Question Number: 22067

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 9/24/2009

RE: Amateur adult and also for High School Adult

Billy of NH, NC usa asks...

What would be the proper restart? Keeper standing in his penalty area throws the ball at an opponent and strikes the player who is outside the penalty area but on the pitch during active play. Would the restart be different for High School and FIFA laws? Would the restart be a Penalty kick or a direct kick? Also same scenario but this time the keeper takes off his shoe and throws it and strikes an opponent. Is the shoe an outside agent or still part of the player?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Billy
This was a question that was posed in FIFA's Question and Answers in the Laws of the Game and I quote
' While the ball is in play, a player standing inside his own penalty area throws an object at an opponent standing outside the penalty area.
What action does the referee take?
He stops play and sends off the player who threw the object for violent conduct. Play is restarted with a direct free kick to the opponents' team taken from the place where the offence occurred, e.g. where the object struck or would have struck the opponent.'
So in your scenario the ball is an object same as a boot, water bottle etc so it would be a direct free kick where it struck the opponent and a red card for violent conduct for the thrower.

The only caveat I would make is that the referee should ensure that when the ball is involved that it is violent conduct and not part of normal play. An example could be where an opponents runs across in front of the goalkeeper to prevent release and get hits by the thrown ball. But that would be plainly obvious to the astute referee.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

If the action of the keeper was deliberate, then the keeper should be sent off for violent conduct.

The offense is striking or attempting to strike an opponent. The direct free kick restart will occur where the striking took place, not from where the ball or shoe or other object was thrown. Because it is a DFK offense, if the striking takes place inside the penalty area, it will be a PK, in addition to the sending off.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

The is no difference between a thrown ball or thrown shoe involving the keeper. It's striking at the location of the target. There can be a big difference between a thrown shoe and thrown ball for a field player. While a thrown shoe is still striking, the field player commits the DFK foul of handling as soon as the ball is touched (restart is where the handling occurred). For a field player, the foul is picking up the ball, and the misconduct is throwing it.

NFHS high school rules are similar.