Question Number: 17435

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 10/21/2007

RE: Adult

Daniel Goyzueta of West Hartford, CT USA asks...

A player strucks an opponent standing in the penalty area while the ball is in play in the opposite half field.
What are the actions you would take?
Thank You.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Daniel who's penalty area the opponent's or the player's? The foul is striking, a penal foul and as such the restart will be a DFK out if the player struck the opponent inside the opponet's own penalty area, subject to the special circumstances of law 8 ! If the stike occurs within the player;s own penalty area then the opponent is granted a PK restart. The action as you describe is violent conduct and thus a red card shown with a send off to the player, his team is down a man no matter where or when the player did this . The location of the foul dictates where the restart is, not where the ball is! Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

The actions taken include stopping play, marching the long march to the opposite end and finding the offence occurred within the penalty area and was instigated by whoever. He then awards a direct free kick to the defence or a penalty kick. Before the kick is taken he must tend to the discipline and striking usually winds up as a sending-off.

Regards,