David M. Grundy Gainesville, Fla Who’s right? [In the Aug, 7 issue of Soccer America]. On the one hand, Paul Gardner says that referee Prendergast’s “bad call” was “exactly the same sort of mis-call that gave France its game-winning PK against Portugal …” But Mike Woitalla notes that “Prendergast, supported by his linesman, called (it).” France got the call originally from the linesman, who had the position to see that the Portugal player had indeed raised his arm. The two calls to me seemed quite different. Mike Woitalla: David, I donÆt think that what Paul and I wrote was contradictory. In both cases, the referee ultimately made the decision to call a penalty kick. And in both cases, the referee was supported by his linesman. Perhaps you mean that in the Portugal case, the linesman instigated the call. That could be. Prendergast claims he knew it was a penalty kick, then saw that his linesman also thought so. At the game, I was sitting behind a number of FIFA referee observers, and they told me they saw PrendergastÆs linesman point to the spot immediately. Whatever. I donÆt think that the linesmanÆs role was the most important factor — though at least the refs used the guys who were in a good position. No, the main point to me is, how could the refs or the linesman, in either case, come to the conclusion that the hand ball was deliberate? If it is not deliberate, it is not a foul. In both cases, the ball was shot at the player and the ball went to the hand, not the hand to the ball. In that case, as Paul points out, the situations were similar. Of course the cases were different to some extent. Replays of XavierÆs handball showed clear contact, while the Berhalter replays were muddled. But I donÆt know if you can really accuse Abel Xavier of ôraising his arm.ö It was shot at him pretty darn hard from close range. (If you have a question for a Soccer America Magazine editor, click “Q&A with SA Editors” in the left column of the home page under “Interactive.”)