Question Number: 28029

Law 8 - Start and Restart of Play 11/24/2013

RE: Premier Adult

Ibrahim ishiaku of Lokoja, Kogi Nigeria asks...

This question is a follow up to question 1001

Can a kick-off be retaking if the kicker touches the ball a second time without touching another player even if the ball has been kicked and moves foward?
Can a referee shown a yellow or red card to a player in the dressing room@

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Ibrahim
At any restart a player may not touch the ball again until it has been played / touched by another player. If that happens the double touch is penalised by an indirect free kick. Same applies to a kick off.
Cards are used for communication purposes and are shown on the field of play and surrounds. When off the field of play it is not necessary to show cards and the player is simply informed verbally of the decision. So if a player commits a sending off offence off the field of play the player is informed and no card is shown.
If it helps though say with communication problems or the referee is concerned about his personal safety a card could be shown. The important part is that the player takes no further part in the game. If it is a caution is carries on to the field of play.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

1. At a kickoff, the ball is in play when it is kicked and moves forward. If the player taking the kick touches the ball a second time after it is in play, it is an indirect free kick to the other team. If the kick does not go forward, it is retaken.

2. Why is the referee in the dressing room? Nevertheless, the referee has authority from the time he arrives on the field until he leaves. If there is misconduct that happens off the field, the ref will address it. The behavior is reported, although the card typically is not shown when off the field. If it was a send-off offense or a second caution, the player will be dismissed. If it happened before kickoff, the team may replace the sent-off player from the list of nominated substitutes. It does not count as one of the allowed substitutions. If it happened after the game started (for example, at halftime) the player is not replaced and the team plays short.