Question Number: 18590

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 3/21/2008

RE: Adult

Al of Strathroy, ON CANADA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 18570

Hi Guys:

Continue to enjoy the QA.

I've been reading about the "inconsistencies" we face as officials when dealing with "extra persons" who deny obvious goal scoring opportunities when kicking away the ball.

I'd like to simplify thinking about the extra person (player, substituted player, or substitute) committing DOGSO (whether handled or kicked away). A Sending Off, as all of you agree, is fair. I contend that the Laws of the Game also support a Sending Off, regardless of the circumstance.

Here's how:
1. extra person enters field of play
2. Referee allows play to continue (advantage since ball is moving toward open goal).
3. extra person handles ball or kicks it away, denying an obvious goal scoring opportunity
4. referee now stops play to deal with misconduct (we all agree here)
*5*. referee must restart with IFK to attackers where ball was when play was stopped if extra person was a "sub", whether ball was handled, kicked, or otherwised stopped. IFK, PK, or DFK are options, depending on circumstances, if extra person was player outside the field of play (FIFA's additional instructions and guidelines [Law 3] describe the various restarts).
6. referee Sends Off extra person

*5* As soon as DOGSO restart is a free kick (IFK, DFK), Sending Off Offense #5 can apply (#6 for handling). "A p, s, or sp is sent off and show the red card if he commits any of the following ... offences: 5. Denies an obvious goal scoring opportunity to an opponent moving toward the player's (can also read substitute's or substituted player's) goal by an offence punishable by a free kick (DFK or IFK) or a penalty kick."

No need to mess with 2 yellow cards here when the illegel person is a "sub". Send the "sub" off (DOGSO 5 b/c all elements of DOGSO have been met and restart is an IFK) and include the illegal entry in the report.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Good thinking Al. Everything you say is true until the referee understands SO5 is not possible because the restart of play is established by Law 3 when advantage was played! There can be no other offence mentioned in Law 12 that a substitute or substituted player may be guilty of. He may be guilty of misconduct over and above kicking the ball, but it is not something falling under the last of the indirect free kick offences. The restart is forced by Law 3.

There is just one more tiny thing -- kicking the ball is not an offence under Law 12 unless it delays the restart of play and this is something a substitute may not be guilty of...

Regards,

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Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Sometimes what we want to do and what we can do are at odds! Sometimes we can stretch our discrestionary powers to shape the outcome as just and fair and sometimes we cannot! Sometimes what we do will not be what others will do.

It is difficult for some to understand that we can apply DOGSO by use of the hands the SAME for a substitute or substituted player or player although that action is a DFK penal FOUL to the player and only additional MISCONDUCT to a substitute or substituted player the fact is though the punishment is the same! A send off show the red card As all the 7 send offs apply or rather do they. Well number 4 applies but what about number 5?

4. Denies the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal scoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball (this does not apply to a goalkeeper within his own penalty area)

Why is it ok to kick the ball as it does exactly the same thing which allows an illegal person to deny a goal? Is it because of the way the number 5 send off offence is written?

5. Denies an obvious goal scoring opportunity to an opponent moving towards the player’s goal by an offence punishable by a free kick or a penalty kick.

Kicking a ball is NOT an offence of any kind by a player since it has not delayed the restart of play, as it is always a player's duty to defend. So is kicking a ball by a substitute or substituted player any different??

Now we must infer that a PLAYER is likely off the field to correct equipment or change a bloodied jersey or recover from injury or perhaps a late arrival with his team only fielding 10 players to start on the pitch as he makes 11 and decided it was more important to run back and stop the goal then wait for a referee to give the ok to reenter or enter the field.

The original question stated 12 thus we have an extra body and who is to say it was the illegal extra body that stopped the goal?. It might be because the referee SEES the 12th person run onto the field to do the deed. If this was so, hardly likely it was a player more likely a substitute, substituted player or an OUTSIDE agent of some type.

At first I thought a substitute or substituted player were given the same rights as the player in terms of what they could do.
Our problem is the substitute or substituted player is not committing an offence only a violation of law 3 procedures as such it does not apply as an free kick event that denies a goal in law 12.

LAW 3 Infringements/Sanctions
If a substitute enters the field of play without the referee’s permission:
-play is stopped;
-the substitute is cautioned, shown the yellow card and required to leave the field of play;
-play is restarted with an indirect free kick at the place the ball was located when play was stopped

Substitutes or substituted players are not bound by all the cautions because 4 specifically do not apply to them, ONLY to players.

A substitute or substituted player is cautioned and shown the yellow card if he commits any of the following three offences:
1. is guilty of unsporting behaviour
2. shows dissent by word or action
3. delays the restart of play

The problem in considering the law 3 violation of coming onto the field is an indfk restart for this infraction it is also cautionable under law 12 but ONLY for the player not the substitute or substituted player here it is considered an act of USB

Substitute or a substituted player
If a substitute or a substituted player enters the field of play without
permission
• the referee shall stop play (although not immediately if the player
in question does not interfere with play or if the advantage can be
applied)
• the referee shall caution him for unsporting behaviour
• the player shall leave the field of play
If the referee stops play, it shall be restarted with an indirect free kick
for the opposing team from the position of the ball when play was
stopped *

It is my belief that because we apply advantage to the law 3, the illegal entry we recognize it as a singular event and the further action that brings us back to the spot of the free kick, as advantage is NOT realized, as additional misconduct, not an offence , specifically, the kicking of the ball PREVENTING the goal by a being who has NO right to be there.
A player has a justifiable right whether or not he jumped the referee's decision giving him permission to play as kicking a ball is not something we deny a player UNLESS that ball was out of play then as dissent or delaying a restart possibly USB or VC if it was kicked at an opponent.

I still find that it is a reach in law if a substitute or substituted player kicks the ball to see it as additional misconduct if he entered the field solely to do that action. NOT just as one USB act to do both
(1) came onto the field when he was not allowed
(2) then stopped a goal with his foot
The fact is whether we see it as justice the disciplinary committee might very well disgree with you and as a result have a match replayed with some unhappy league officials.
Cheers


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Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Send off #4 under MISCONDUCT states you may send off ANYONE (well,subs,players, and substituted players) for denying a goal by deliberately handling the ball. Send off #5 says you can do this for denying a goal by committing an offense punishable by a free kick. Kicking the ball is not an offense punishable by a free kick.

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

See Question: 18602

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