Question Number: 30290

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 4/14/2016

RE: Competitive Adult

Jack Smith of Sydney, New South Wales Australia asks...

In the 90th minute of a cup final, the red team is up 1 - 0 against the blue team. However, the score is not reflective of the match - red has had the majority of possession and has spent most of their time in blue's attacking third, narrowly missing a second goal a dozen times. This has led to a large amount of frustration on both teams.

Red has used all of their substitutes, meaning that an outfield player would need to assume goalkeeping duties if the red goalkeeper is sent off. Blue has one substitute remaining, with the hope that they can take the game to extra time.

A long ball is played into red's left defensive corner, and a red defender narrowly beats a blue winger to the ball. However, he mishits the clearance, knocking the ball over the goal line for a corner kick instead of over the touch line.

Blue sends all of their players (including their goalkeeeper) forward into the red penalty area except for one central defender and the corner taker, looking to take the match to extra time with a last minute goal.

After the ball is crossed in from the corner, the red goalkeeper recklessly collides with a blue striker whilst challenging for the ball. Before the referee can stop play and award a penalty kick, the blue goalkeeper volleys the now loose ball into the goal.

The referee decides to play advantage, awarding the goal. The referee then cautions the red goalkeeper for unsporting behaviour for recklessly charging an opponent. The red goalkeeper is livid, claiming he was taken out by the blue striker. In order to attempt to quell the goalkeeper's frustration by not presenting a target to argue with, the referee quickly moves to halfway for the kick-off, preventing the line being crossed from frustation to dissent.

Taking into account time additional time, the score is now at 1 - 1, with less than a minute to play.

The red goalkeeper continues to mutter under his breath and kick at the ground. His manager tells him 'pull your head in and get on with it' just before the kick-off is taken.

Shortly after the kick-off is taken by red team, the goalkeeper, whilst standing on the penalty area line, angrily reacts to his manager's comments. He loudly shouts 'It's easy for you to say! He f**ing cleaned me up! The ref's f***ed this entire f***ing game.' This outburst is clearly heard by everyone around the ground.

The referee determines that the foul language is only frustration and not offensive, insulting and abusive. However, as this is a clear case of protesting a decision, and hence dissent, the referee decides that it must be punished.

I draw your attention to the following paragraph in the 2016/17 FIFA Laws of the Game (emphasis added):

'If the ball is in play and a player commits an offence inside the field of play against:
> an opponent " indirect or direct free kick or penalty kick
> ***a team-mate, substitute, substituted player, team official or a match official
" a direct free kick or penalty kick***
> any other person " a dropped ball'

What action should the referee take:
- under the 2015/16 FIFA Laws of the Game; and
- would this action be any different under the 2016/17 FIFA Laws of the Game?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi jack
The answer will not change under the new laws.
At the moment the referee shows the goalkeeper a second yellow card for USB / dissent and dismisses him from the field of play. At present the restart is an indirect free kick from where the offence took place that is the location of the goalkeeper.
And that will continue for dissent going forward.
Addendum change following clarification from IFAB
For more serious offences it will be a DFK. The explanation given by IFAB is that the punishment for an serious offence against another participant reflects the seriousness of such an action e.g. football sends out a weak/poor message if an offence against a match official is only an indirect free kick. Verbal offences are excluded as serious offences under this law.
What I have given is the technical answer. In reality the outcome might be very different perhaps.

Answer provided by Referee James Sowa

Referee McHugh has it right. If the referee truly deems it dissent, then the restart after the caution would an Indirect Free Kick. The location would be where the keeper was when the dissent occurred.