Question Number: 15658

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 5/31/2007

RE: 8 Under 13

frank tunk of chicago, il usa asks...

This question is a follow up to question 15457

Still confused guys... [15457]

Gary, did you mean to say "should NOT be upgraded" in your second sentence? That would help me understand...alternatively both Ben and Chuck say you can use, "denying obvious goal rule" and dismiss the player.

One question: Sending off reads offence needs to by by hands and punishable by direct kick (which unsporting is not!). To me it seems you are reading somewhere that if a player stops a certain goal ANY WAY AND ANY HOW, it is a send off. Where does it say this in the LOTG guys?


Keith, you say, "If the ball was kept from going into the goal by this action, the defender has denied a goal by committing an offence punishable by a free kick against..." Since the LOTG says must be hands and must be foul calling for DFK, how can you say it is a DFK when unsp and no hands were used?

Hey look... on the surface, Law 18 says it was a certain goal but laws seem to only point at use of hands???

on 1st June this appeared: I had asked for further clarification a couple days ago. looking at description of causes for red i misinterpreted the term "free kick" to mean DIRECT!! like ALL free kicks are direct? oops! got to get that right out of my head as it certainly includes IFK's too thus, a red can be thrown. thanks

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Frank, I'm glad to see you realized your error in reading Law 12. There are two offenses for which a player can be sent off for denying a goal. One involves the use of hands, the other does not. They can be found 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)
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

4, involving deliberate handling, is a direct free kick offense (or penalty kick). But 5 only says "free kick" - no qualifier of direct or indirect.

This was that basis of our discussion of whether the IFK restart for misconduct qualified as the "free kick" in the DOGSO #5. USSF's position was the IFK restart was sufficient provided other conditions were present, and FIFA/IFAB's position was unclear.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Right Frank, I looked at my answer and found I said: could allow the referee to interpret sending-off offence number 5 as denies a goal to the opposing team; not quite the same as "denying obvious goal rule". Ref Voshol correctly mentions that sending-off offence #5 is doing something punished by a free kick or a penalty kick. Law 13 states free kicks are either direct or indirect.

It is important the referee caution and show the yellow card to the player demonstrating the unsporting behaviour. This establishes the act as something punishable by a free kick. That is the criteria necessary to send-off the player. If he used his hands or arms whilst hanging on the crossbar our discussion would not be happening. Because he used a part of his body that could legally play the ball whilst engaged in unsporting behaviour he commits an offence punishable by a free kick, based on the last of the indirect free kick offences in Law 12.

Hey look, I'm one of those who has never found Law 18 - Common Sense in any of the Laws, save rule 18 in US high school, I have read. Common sense is something we all have to some degree or another. We learn what common sense is through our mistakes and experience. We do not use it as a fall-back when something is not understood. We try to follow others logic and see what we missed or find error in what was said. In this we said a player denied a goal by an offence punishable be a free kick or a penalty kick. We suggested he be sent-off in accordance with sending-off offence # 5 or Law 12. We based our decision on Law 13's telling us there are two types of free kicks. We, in effect, said if a player denies a goal by unfair means he MUST be sent-off.

That is true, so we offer you another chance to look in Law 12 and see if you have missed anything in your readings, or if you experienced incorrect instruction somewhere along the way...