Holding and DOGSO/SPA

When a holding offence is the reason for a DOGSO/SPA decision, when we take our snap shot becomes very important. If it is a kicking offence, the foul is just a moment. But with a holding offence, the foul can continue for a second or even more. By the time the attacker is on the ground, they have been slowed down significantly by the hold. 

As a result, if we take our mental snap shot as the attacker is going down, then the defenders around the attacker may appear a lot closer than they were when the holding offence actually happened. This means that if the referee's mental snap shot of the tactical offence is even a split scond too late, then the situation may look like a SPA. If the referee's mental snap shot of the tactical offence is at the actual moment of the foul, then the situation may look like a DOGSO.

Especially when the referee faces a counterattack, they are too focused on catching up with play or on the ball and its vicinity. They fail to scan the field to understand where the defenders are when the foul actually occurs.