Question Number: 21851

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 8/28/2009

RE: Competetive Adult

Scott Burry of San Francisco, CA USA asks...

Law 12 Fouls & Misconduct; In our 2008/2009
LOTG regarding Non-Penal fouls, which draw an Indirect Free Kick, there are 8 events which are referred to as non-penal fouls drawing an indirect free kick in response. The last one listed says

Commits any other offense, not previously mentioned

in Law 12, for which play is stopped to issue a caution or send off.'

My initial question was......

What other offense (is being referred to), which is not previously mentioned in Law 12, for which play is stopped to issue a caution or a send off?

The answer i was given was:
?1) Attempts to deceive the referee by feigning injury.

?2) Attempts to deceive the referee by pretending to have been fouled (simulation).

?3) Acts in a manner that shows lack of respect for the game.

?4) Plays the ball when he is walking off the field of play after being granted permission to leave the field of play.

?5) Verbally distracts an opponent during play.

?6) Uses a deliberate trick while the ball is in play to pass the ball to his own goalkeeper with his head, chest, knees, etc. in order to circumvent the law, irrespective of whether the goalkeeper touches the ball with his hands or not.

1) Regarding # 3; Are there any examples of showing a lack of respect for the game?

2) Regarding # 6; Are there specific examples of a deliberate trick to pass the ball to his own GK?

3) Regarding # 6; What if the GK doesn't use his hands, to play the ball in this 'trick' situation, How is there any violation of the LOTG if the GK doesn't use his hands?

Thank you

Scott Burry

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

When play is stopped for misconduct on the field of play that is not a foul (by a player against an opposing player while the ball is in play) the restart will be an indirect free kick. Examples include the play is stopped because a substitute entered the field in violation of law 3; acts of misconduct by players that are not also fouls: dissent, unsporting behavior (you list several examples) .

The USSF posts on its website a memoranda on Cautions and Cautionable Offenses which gives a number of examples of each type of cautionable offsense. Bringing the game into disrepute , for example, includes a defender hanging from the crossbar to stop a goal; and one player lifting and throwing a teammate higher to be able to head the ball .

When the defender uses a trick to evade the IFK foul of deliberately kicking the ball back to the keeper, it is not a foul if the keeper doesn't touch the ball. But, the misconduct is unsporting behavior, and play can be stopped as soon as the defender commits the misconduct (rendering moot whether or not the keeper will touch the ball).
If

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

This simply means that an indirect free kick is awarded if play is stopped for misconduct.

Regarding #6 this specifically refers to a player flipping the ball with his feet to his head either during active play or at the taking of a free kick and heading the ball to his keeper to circumvent the Law. It doesn't matter what the keeper does. the misconduct is the trickery of the teammate and play stops at the moment he performs the trickery which is misconduct. The restart of an indirect free kick is at the point of the misconduct

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

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