Question Number: 30292

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 4/14/2016

RE: Competitive Adult

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

There are five minutes remaining in a match between the top of the table (red team) and the bottom of the table (blue team). The match has been extremely one-sided, with the score at 7 - 0 to the red team. The red team are playing the second-placed team next week in the last match of the season and require a win or draw in that match to win the league. It is in their interest to avoid any injuries or suspensions.

A blue striker, with an obvious goalscoring opportunity, is fouled by a red defender who is making a genuine attempt to win the ball on the edge of the penalty area, on the far side of the field to the assistant referee. The red defender who committed the foul is the star player and captain for the red team and has single-handedly made a number of goal saving tackles and set up most of the red attacks leading to goals.

You, as the referee, believe the offence occured inches outside of the penalty area, but you aren't entirely sure, given that play broke quickly and your angle was not as square as it should have been. Therefore, you award a direct free kick to blue, and send-off the red defender for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity by committing an offence punishable by a free kick.

However, the red team and blue team are both strongly insisting that the offence occurred half a metre inside the penalty area and it should have resulted in a penalty kick. You check with the assistant referee, and she states that she is unsure as to whether the offence occurred inside or outside the penalty area, since it took place on the far side of the field to her.

When you return to set up for the free kick, both teams continue to insist that a penalty kick should have been awarded. The sent-off red player is refusing to leave the field of play unless the blue team is awarded a penalty kick. You ask him to leave the field, but he says 'Don't tell me to go away, I'm the captain. Come on ref, everyone here except you thinks it was in the box (sic). It's 7 - 0. Can't you just give it to them? You're spoiling it for both teams.'

What action would you take based on the 2015/16 Laws of the Game. Would this change if the match was played under the 2016/17 edition of the Laws?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Jack
Nice on paper yet highly unlikely. Anyway the decision is that as the referee awarded the direct free kick and there is no information to believe that it was inside the penalty area then that is what the referee goes with. If there is a genuine attempt of Fair Play the referee could change his mind and award the penalty kick. I would be somewhat careful about that change of decision.
Under the new amendments to the Law which comes into affect in June 2016 it is a much more significant decision and the appeal by the defender that it is a penalty is not likely to be in the spirit of fair play yet rather for personal interests. The penalty award under the new amendment then allows the defender to be cautioned rather than sent off. On the free kick scenario it is still a red card for a DOGSO.
Put it another way. If it was 0-0 would the player be claiming it was a penalty then?Do not think so.
The referee has a responsibility to uphold the Laws and to protect the interests of the game only.

Answer provided by Referee James Sowa

Jack,

Under the current LOTG, the red card would be shown regardless as the location of the free kick is irrelevant. As the referee, you believe that the foul was outside the area and no information you have received from the referee team has changed that. Award the free kick.

Under the 2016/17 LOTG, if you decided to award a penalty instead, the guilty player could be shown a caution since he made an honest attempt to play the ball.

As to the player that was sent off. Tell him to leave the field of play or the match will be terminated, being the 'captain' does not entitle him to any special privilege. Note the incident in your game report.

Finally, while it is important to note the circumstances of the match (position in the table, schedule, disciplinary issues, etc..), You can not balk at making the correct decision (sending off the player) just to save him for next week.