Question Number: 31623

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 6/29/2017

RE: Competitive Adult

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

This question is a follow up to question 31622

Thanks Joe for your answer. I agree that is is very unclear, and could use some further clarification by IFAB.

Do you have a copy of or link to the correspondence from Mr Elleray and IFAB that you have referred to in this answer? I would be very interested to read it.

To vary this scenario a little further to include a far more common scenario - what restart would you apply if a substitute was to direct dissent or abusive language towards the referee and play was stopped to caution or send them off?

I can't find this one listed in the Laws either, and for that reason my guess would be that it would also be a dropped ball. I'm also guessing that this would be the same for a listed team official for which play was stopped to remove them.

In contrast, by reading the text in Law 12, Section 4, if this was a player temporarily off the field of play for which play was stopped to caution or send-them off for verbal offences, the restart here would instead be an indirect free kick on the closest boundary line, right?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Jack
The reply from IFAB was by way of email from Mr Elleray.
The difference with the dissent, offensive insulting and abusive language situation is that the action has an effect ON the field of play by a player or a substitute off the field of play . Throwing an object from off to on the field of play is treated as ON the FOP for offence purposes.
So my take would be that it is an IDFK from on the boundary line nearest to where the offence occurred.
The LotG is explicit that verbal offences are punished with an indirect FK.

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Jack,
You are right that this is not specifically addressed in the Laws. The nearest situation I can find is where the law says that ''If a substitute [...] throws or kicks an object onto the field of play and it interferes with play, an opponent or match official, play is restarted with a direct free kick (or penalty kick).''

However, as Ref McHugh points out, the law specifies that a direct free kick can only be given for a physical offence against a match official and so I agree with him that the decision should be an indirect free kick on the boundary line nearest where the offence took place.

I would also mention that in instances that I have seen where a substitute or team official is showing dissent or using abusive language this is often dealt with at the next stoppage in play so the restart would be based on the reason play had been stopped.

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 31656