Question Number: 24809

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 4/12/2011

Arthur of Sydney, Australia asks...

This question is a follow up to question 24677

Hi,
I was wondering if you could clarify something for me regarding the stopping of play to caution a player for using, offensive,insulting or abusive language as mentioned in your previous answers to my first question? As this is a sending off offence how can a player be guilty of this offence if you only issue a caution? Surely if you, as the referee, hear a verbal exchange between players and you consider it only deserves a caution then it would be USB and play is stopped for USB not the RC sending off offence?

Cheers,
Arthur

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Arthur
Thanks for seeking clarification on this. I have amended the answer so that there is no ambiguity. The use of offensive, insulting and abusive language is a sending off offence. If play is stopped to send off the player the restart is an IDFK from where the offence took place.
If the referee believes that the words used are dissent or unsporting behaviour then it is a caution and an IDFK from where the offence took place.
The referee is the sole judge of what is a cautionable offence and what is a dismissal when inappropriate language is used.

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Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Arthur, you misunderstood the panel's answers. You are equating the indirect free kick restart with a caution and that is not the case. You are correct that using insulting/abusive/offensive language is a sending off offense but it is still misconduct and misconduct only. It is not one of the 10 direct free kick offenses. When play is stopped for misconduct on the field by a player, substitute, or substituted player against any player, substitute, substituted player or the referee the restart is always an indirect free kick regardless of the color of the card. A direct free kick is ONLY awarded if the misconduct was accompanied by one of the 10 direct free kick fouls.

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