Question Number: 29949

11/30/2015

RE: Adult

Amanda of Tampa, Fl Usa asks...

A player spits a teammate. Is it a drop ball, penalty kick, direct free kick, or indirect free kick?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Amanda
The player is dismissed and shown a red card. The restart is an indirect free kick from where the team mate was located where the spit made CONTACT or would have had it been successful. Usually players are close together when this happens.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Amanda,
tsk tsk if you as a coach have team mates spitting at one another you need to teach them about respect. Aside from disgusting as a act of MISCONDUCT against a non opponent there are only two restarts that can apply, INDFK and a Drop Ball! The DFK/PK could only apply if this was a FOUL against an opponent.
The INDFK is the restart for when the ball is in play and the spitting occurs on the field of play
A Drop Ball is the restart for when the ball is in play but the spitting occurs OUTSIDE the field of play.
If play is STOPPED for another reason already whereby the ball is NOT in play the spitting act is still MISCONDUCT and still a send off, show the red card but the restart remains the same.
The send off and being shown the red card is a given for the act of spitting, the restart depends on the where and when, whether your team is short a player will depend if the spitter was a player, if so, then your team will play a man down. If the spitter is a substitute or substituted player then although he is sent off your team is not down a player.
Cheers