Question Number: 15158

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 4/10/2007

RE: Rec Under 17

Andrew of Canberra, Australia asks...

A substitute may only be cautioned for 3 of the 7 cautionable offences that are applicable to players.

1.USB
2.Dissent
3.Delaying the restart.

Yet when a substitute enters the field of play without the permission of the referee he is to be shown the yellow card (cautioned) for what I assumed was entering the field of play without the permission of the referee. But this is not one of the above 3 reasons that a substitute may be cautioned. So this can not be the reason for the caution.

Surely the substitute can NOT be treated as a player as we are told that it is only when the subsitution procedure has been performed correctly and the substitute enters the FOP with the permission of the referee that this person then becomes a player. As this has not happened this also can not be the case.

The closest example I can find in the FIFA Questions and Answers 2006 is under Law 3 question 8 where a substitute enters the FOP without the permission of the ref and an opponent strikes him. The opponent is sent off (of course) and the illegal substitute gets a caution but for unsporting behaviour and is asked to leave the FOP.

The reason for the caution seems NOT to be having entered the field of play without the permission of the ref.

Have I got this correctly? A substitute, if he enters the FOP without the permission of the referee, is cautioned for unsporting behaviour (specifically what?)rather than entering the FOP without the referee permission?

If this is correct why don't FIFA just add entering without permission to the list of cautionable offences for substitutes?

Thanks for your clarification on this matter.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Since a substitute is NOT a player the sub is GUILTY of a USB action for trying to participate like a player. Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

You can still caution subs for many reasons, but you must write it up as 1 of the 3 reasons that you stated. Thats all! This is for game write up purposes.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

When the International FA Board offered this refinement to Law 12 they made a "The Sky Is Blue" or "Water Is Wet" statement. This is what they want and because we are there to enforce their Laws of the Game, and Law 12 is one of those Laws, this is what we are going to do. All of us must adjust our thinking to accommodate these new requirements.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

USB