Law 12 - FOULS AND MISCONDUCT

Question 1

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:

Answer 1

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

Question 2

Careless is when:

Answer 2

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

Question 3

Reckless is when:

Answer 3

Reckless is when a player acts with disregard to the danger to, or consequences for, an opponent and must be cautioned

Question 4

Using excessive force is when:

Answer 4

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

Question 5

A direct free kick is awarded if a player commits any of the following offences:

Answer 5

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

Question 6

Handling the ball, It is an offence if a player:

Answer 6

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

Question 7

An indirect free kick is awarded if a player:

Answer 7

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

Question 8

An indirect free kick is awarded if a goalkeeper, inside their penalty area, commits any of the following offences:

Answer 8

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

Question 9

A goalkeeper is considered to be in control of the ball with the hand(s) when:

Answer 9

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

Question 10

A player is cautioned if guilty of:

Answer 10

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

Question 11

A substitute or substituted player is cautioned if guilty of:

Answer 11

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

Question 12

Cautions for unsporting behaviour

Answer 12

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

Question 13

A player must be cautioned, even if the goal is disallowed, for:

Answer 13

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

Question 14

Referees must caution players who delay the restart of play by:

Answer 14

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

Question 15

A player, substitute or substituted player who commits any of the following offences is sent off:

Answer 15

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)

Question 16

Serious foul play

Answer 16

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.

Question 17

Violent conduct

Answer 17

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.

Question 18

The following offences should usually result in a warning; repeated or blatant offences should result in a caution or sending-off:

Answer 18

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

Question 19

(coaching staff) Caution offences include (but are not limited to):

Answer 19

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

Question 20

(coaching staff) Sending-off offences include (but are not limited to):

Answer 20

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

Question 21

Offences where an object (or the ball) is thrown
In all cases, the referee takes the appropriate disciplinary action:

Answer 21

reckless – caution the offender for unsporting behaviour

using excessive force – send off the offender for violent conduct

Question 22

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:

Answer 22

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