Question Number: 25870

Law 8 - Start and Restart of Play 1/4/2012

RE: Under 15

Scott of Livermore, CA USA asks...

I know we are not advised to play advantage on a foul where we are going to caution or send off, because of the possibility of play continuing for a long time before the next stoppage. However, if advantage is given can't we stop play several seconds later, issue the card and restart with a dropped ball? Say an attacker is grabbed near midfield on a break away (a tactical foul, but too far from goal for DOGSO, but he fights through it and goes one-on-one with the keeper only to have the keeper make a save and collect the ball. It seems a whistle after the save, then the card to the defender, and a restart with a dropped ball to the keeper's feet would be fair. Law 8 would seem to allow this ('... to stop play temporarily for any reason not mentioned elsewhere in the Laws...'), but I've never seen it spelled out, or done.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Scott
Once advantage is played the referee has a short window to stop play and go back to the original offence typically 2/3 seconds. After that time has elasped play must continue with the team accepting the outcome and the referee must then wait until the next stoppage in play to caution.
In the example you provide the referee is he plays advantage, which is realised through the player breaking away and then taking a shot at goal, must simply accept that outcome and allow play to continue. Play cannot be stopped to be brought back to deal with the 'offence' which no longer exists. The referee will wait until the next stoppage to caution the defender. While that might seem unfair the advantage provision is not open ended. Once advantage is played and realised then play continues. If the attacker scored a goal then that would be allowed and the player could still be cautioned.

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Ah, but you're not 'stopping play temporarily for any reason not mentioned elsewhere in the laws' are you? After all, the various methods of stopping play for misconduct are all outlined in Law 12.

So stopping play to issue a card and restarting with a drop ball would not be permissible in law. Neither would awarding an IDFK in this situation, as I saw one premier league referee do.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

You can't stop play for misconduct or a hard foul deserving of a caution or send-off and restart with a dropped ball. You also have to restart at the point of the infraction

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 25894