Question Number: 32175

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 1/18/2018

RE: Adult

John robison of Sunderlland, Uk asks...

A player is in the opinion of the referee fouled in the opposition' s penalty box. He also thinks the attacker has overreacted and dived.

Can both a penalty be awarded and the attacking player be booked

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi John
Referees are used to seeing some players exaggerating on fouls usually to ensure that the foul is awarded. If it is a foul exaggeration is not simulation. The referee could though caution a player for simulation on an injury and trying to get a player cautioned. That though can be difficult to determine as once there is contact and a foul a referee can find it difficult to determine whether the injury is real or not. He should make the decision based on the foul not on the reaction if the player.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI John,
technically yes, rarely though.
Although there is a subtle difference in selling a foul as opposed to creating the ground work for an imaginary one.
I have on a very few occasions carded a player for trying to get the other opponent carded as they writhe about waving the hand as if I should be showing a card. I generally warn players that I will make those decisions but IF they persistently whine or snivel I could lose patience & have shown a card to those fixated on doing so, either as dissent or USB! It is more to do with body language, eyes, facial expressions & verbal sarcasm as opposed to over looking compassion or considering the pain thresholds as weak or strong. .
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi John,
Under the law in force up until 2016 I would have said no. Based on the wording used up to that point, simulation was defined as only pretending to have been fouled or feigning injury. A player can't pretend to be fouled if they actually were fouled. Then, in 2016, the definition was changed slightly to include the two little letters 'e.g.' and now reads as follows:

''attempts to deceive the referee e.g. by feigning injury or pretending to have been fouled (simulation)''

So theoretically I suppose, you could argue that simulation is no longer confined to only those two possibilities and a player could be guilty of simulation even when they were actually fouled. I'm not sure that the intent of the law change was meant to be read that way though and I would say it would be highly unusual, not to say almost unprecedented, to both award a free kick for a foul and then caution the player on the receiving end of the foul. Although I am given to understand that this has occurred on one or two occasions, I must say that I personally have never witnessed this in a game that I have watched either in person or on TV.