Question Number: 14754

Law 8 - Start and Restart of Play 1/29/2007

RE: Competive Adult

Duncan Page of Belfast, United Kingdom asks...

Player in team A is trying to let the ball run out for a goal kick inside his own penalty box. Player in team B stops it running over the line and they both fall of the pitch. The ball is still inside the penalty box. While of the pitch the player from team A grabs the player from team B and stops him getting on the pitch to take the ball and shoot. Is this a penalty or free kick ?

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Duncan,
the location of the foul determines the restart and if the holding is done by the player with the opponent COMPLETELY outside the pitch into touch it is in fact a dropball restart, as unfair as that might seem and likely only a caution for usb for the culprit doing the MISCONDUCT as a foul cannot take place outside the FOP!

Note FIFA Q&A law 12 #10
A player running with the ball sees a defender immediately in front
of him and runs off the field of play to continue playing the ball. The
opponent holds him beyond the touch line to prevent him continuing
his run. What action does the referee take?
Play is stopped and the opponent is cautioned for unsporting behaviour. Play is restarted with a dropped ball at the place where the ball was located when play was stopped*.

I will add this , I see so much as a toe on the goal line I will consider the hold as inside the penalty area and award a pk ! I could likely caution and show a yellow card or possibly see it as a DOGSO and show red card for send off or I also could consider the act of misconduct off the field as a form of VC (violent conduct ) if the actions so warrant it! We can use players expectations to help sell a call but not to push the envelope of referee discrestion too far we can not make things up to suit our own sense of justice.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

If the contact was made on field and in penalty area, restart is a PK. If the grabbing occurred off the field, restart must be drop ball wherever ball was when play stopped. Of course, a caution is definitly in order here.