Question Number: 35879

Law 18 - Common Sense 2/12/2025

Zluvka of Liberec, Liberec Region Czech Republic asks...

Hi, can the referee allow a player to leave the field while the ball is in play?

Then I don't understand this rule.

'free kicks for offences involving a player entering, re-entering or leaving
the field of play without permission are taken from the position of the ball
when play was stopped.'

I believe that free kicks are taken from the place of the infringement, not from the position of the ball. Is there an exception to this? Thank you, Zluvka

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Zluvka,

I would say that a referee can allow a player to leave the field while the ball is in play. For instance, although it's rare, I have seen cases where an injured player hobbles off the field to get treatment which would be given tacit or de facto approval by the referee. I say it's rare, because nowadays players mostly try to stay on the field when injured.

However in that case there's no offence so no free kick and the wording you quote would not apply.

Actually, that section of Law 13 seems to be in conflict with the wording in Law 12, which gives a different location for the IFK for a player leaving without permission, as follows:

"... an indirect free kick is awarded for leaving the field of play without the referee’s permission: the indirect free kick is taken from the point on the boundary line where the player left the field of play."

Since the provisions of Law 13 not only conflict with this, but also pose a bit of a logical conundrum, I believe that it's Law 12 that should be followed here.

To answer your other question - yes, there are exceptions to the general principle that free kicks are taken from the point of the infringement. In fact, the same section of Law 13 that you quote from, provides multiple examples of this.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Zluvka
This Law is to keep order on the game where it limits how a player can leave and re-enter the field of play.
Without these provisions it could be a free for all with players coming and going as they please.

As a general rule referees need to be informed of players leaving and re-entering the field of play. In the modern game teams do not want to play short so if a player has to leave it is done with the referees knowledge. Case in point is a player sliding over a boundary line and unable to return. In most case play may continue to the next stoppage unless it was a goalkeeper and the referee would then deal with it. That would never result in a caution with a free kick restart.

The more likely caution situation is where a player who is already off the field does not wait for permission to return and runs back on to the field of play most likely right into the action with opponents unaware of that. Obviously that would be unfair hence the caution and an IDFK from where the ball was at the stoppage.

In the situation where a player deliberately leaves the field of play a referee has to decide whether to intervene or not or simply wait until the next stoppage. Again the Law makes provision for this and the referee has to decide which sanction is required if any and the most appropriate restart.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Zluvka,
As my colleagues have reiterated, the laws of the game are not designed to punish players so much as they are designed to eliminate unfair play & then find the fairest way to restart the game after any stoppage. The LOTG can not always cover every idiosyncrasy that unfolds in a contested match where you as a neutral official can apply these laws as a blueprint to follow to decide or at least arrive at a decision that effectively deals with the situation.

The fact is grassroots football provides us with some truly individualistic actions likely not found at the elite level and likely true in reverse as well. Just look at the technical constraints & VAR influence at the elite and then think how does a CR all by themselves on a local pitch effectively deal with the weirdness of a hung over defender in a men's tournament runs off the field to puke in the bushes as the opposing teams mounts an attack sending in a player one on one with the keeper with our temporarily absent retching defender is 5 yards off the touchline behind a bush at or about 10 yds from the corner flag or at 30 yds? The exit point would be a consideration depending on the referee choosing to weigh all options!

The CR could mistakenly claim the attacker was offside because if he was UNAWARE that the defender exited, aside from the fact if it was or was NOT deliberate in truth if you as a player exit the FOP by momentum or for most any reason, NOT authenticated or authorized by the referee, the offside boundary line is determined by that action. If he was behind the goal line the defender would be classified as being ON the goal line for the purposes of an offside determination.

Timing of events and knowledge is crucial.
The events leading up would have to be KNOWN.
The team of CR and ARs are far more aware than just a single CR as are the team of official including 4th & VAR and all the gadgets in play at the elite feed in even greater information on which to base a final decision.

So whistle goes and THEN realization! Oops a player off the FOP by his own choice of which the CR was unaware of. Now the reasoning of not wanting to vomit on the FOP is certainly commendable so it is possible the CR is not going to caution him nor attach blame he needed to go thus de facto permission of sorts, but it STILL created an unfair situation, so the restart is either a DB or an INDFK from the exit point.

Issues arise if this offside location was INSIDE the PA a DB restart is in the keeper's favour for an accidental stoppage hardly seems fair thus the INDFK from the touchline seems MORE appropriate. Whereas the offside location of the involvement "which was NOT true, so IF the DB restart to compensate for the inadvertent stoppage was say just outside the PA and the exit point was further up field is it necessary to INDFK from there or can we flex some discretion?
Cheers