Question Number: 19873

Law 5 - The Referee 9/4/2008

RE: Competitive Adult

Jack of Sydney, New South Wales Australia asks...

The advantage clause in Law 5 refers to 'an offence.' Are only infractions of Law 12 considered offences, and if not, is it possible to play advantage from infractions which would result in IDFKs being awarded to the opponents as outlined in Laws 13, 14, 15, 16, 17?

Alternately, what if it was an infraction of one of these Laws (13-16) that resulted in a DFK (ie DHB (not the DHB in Law 12))? Could advantage be played then?

Finally, can DOGSO by an offence punishable by a free kick be applied to these infractions in Laws 13-16? (obviously unlikely for Law 14)

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

The position of the USSF is that only Law 12 violations are subject to advantage. Other countries' FA's may not have that restriction. FIFA itself has mentioned advantage in other contexts, particularly Law 3.

Infractions of Laws 13-16 do not result in DFK's - only the fouls listed in Law 12 do. When for example Law 13 mentions a direct free kick if the second touch is also handling the ball, all that is saying is that the Law 12 offense has priority because it is more severe.

I cannot come up with any reasonable scenario that would result in DOGSO, although it would be technically possible, I suppose.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Jack,
bet you can not say that too often in an airport.
Sorry I am feeling a mite goofy at the moment.
A moment of bad punditry!

What I think many people overlook is law 12 covers all misconduct that applies to other laws and the cautionary and send offable actions for example that apply to law 3 are contained in law 12.

IT is a cautionary offence to either enter or leave the field without permission note that MISCONDUCT is listed in law 12 and referenced in law 3 as being the SAME!

LAW3 additional instructions
Player outside the field of play
If, a player re-enters the field of play without the referee's permission, the referee must:
? stop play (although not immediately if the player does not interfere
with play or if the advantage can be applied)
Substitute or substituted player
If a substitute or a substituted player enters the fi eld of play without
permission:
? the referee must stop play (although not immediately if the player
in question does not interfere with play or if the advantage can be
applied)

LAW 12
Cautionable Offences
A player is cautioned and shown the yellow card if he commits the following offence:
? entering or re-entering the field of play without the referee's
permission

There are CERTAIN aspects of each law where advantage cannot be applied as they are SPECIFIC to that law.

For example an incorrectly taken throw in goes to an opponent since that throw in is going to be retaken and awarded to the opponent if it was advantagous to let the opponent continue why can the referee simply choose not to whistle and let play continue? Simply because there is a specific action that has certain requirements that MUST be met!

Look at the goal kick law 16 or any defending free kick from their penalty area law 13 for a ball to be in play it MUST travel outside the 18 yard area. No matter what transpires, the only option if something is incorrect is to retake.

? The kicker must not play the ball again until it has touched another Player
? Opponents remain outside the penalty area until the ball is in play
? The kicker must not play the ball again until it has touched another player
? The ball is in play when it is kicked directly out of the penalty area

If you read law 13, 14,15, 16, 17 it states that it is IMPOSSIBLE to score against yourself on ANY restart.

LAW 13
? if a direct free kick is kicked directly into the team's own goal, a
corner kick is awarded to the opposing team
? if an indirect free kick is kicked directly into the opponents' goal,
a goal kick is awarded
? if an indirect free kick is kicked directly into the team's own goal,
a corner kick is awarded to the opposing team

LAW 15 A goal cannot be scored directly from a throw-in.
LAW 16 A goal may be scored directly from a goal kick, but only against the opposing team.
LAW 17 A goal may be scored directly from a corner kick, but only against the opposing team.

What it also states that IF the kicker or thrower replays the ball a second time it is an indfk from that point UNLESS it is deliberately handled then a DFK could apply depending on location inside or outside the PA and who does it,ie? keeper versus player.

This is in my opinion where controversy lies, whether advantage applies to these rare moments. In my opinion NO ADVANTAGE is possible on a second touch restart violation as it contradicts the overriding concept that it is impossible to score against yourself from a restart and whether you kick the ball into your own goal or make it possible for an opponent to do so it goes against the restart mentality. It is a restart violation. NO DOGSO can be attributed to a second touch as no goal could directly be scored anyway.

I think in terms of handles the ball deliberately which becomes a DFK on a restart second touch violation for a player inside or outside the PA and only outside for a keeper while a DFK or PK in the case of a player inside or in the case of a keeper inside an INDFK ,could be awarded no DOGSO could apply

THIS type of second touch by the same player who takes the free kick or throw in is COMPLETELY different than a second touch by the keeper when he retouches the ball with his hands after releasing it from his hands or receiving the ball from a team mate . While the INDFK for a second touch applies to the keeper and an INDFK for the use of his hands on a direct throw in from a team mate or a deliberate kick of the ball from a team mate if that ball in regulation play was mishandled by the keeper a goal CAN result and if a nearby opponent could follow through advantageously to possess or control the deflected ball there is every reason to allow it unlike the second touch of a RESTART.

Law 11 is another controversial point where some will say advantage could apply. In fact I have seen the advantage signal used after a raised offside flag was waved down to allow play to continue. While I hold the personal opinion this was NOT advantage per law 5 it was in fact NOT offside in the opinion of the referee. It was a too early flag or a lucky circumstance that no one was hurt. In my opinion offside is a yes or no equation. The fact that a possible collision of an offside opponent and the keeper or defender is imminent it is a JUDGMENT if the need to flag overrides the possibility of impact or upon seeing the keeper has ball control thus resetting offside parameters.

In these rare moments of iffiness I find the technical infractions where a simple loss of ball possession more than adequately addresses the FAIR PLAY aspects.

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 19941