Question Number: 29493

Law 8 - Start and Restart of Play 6/21/2015

RE: Competitive Under 15

Aaron Speca of Virginia Beach, VA USA asks...

Hey, it's been a while ... we've had some down time recently (injury) so I haven't had much opportunity to see calls I had questions about ... but we are back in action again! So here's one ...

Team A has unchallenged control of the ball in their defensive third. Referee decides to stop play to issue a yellow card to a Team B player on the sideline (not in the game, on the bench) for something she said. What is the proper restart if the CR does something like this?

(In our game, the restart was a drop ball that Team B ended up gaining control of and got a good and immediate scoring chance.)

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Aaron
The restart depends on the nature of the misconduct by, I assume, a substitute.
If the misconduct was off the filed of play it is a dropped ball restart from where play was stopped. If the misconduct was directed on to the field of play then it is an IDFK from where the ball was when play was stopped.
For example if a substitute threw a water bottle at another substitute the substitute is dismissed for violent conduct and the restart is a dropped ball. If the bottle was thrown by a substitute off the field of play at a player on the field of play the restart is an IDFK. Both restarts are from where the ball was when play was stopped.
In the case of verbal misconduct by a substitute the restart is a dropped ball from where the ball was when play was stopped.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Arron,
Given the information it was team B guilty of USB off the FOP and Team A had the ball, the referee could have waited until the ball was no longer in TEAM A's possession before stopping play or wait till a natural stoppage to caution and show a yellow card to the TEAM B player/substitute on the bench. Unfortunately we are limited in restart options for events off the FOP and while the LOTG do say if we stop play solely to show a card we could restart with an INDFK unfortunately this does not apply for events off the FOP. The drop ball restart from ball location is correct, unless the USB action was directed onto the field.
Perhaps the referee could have just waited for a better time but then what was said and its effect might have required his immediate attention. There is also the fact as an act of fair play TEAM B could have offered to give the ball back.
Cheers