Law 12 - FOULS AND MISCONDUCT Flashcards
A direct free kick is awarded if a player commits any of the following offences against an opponent in a manner considered by the referee to be careless, reckless or using excessive force:
charges
jumps at
kicks or attempts to kick
pushes
strikes or attempts to strike (including head-butt)
tackles or challenges
trips or attempts to trip
Careless is when:
Careless is when a player shows a lack of attention or consideration when making a challenge or acts without precaution. No disciplinary sanction is needed
Reckless is when:
Reckless is when a player acts with disregard to the danger to, or consequences for, an opponent and must be cautioned
Using excessive force is when:
Using excessive force is when a player exceeds the necessary use of force and/or endangers the safety of an opponent and must be sent off
A direct free kick is awarded if a player commits any of the following offences:
a handball offence (except for the goalkeeper within their penalty area)
holds an opponent
impedes an opponent with contact
bites or spits at someone on the team lists or a match official
throws an object at the ball, an opponent or a match official, or makes contact with the ball with a held object
Handling the ball, It is an offence if a player:
deliberately touches the ball with their hand/arm, for example moving the hand/arm towards the ball
touches the ball with their hand/arm when it has made their body unnaturally bigger
scores in the opponents’ goal:
directly from their hand/arm, even if accidental, including by the goalkeeper
immediately after the ball has touched their hand/arm, even if accidental
An indirect free kick is awarded if a player:
plays in a dangerous manner
impedes the progress of an opponent without any contact being made
is guilty of dissent, using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or action(s) or other verbal offences
prevents the goalkeeper from releasing the ball from the hands or kicks or attempts to kick the ball when the goalkeeper is in the process of releasing it
initiates a deliberate trick for the ball to be passed (including from a free kick or goal kick) to the goalkeeper with the head, chest, knee etc. to circumvent the Law, whether or not the goalkeeper touches the ball with the hands; the goalkeeper is penalised if responsible for initiating the deliberate trick
commits any other offence, not mentioned in the Laws, for which play is stopped to caution or send off a player
An indirect free kick is awarded if a goalkeeper, inside their penalty area, commits any of the following offences:
controls the ball with the hand/arm for more than six seconds before releasing it
touches the ball with the hand/arm after releasing it and before it has touched another player
touches the ball with the hand/arm, unless the goalkeeper has clearly kicked or attempted to kick the ball to release it into play, after:
it has been deliberately kicked to the goalkeeper by a team-mate
receiving it directly from a throw-in taken by a team-mate
A goalkeeper is considered to be in control of the ball with the hand(s) when:
the ball is between the hands or between the hand and any surface (e.g. ground, own body) or by touching it with any part of the hands or arms, except if the ball rebounds from the goalkeeper or the goalkeeper has made a save
holding the ball in the outstretched open hand
bouncing it on the ground or throwing it in the air
A player is cautioned if guilty of:
delaying the restart of play
dissent by word or action
entering, re-entering or deliberately leaving the field of play without the referee’s permission
failing to respect the required distance when play is restarted with a dropped ball, corner kick, free kick or throw-in
persistent offences (no specific number or pattern of offences constitutes ‘persistent’)
unsporting behaviour
entering the referee review area (RRA)
excessively using the ‘review’ (TV screen) signal
A substitute or substituted player is cautioned if guilty of:
delaying the restart of play
dissent by word or action
entering or re-entering the field of play without the referee’s permission
unsporting behaviour
entering the referee review area (RRA)
excessively using the ‘review’ (TV screen) signal
Cautions for unsporting behaviour
attempts to deceive the referee, e.g. by feigning injury or pretending to have been fouled (simulation)
changes places with the goalkeeper during play or without the referee’s permission (see Law 3)
commits in a reckless manner a direct free kick offence
handles the ball to interfere with or stop a promising attack
commits any other offence which interferes with or stops a promising attack, except where the referee awards a penalty kick for an offence which was an attempt to play the ball or a challenge for the ball
denies an opponent an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by committing an offence which was an attempt to play the ball or a challenge for the ball and the referee awards a penalty kick
handles the ball in an attempt to score a goal (whether or not the attempt is successful) or in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent a goal
makes unauthorised marks on the field of play
plays the ball when leaving the field of play after being given permission to leave
shows a lack of respect for the game
initiates a deliberate trick for the ball to be passed (including from a free kick or goal kick) to the goalkeeper with the head, chest, knee etc. to circumvent the Law, whether or not the goalkeeper touches the ball with the hands; the goalkeeper is cautioned if responsible for initiating the deliberate trick
verbally distracts an opponent during play or at a restart
A player must be cautioned, even if the goal is disallowed, for:
climbing onto a perimeter fence and/or approaching the spectators in a manner which causes safety and/or security issues
acting in a provocative, derisory or inflammatory way
covering the head or face with a mask or other similar item
removing the shirt or covering the head with the shirt
Referees must caution players who delay the restart of play by:
appearing to take a throw-in but suddenly leaving it to a team-mate to take
delaying leaving the field of play when being substituted
excessively delaying a restart
kicking or carrying the ball away, or provoking a confrontation by deliberately touching the ball after the referee has stopped play
taking a free kick from the wrong position to force a retake
A player, substitute or substituted player who commits any of the following offences is sent off:
denying the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by a handball offence (except a goalkeeper within their penalty area)
denying a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity to an opponent whose overall movement is towards the offender’s goal by an offence punishable by a free kick (unless as outlined below)
serious foul play
biting or spitting at someone
violent conduct
using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or action(s)
receiving a second caution in the same match
entering the video operation room (VOR)
Serious foul play
A tackle or challenge that endangers the safety of an opponent or uses excessive force or brutality must be sanctioned as serious foul play.
Any player who lunges at an opponent in challenging for the ball from the front, from the side or from behind using one or both legs, with excessive force or endangers the safety of an opponent is guilty of serious foul play.
Violent conduct
Violent conduct is when a player uses or attempts to use excessive force or brutality against an opponent when not challenging for the ball, or against a team-mate, team official, match official, spectator or any other person, regardless of whether contact is made.
In addition, a player who, when not challenging for the ball, deliberately strikes an opponent or any other person on the head or face with the hand or arm, is guilty of violent conduct unless the force used was negligible.
The following offences should usually result in a warning; repeated or blatant offences should result in a caution or sending-off:
entering the field of play in a respectful/non-confrontational manner
failing to cooperate with a match official e.g. ignoring an instruction/request from an assistant referee or the fourth official
minor/low-level disagreement (by word or action) with a decision
occasionally leaving the confines of the technical area without committing another offence
(coaching staff) Caution offences include (but are not limited to):
clearly/persistently not respecting the confines of their team’s technical area
delaying the restart of play by their team
deliberately entering the technical area of the opposing team (non-confrontational)
dissent by word or action including:
throwing/kicking drinks bottles or other objects
action(s) which show(s) a clear lack of respect for the match official(s) e.g. sarcastic clapping
entering the referee review area (RRA)
excessively/persistently gesturing for a red or yellow card
excessively showing the ‘TV signal’ for a VAR ‘review’
acting in a provocative or inflammatory manner
persistent unacceptable behaviour (including repeated warning offences)
showing a lack of respect for the game
(coaching staff) Sending-off offences include (but are not limited to):
delaying the restart of play by the opposing team e.g. holding onto the ball, kicking the ball away, obstructing the movement of a player
deliberately leaving the technical area to:
show dissent towards, or remonstrate with, a match official
act in a provocative or inflammatory manner
entering the opposing technical area in an aggressive or confrontational manner
deliberately throwing/kicking an object onto the field of play
entering the field of play to:
confront a match official (including at half-time and full-time)
interfere with play, an opposing player or a match official
entering the video operation room (VOR)
physical or aggressive behaviour (including spitting or biting) towards an opposing player, substitute, team official, match official, spectator or any other person (e.g. ball boy/girl, security or competition official etc.)
receiving a second caution in the same match
using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or action(s)
using unauthorised electronic or communication equipment and/or behaving in an inappropriate manner as a result of using electronic or communication equipment
violent conduct
Offences where an object (or the ball) is thrown
In all cases, the referee takes the appropriate disciplinary action:
reckless – caution the offender for unsporting behaviour
using excessive force – send off the offender for violent conduct
If the ball is out of play, play is restarted according to the previous decision. If the ball is in play and a player commits a physical offence inside the field of play against:
an opponent – an indirect or direct free kick or penalty kick
a team-mate, substitute, substituted or sent-off player, team official or a match official – a direct free kick or penalty kick
