Question Number: 31559

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 5/24/2017

RE: AYSO Under 15

Jef Reiner of Captain Cook, Hawaii USA asks...

As a beginning referee I would like clarification on fouls and misconduct. Law 12 explains misconduct very well, but I want to make sure that my understanding is correct. Fouls are awarded DFK or IFK and are only awarded a yellow or red card, if the foul also is a misconduct.
Yellow and red cards are only awarded for an infringement of a misconduct?
For a yellow or red card a foul has to be a misconduct, but a misconduct does not have to be a foul?

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Correct on all points. The thing to remember is that the offense itself determines the restart per Law 12. Misconduct goes above and beyond the offense itself with the careless/reckless/excessive force scale. And some misconduct, like dissent or offensive/insulting/abusive language, are misconducts in their own right and do not involve fouls at all.

However it is interesting to note that although Law 12 is called 'Fouls and Misconduct' there is not anything in the Law that says, 'These things are Fouls.' Everything is an offense.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Jef
The following conditions must be met for an offence to be considered a foul.
# It must be committed by a player.
# It must occur on the field of play or just over a boundary line as part of play.
# It must occur while the ball is in play.
A foul can have a direct free kick restart / penalty kick or an indirect free kick restart.
In addition cards are issued if the foul is reckless or uses excessive force or tactical in nature.
Reckless is when a player acts with disregard to the danger to, or consequences for, an opponent and must be cautioned
Using excessive force is when a player exceeds the necessary use of force and endangers the safety of an opponent and must be sent off.
Direct and indirect free kicks and penalty kicks can only be awarded for offences and infringements committed when the ball is in play.
Misconduct only can have a direct, indirect or dropped ball restart depending on the nature of the misconduct and against whom

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Jef,
welcome to the ranks of the thick skinned & theoretically blind! I think you have a good read on things.

The new LOTG that permit incidents off the FOP or by a team member or official of that team in the technical areas to count as if he was a player & on the FOP has challenged some of our old school explanations.
The only holdover is direct and indirect free kicks and penalty kicks can only be awarded for offences and infringements committed when the ball is in play

The issue is Misconduct can occur ANYTIME by ANYONE & ANYWHERE!
So the action may be inappropriate, unsporting, careless, reckless, excessive SFP or violent VC on or off the field while the ball is in or out of play

Fouls can be any of these offences or infringements but there are different type of offences as in penal offences of which there are 11 listed that are punished with DFK or PK restarts of which 7 are awarded if a player commits any of the following offences against an opponent in a manner considered by the referee to be careless, reckless or using excessive force
This is in contrast to the 4 penal fouls that only require they occur. The impeding with contact is in truth more a version of a holding or pushing or charging foul but obviously they decided to break it into a definitive dfk versus indfk distinction

Technical breeches of the procedures and infringements where noncontact events occur will only result in INDFK or possibly a repeat of the original restart. Here we are talking about double touches, illegal keeper handling , incorrectly taken pks or throw ins, offside violation

Misconduct can be independent of the game & of the players as well as part of play on the field. The difference in the restart is based on who where and when? As DFK, INDFK , DROP BALL or a repeat of the restart are all possibilities

Cheers