Question Number: 30825

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 9/27/2016

RE: Under 14

Filippo of Palermo, Italy asks...

A defending player, while in his own penalty area, throws an object against the ball with his hands; the referee stops play. Most people have told me a penalty kick should be awarded, because this is no different from handling the ball (Law 12 confirms this).

But I think this is NOT true anymore under the new Laws of the Game. The player is in fact committing two different offences at the same time: handling the ball (penalty kick + no card 'per se'), and throwing an object against the ball (indirect free kick + yellow card for unsporting behaviour). Law 5 tells us to restart play according to the most serious offence.

If we were still in 2015, I would say that the most serious infringement is handling the ball because it incurs in a penalty kick; however, the IFAB has recently updated Law 5 so that the first criterion is now the DISCIPLINARY SANCTION, while the restart of play only comes after. Hence, I thought an indirect free kick should be the right choice because the offence yielding it is also punishable by a yellow card which is more serious than no card.

Of course, things would be different if handling the ball was also a misconduct in itself (e.g. if it stopped a promising attack: both offences would now yield an equal disciplinary sanction so the one incurring in a penalty kick would be the most serious one); but I think an indirect free kick should be the correct restart in every other situation, including the one I outlined.

Is my interpretation correct?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Filippo
I would refer you to page 82 of the current Laws of the Game as your interpretation is not correct. It states that hitting the ball with a thrown object (boot, shinguard, etc.) is a deliberate handling infringement. In fact it cannot be anymore deliberate. So there is no change to the law in that the thrown object is same as using the hand. It is just one offence not two.
As it is also unsporting behaviour the player is cautioned for his action in the same way as deliberately handling the ball to prevent the ball going to an opponent or breaking up a promising attack and the restart is a direct free kick from where the object hit the ball. If the object hit the ball inside the penalty area it is a penalty kick.
Indeed if the action denied a goal or scoring opportunity it is a red card for denying an obvious goal or scoring opportunity
Just a word of advice. Much of the Law has not changed and those that have are spelled out at the end of the current booklet. If it is not there there is no change .