Question Number: 17839

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 11/10/2007

RE: competive U12 Adult

Barb Griego of Albuquerque, NM USA asks...

If a foul is committed, non intentionally, and the receiving player acts out violently, should both receive a yellow card? I was always under the impression that only one yellow card should be given out per offense. As in 2 players equally guilty, offset the yellow card being issued. If one is blatenly out of line (violent, hitting, etc.) but he is the one the fouls was against, how should this be handled? Again, the original foul that was commited was a non intentional, everyday sort of foul.

Thank you for your time.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Law 5 says the referee "takes disciplinary action against players guilty of cautionable and sending-off offences." There is no limit on the number of offenses that may happen at any one time. Soccer does not have the "offsetting fouls" concept found in gridiron games. If both players commit cautionable offenses, they are both cautioned. One may be cautioned, the other sent off. All players are sanctioned according to the offense they committed. Retaliation should never be accepted.

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

You first say a foul was committed. This means that you deemed a players action to be worthy of blowing the whistle and awarding a free kick. If the fouled play retaliates after the fact, then they could get a caution for unsporting behavior, but the restart remains the same. You are not obligated to give both a card because one player could not control himself. Now, if you feel that the foul was reckless (caution) or excessive (sendoff), then you would have 2 cards.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Barb, whether the action was intentional or not is immaterial. Referees can't read a player's mind, all they can do is judge the action in front of them regarding whether it meets the definition of one of the offenses listed in Law 12. Some of those offenses are direct free kick offenses and some of those require the action to be careless, reckless or involving excessive force or others simply require that the action happen, such as handling a ball deliberately or holding. Still others are indirect free kick offenses. A caution or several may be given if earned at any time. A player can even earn two cautions or a caution and a send-off from sequential events before the next restart. For example, the referee sees a player recklessly trip another player, and when the referee blows the whistle for the offense, the player comes up and loudly and vociferously dissents about the call. Caution #1 is for unsporting behavior, and caution #2 is for dissent = a send-off for getting 2 cautions in a game.