Question Number: 30717

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 9/5/2016

RE: Competitive Adult

Jack of Sydney, NSW Australia asks...

This question is a follow up to question 30710

Thanks for clarifying this.

Just so I understand the restart location (which could be the crucial difference between a penalty kick or direct free kick):

- if a substitute enters the field and kicks the ball, or handles the ball, is the offence deemed to have occurred at the position of the ball?

- if a substitute enters the field and otherwise legally challenges an opponent, is the offence deemed to have occurred where the opponent was located?

- if a substitute enters the field and fouls an opponent, is the offence deemed to have occurred where the contact occurs or would have occurred?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Jack
The wording of the new law uses interference. For interference to happen clearly the substitute has to have an impact on play. So in the case of kicking the ball, handling the ball, challenging an opponent or fouling an opponent the DFK is taken from where that interference occurred. So the location would be where the player stopped the ball, tackled the player etc. If that interference is inside the penalty area the restart is a penalty kick.
An example would be where a substitute warming up behind the goal runs on to challenge an opponent in the penalty area. Should the referee stop play to deal with that interference it is a penalty kick restart after the substitute is cautioned and removed from the field of play.
In practise I believe that the referee should wait until the last moment to make the call as in the case of a foul, ball being blocked or tackle the interference can be determined to have taken place at that exact location. That is line with the law which states that the referee should only stop play if there is interference with play. Some will be clear cut such as stopping the ball in the goal area. Others will prove perhaps more difficult such as on the penalty area line. In the past the location of the ball when play was stopped was the location of the restart. That still may be a good rule of thumb as to the location of the interference if it unclear.
Also just think about it. How many IDFKs did you ever awarded for the offence of a substitute entering the FOP in the past to interfere with play? In those case the IDFK was taken from the location of the ball when play was stopped which probably were close together anyway. It is not an offence that is going to challenge many officials very often.