Question Number: 14363

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 11/4/2006

RE: National Adult

Muhammad Afzal Khan of Quetta, Pakistan asks...

This question is a follow up to question 111

Dear Sir,

I would like to ask one question with you and I hope you will send me as soon as possible.

Q.1: - Team (A) attacker kick the ball to goal mean also beat the goal keeper, and there The Team (B) substiuate one player was warmep outside the field of play and when he saw that the ball is going to goal so the substiuate player run very quickly and clear the ball from the own goal.

I hope you will understand that. Please tell me what action take a referee?

I am still waiting for your kindest and soonest reply.

Have a good time !

Best regards,


Muhammad Afzal Khan

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Hello Muhammad. This exact question has been covered at FIFA's Q&A site. If the substitute enters the field of play and kicks the ball with his foot and denies a goal, he is cautioned, shown the yellow card, and the restart is an IFK. Now, if the same substitute does the same thing only denies the goal with his HAND, the player is sent off for denying a goal or obvious goal scoring opportunity, shown the red card, and the restart is still an IFK. I don't want to try to guess at the logic here but I suspect that in the 7 send-off reasons in Law 12 #4. denies the opposing team a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball (this does not apply to a goalkeeper within his own penalty area) , is completely unambiguous. 5. denies an obvious goalscoring opportunity to an opponent moving towards the player?s goal by an offence punishable by a free kick or a penalty kick, is ambiguous in that the substitute did deny a goal by committing an offence punishable by a free kick, but it was not agains an opponent moving towards the player's goal.