Question Number: 30896

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 10/14/2016

RE: Select / Competitive Under 17

Brad of Plymouth, Michigan United States asks...

This question is a follow up to question 30890

This question is the 'gift that keeps on giving' for me, as the answers raise other questions.

Referee Voshol responded:
'It's not a foul, it's misconduct. Specifically unsporting behavior.

The restart for starting play for misconduct that is not a foul is an indirect free kick. Since it's an offense that is punished with a free kick and it denied an obvious goal scoring opportunity, it's upgraded to a sendoff.'

From this answer, I would interpret that 'DFK=FOUL' and 'IFK=MISCONDUCT'.

I had understood that the eight DFK and eight IFK offenses are all 'Fouls', and that 'Misconduct' is a situation for which a yellow card or red card is assessed.

So in this scenario, by my understanding there is a Foul (resulting in an IFK) and there is a Misconduct (DOGSO-F), but this seems at odds with Referee Voshol's definition. Have I misinterpreted the LOTG in this regard?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Brad
Misconduct is any conduct by a player that is deemed by the referee to warrant a disciplinary sanction either a caution or a dismissal. Misconduct may include acts which are, additionally, fouls. Misconduct may occur at any time, including when the ball is out of play, during half-time and before and after the game, and both players and substitutes may be sanctioned for misconduct. This is unlike a foul, which is committed by a player, on the field of play, and only against an opponent when the ball is in play.
Law as states that it is an IDFK restart if a player commits any other offence, not mentioned in the Laws, for which play is stopped to caution or send off a player. In this case play was stopped to issue a card for denying an obvious goal. The player did not commit any of the listed fouls in Law 12.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Brad,
to award a DFK only for a foul has changed given misconduct alone can result in a DFK or PK restart as those non players, ( subs and bench personal) are now held to be player status should they unfairly intervene in the same way as any player. So what used to be drop balls or indfks are now dfk status events. A LARGE change of dynamics. There are still outside agents, fans, a loose dog etc.. that warrant drop ball restart for intervention.

Granted if the ball is in play and a referee decides to STOP the match SOLELY to show a card, be it of any color, the restart under the LOTG is an INDFK. Lets take a player say hassling the AR after a non offside call. That dissent or violent conduct depending on what transpires is misconduct, his actions although NOT a foul, still warrant immediate intervention, yellow shown for the USB or the red card and send off for VC reducing them a player. The referee stops play, after showing the card, deals with the consequences and awards the INDFK in favour of the team not committing the infringement so they have ball possession. We rarely apply advantage in situations of possible violence, although we might delay for say a ball rolling into the goal as we call it swallowing the whistle to effect an equitable outcome.
A foul requires the ball to be in play, and an opponent, the fact the bench personal and events just off the field can still result in the same free kicks as fouls is certainly a new wrinkle but in truth seems imminently fair . Misconduct that REQUIRES disciplinary action, can occur on or off the field, with or without the ball in play , with or without a player, an opponent or during, after or even before a match.
A foul can have elements of misconduct attached but is not a certainty whereas any cautionable misconduct requires a showing of the yellow card and excessive or violent misconduct requires a showing of a red card and expulsion. DFKS restarts are a product of the 10 penal fouls not 8 whereas INDFKS restarts are infractions or infringements such as the 4 illegal handling violations by the keeper, impeding, PIADM, Preventing the goalkeeper from releasing the ball from his hand or if a player commits any other offence, not mentioned in the Laws, for which play is stopped to caution or send off a player There are other INDFK restarts for technical violations such as offside LAW 11 and 2nd touches FREE kicks or throw ins .
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Many forms of misconduct come along with a foul - a reckless tackle for example.

But some are stand-alone infractions, with no foul involved. You don't need to have a foul to have an indirect free kick.

It's interesting that although Law 12 is called Fouls and Misconduct, no fouls are ever defined. Instead, DFK's and IFK's are proscribed for a number of offenses.

And one of those IFK's is, 'commits any other offence, not mentioned in the Laws, for which play is stopped to caution or send off a player.'