Question Number: 14931

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 3/3/2007

RE: competive Under 14

rose of bloomington, indiana usa asks...

what is the diference between fouls and misconduct?

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Fouls occur, by definition, while the ball is in play,by players on the field and only against opponents. Misconduct can occur anytime between any of the players or substitutes involved in a soccer match

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

A foul can only occur if a legitamate player while on the field of play while the ball is in ball performs any of the listed fouls or infringments stated in the laws AGAINST an OPPONENT. There are technical fouls where INDFKs are awarded as well as the 10 penal fouls where a DFK restart is required and if occuring inside the penalty area of the defending team an upgrade to a PK opportunity

Misconduct is any unfair, unsafe, unsavory , unsporting or violent act for which play is stopped or if play was already stopped because a player or substitute did anything on or off the field against an opponent, a fellow player even a spectator that required that individual to be disciplined according to the nature of that offence if it can NOT be a foul these acts are called misconduct.

Examples a player upset at a spectator for walking onto the field . Once a player walks onto the field we stop play as outside interference has created an issue . The player kicks the spectator in frustration. While it was a player who did the act and it was on the field of play, although the act of kicking is a penal foul, the ball was NOT in play and there was NO opponent involved!
This is misconduct, a red card for violent conduct is shown to the player and the team plays short after the DROP BALL restart.

A keeper inside his penalty area punches his teammate in an argument who was at fault for letting the attacker have a clean shot while play proceeds upfield as their teammates are charging in the opposing goal. Play is stopped, the event occured on the field of play the ball was in play way upfield and the player did the strike by definition a penal foul HOWEVER it was against a TEAMMATE not an opponent thus no foul ONLY misconduct, Violent CONDUCT at that, send off the keeper, replace the keeper position, they restart with ten men, an INDFK to the opposition from the point of the MISCONDUCT!

A defender and an attacker chase a ball towards the goal and through momentume both wind up running into touch over the goalline in behind the netted area of the goal. The ball is saved by the keeper and punted down the field as the two opposing players get up the defender pushes the attacker into the neeted area as he tries to get up. Now the push is a penal foul , it was a player and he did it to an opponent BUT they were OUTSIDE the field of play so it cannot be a foul, it is misconduct possibly violent but USB for sure. IF play was stopped for this it is a dropball where the ball was as the restart cannot take place from the point of the infringement. Play could be allowed to continue and the caution/(not likely to allow a send off issue to go on) awarded at the next stoppage if it was prudent to do so.

The most confusing part of misconduct is it is part or all of of a foul ALL the time as well as an independant act unto itself.. A Foul is never misconduct even if it has misconduct in it!! As long as the criteria are in place we restart according to the nature of the foul even if we punish the additional misconduct seperately with a caution show a yellow card or send off show a red card.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Fouls and misconduct are listed in Law 12.

Some fouls are also misconduct - spitting, for example.

Some actions are misconduct only, no foul involved - dissent.

Some fouls can be misconduct if they are done in a manner that is reckless or excessive - pushing, tripping, etc. Those same actions could be be misconduct alone if they were committed while the ball was not in play, or against someone who is not an opponent.

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

Fouls are on field, against opponent, and occur while ball is in play. There are 2 types - direct and indirect. Misconduct can occur at any time and involves a caution or send off.