Question Number: 35885

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 2/20/2025

Crebs Crem of Zagreb, Croatia asks...

Hi,

I would like to ask a question about the recent league match between Heerenveen and Fortuna Sittard.

Before the goal kick of Fortuna Sittard, the number of Fortuna Sittard players became 12 by a mistake. Fortuna Sittard won a throw in and the referee took the extra player off the pitch. Then, Fortuna Sittard won a corner kick, scored a goal and got 1 point in the end of the day. If the extra player had contributed to phase of play which led to goal of his team, would authorities invalidate the match? If yes, would it be a rematch, replay of the minutes after the mistake, or a forfeit (0-3) against Fortuna Sittard?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Crebs
The Laws of the Game state and I Quote
** If a team official, substitute, substituted or sent-off player or outside agent enters the field of play, the referee must:
#  only stop play if there is interference with play
# have the person removed when play stops
#  take appropriate disciplinary action

It furthers states
**If, after a goal is scored, the referee realises, before play restarts, that an extra person was on the field of play when the goal was scored, and that person interfered with play:
# the referee must disallow the goal if the extra person was:
# a player, substitute, substituted player, sent-off player or team official of the team that scored the goal play is restarted with a direct free kick from the position of the extra person**

So my understanding was that a substituted player did not leave and remained on the field of play for a very short period of time. When that extra player’s presence was identified the substituted player was removed. It was unclear if the 12th player interfered with play. However as play was not stopped by the referee it is unlikely to restart with a free kick.
The goal was scored after that when it was 11 v 11 so the correct decision was made by the referee and no way would the result be changed or the basis for a replay in my opinion etc.

It was an unfortunate error which happens in games. I saw it in one Youth game where a player was supposedly exiting on the far side of the field yet failed to do so. It was picked up by an AR when he realised that the team had 12. The player was cautioned and removed and that was the end of it.

If a goal had been scored with 12 players that is a different matter entirely but that did not happen here. Teams try to get game results changed based on an offence incident rather than an error in Law. There does not appear to be an error in Law here.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Crebs,
a referee has zero authority to decide what the CA (competition authorities) might decide to do if one team should choose to protest a match. A referee can only apply the LOTG and if there is a mistake, as it appears a 12th player was briefly playing, once he notices, he fixes it as per how the LOTG permit. What occurs after is not something attributed to that event. Once the error was known, as no goal was scored and the player was removed, the match simply goes on about its business.

Possibly you are thinking was it fair of the team to restart with the extra player at their goal kick, then due to their attacking pressure win a throw in with the extra player as a participant only to THEN be cautioned & directed to stay off the FOP and as a result of throw-in, then win a corner, is there an issue that the LOTG cannot deal with? Could the opposition have received an INDFK or DFK due to the 12th participant rather then the team with 12 having what possibly proved to be an advantageous throw in? Only if the referee had felt the 12th player had directly played a direct role in that immediate stoppage might there have been actual interference. Given all aspects of the LOTG were dealt with the referee decision as a fact of play remains final.
Cheers