Question Number: 33926

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 3/30/2020

RE: Competitive Adult

Refjak of Malindi, Kenya Kenya asks...

Hi! Sorry for being off this site for long! Coronavirus has taken away our pride, but hope football is coming back again! Two qns for today plz:

1. Law 12 allows for a quick restart in case of a cautionable or sending off offence provided that a new clear goal scoring opportunity is created and the ref has not started the sanctioning procedure. Now do you give the offender the yellow card when the ball is next out of play if the offence was cautionable? Eg after an SPA foul, there is a quick restart that creates a GSO. A goal is missed though. what do you do to the previous offender?
2. Is it wrong to apply that a quick restart is like an advantage if sanctioning procedure has not started and so treat it just like the advantage for SPA and DOGSO when the ball is next out of play?

Thanks in advance!
Refjak

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi refjak
The Covid 19 Pandemic has taken over all our lives in the short term. Answering questions is a welcome distraction. Many of us in Europe are in lockdown which means only leaving our houses to go to the shop or for a short walk or if an essential worker to go to work. Non essential workers have to stay at home. The hope of returning to soccer and normality gives us all hope and encouragement.
1. The player is cautioned not dismissed for a DOGSO. The opponents have decided that it wants to get on with play quickly so in effect they have made the decision that it is not in their opinion a DOGSO.
The referee could prevent the restart and take the action immediately yet few such scenarios will present.
2. There is no comparison between advantage and a quick free kick. On the QFK play has been stopped whereas with advantage it has not.
Having said that the QFK may present like an advantage yet the fouled against team decides to get on with play with agreement by the referee. If it feels that it is in its benefit / to its advantage to restart play quickly with all the conditions of a proper restart in place then the referee can and should allow that to happen.

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi,
1. The explanation that accompanied the amendment makes it clear that the sanction is indeed given at the next stoppage. It states:

''Once the referee has decided to caution or send off a player, play must not be restarted until the sanction has been administered, unless the non-offending team takes a quick free kick, has a clear goal-scoring opportunity and the referee has not started the disciplinary sanction procedure. The sanction is administered at the next stoppage; if the offence was denying the opposing team an obvious goal-scoring opportunity, the player is cautioned.''

2. This is not like playing the advantage because here, play has actually been stopped. Playing the advantage requires that the referee allows play to continue, so it is not the same scenario.

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

See Question: 33928