Question Number: 32591

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 7/14/2018

RE: Competive Under 15

Doug Crawford of Oakland, CA US asks...

Restart of play after fouls and misconduct
I was reading the new LOTG 2018-2019 and noted some interesting changes (this year or recently):
Law 12, p109
'4. Restart of play after fouls and misconduct against:
¢ an opponent " indirect or direct free kick or penalty kick¨
¢ a team-mate, substitute, substituted or sent off player, team official or a match official " a direct free kick or penalty kick '

This seems like a special dispensation for fouls against non-players. Does this include "technical fouls", i.e., Indirect Kick fouls, that then lead to a DFK or PK?
This could be a player committing an INDK foul against a sub, such as PIADM or OffInABus. The sub could have come onto the field, the player could have left the field, or the player could simply have shouted over the boundary line.
- (Obviously a good reason to keep the area behind the goal clear of people, but I have seen subs on TV warming up behind the goal line.)
It could also include a player committing dissent or OffInABus against a referee, with or without a card.

Again - does this mean that an INDK offense by a player, against a sub, ref, coach, etc (not a spectator), always results in a DFK or PK?

Thanks for your advice /Doug

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Doug
Verbal / gesture offences are punished with an indirect free kick even if there is a caution or sending-off. Some had wrongly interpreted the direct free kick for a 'offences against a match official' to include dissent etc. but it only applies to physical offences. That was clarified last year.
Also it would have to be a physical offence such as violent conduct to be committed against a team-mate, substitute, substituted or sent off player, team official or a match official which is why a a direct free kick or penalty kick is awarded.
in the case of playing in a dangerous manner that is a playing offence so it would only be committed by a player against an opponent which has an IDFK restart.
I would make the point that when this was introduced in 2016 the reasoning given was the punishment for an offence against another participant reflects the seriousness of such an action e.g. football sends out a weak/poor message if an offence against a match official is only an indirect free kick.
Offences involving team mates, substitutes, team official, match official would not be playing offences yet rather striking, violent conduct, spitting etc. It would also be expected that entry on to the FOP by substitutes, substituted player, team officials in playing situations would result in play being stopped for interference and a DFK for that offence.