Question Number: 32415

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 4/30/2018

RE: Competitive Under 19

Keith Turner of Las Vegas, NV USA asks...

Law 12 says an infraction against a match official results in a DFK/PK, so I assume that would include dissent for which play is stopped to issue a YC, even after the ball has been booted halfway up the field by the defender? Or would that fall into the IFK default category when there is no specific sanction listed?

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Keith,
The IFAB has actually been at pains to point out that the DFK/PK provision does NOT apply to verbal offences such as dissent, it is only for physical offences against a match official.

In the Q&A section for Law 12, we find the following:

''Q7: What is the restart if the referee stops play for dissent/offensive language etc.?
If the referee stops play to penalise a player for dissent/offensive language etc. the restart is an IDFK.''

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Keith
One of the challenges with this amendment to the Law was that some referees interpreted the change like you have here. The IFAB came out to clarify this, after an onslaught of questions, by stating that it only relates to physical contact.
Dissent is still punished by a caution and an INDIRECT free kick as in the past.
Personally I think that once there is a physical offence against a referee the game is over and the restart is irrelevant. I know the principle that IFAB is trying to espouse yet I think it muddied the water on what happens more regularly which is verbal.
Every single situation that I have seen or heard of involving a physical offence on a referee or assistant the game was already stopped. The advice in our association is that the game is abandonded and the matter reported to all the appropriate authorities.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Keith,
the correct restart would be an INDFK for stopping to deal with dissent.
this new alteration of the LOTG created some issues at first but has been clarified that only physical misconduct is a DFK or PK restart. The only dfk restart that I know of is a player was cautioned for recklessly running into the AR in trying to get down along the touchline.

When the referee is actually physically assaulted a match most often is abandoned. Although there has been an odd cheap shot at running into officials on the guile of Oh sorry did not see you there,more like I did not care you were there most often altercations occur after play is already stopped and player's surround and begin hassling unappreciated decisions
I am appalled though that it is an INDFK for ABUSE as that should be considered as an assault and a DFK Cheers