Question Number: 35636

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 8/1/2024

RE: Adult

Peter of Melbourne , Victoria Australia asks...

A player spits at a spectator near the halfway line when the ball is in play. What are the possible restarts?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Peter
Thanks for the question

A spectator is deemed an outside agent and spitting is a dismissal offence. The restart is different for incidents involving players, substitutes, team officials that is anyone on the match card.

So the referee will show the player a red card and the restart is an indirect free kick from where the player left the field of play to commit the offence against a spectator.

If the spectator came on to the field of play the restart is a drópped ball from where the ball was when play was stopped.

The reality is that a single lone official is going to find this offence a difficult one to identify. Unless a referee is close to the incident or it is seen by an assistant who is close then it may be difficult to determine what in fact happened.
The easy part is a player leaving the field of play which on its own is a caution and an IDfK. The difficult part is seeing the spitting action.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi peter,
Spitting is considered as violent conduct and treated as a dismissal offence, not USB which is a disgusting action of disrespect but with the advent of airborne diseases through personal contact such as Covid, etc. an actual attack like striking the person.
Thus the player would be shown the red card, his team would be reduced to ten and the opposition would receive an indfk from where the spitter left the FOP or a DB if the spectator (as an outside agent) was actually on the FOP at the time of the occurrence.

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

See Question: 35639