow card is the punishment for the offender, and since it occurred in the penalty area, a penalty kick is awarded.

Anyone that says "There was ball contact so no foul" does not understand the laws of the game.