Question Number: 34411

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 11/10/2021

RE: Rec Adult

Bob Romano of Falls Church, VA USA asks...

During play a referee stops play to issue a yellow card for dissent to a player off the ball. What is the proper restart?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Bob
It is assumed that advantage is not possible so if play is stopped for the issuing of a yellow card for dissent the restart is an indirect free kick from where the offence took place.

My experience is that if the opponents are in possession of the ball and getting on with play it may be best to allow play to continue until the next stoppage and then caution the offender. Pulling the ball back to the location of the offence might provide a disadvantage maybe even allow a regrouping of players so it is a judgment call. If the offender's team is in possession then it is an easy call although those tend to be rare. If its off the field of play I would wait until the next stoppage and then deal with it.

All verbal offences are penalised with an indirect free kick. The main principle in the Laws is that the restart is generally from where the offence took place on the field of play. There are only three exceptions which are offences inside the goal area, where the Law designates otherwise and offences involving a player entering, re-entering or leaving the field of play without permission also with exceptions.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Bob,
who, what, when and where does this occur?
You say STOP play?
Does this means the ball is in play and players are on the FOP?
So a misconduct of continuing dissent occurs worthy of a stoppage and the showing of a card?
There was no advantage to waiting so now we go to the point of the stoppage?
Was it a player?
Was it a substitute or team official?
Was it on the FOP?
Was it outside the touchlines.goal lines, technical area??
The restart is generally an indirect free kick from where the offence took place subject to the special circumstances of the goal area. .
Yet if off the FOP as all verbal offences are penalised with an indirect free kick.
If, the ball was in play, play is restarted with a free kick on the boundary line nearest to where the offence/interference occurred.
Cheers