Question Number: 34181

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 3/30/2021

Petr of Prague, Czech Republic Czech Republic asks...

Hello,
I have one interesting situation.

In today's match the Czech Republic vs. Wales Patrik Schick received red card for a punch in the face. It happened in the Welsh penalty area. Previously, players held on to each other. The Welsh defender also received a yellow card. The only thing he did wrong was holding. Whistle was after Schick's punch.

Why did he get a yellow card? Was it a simultaneous foul? It seems to me that otherwise it would be a penalty kick. :-)

Thanks!

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Petr
It was rather bizarre, the Wales Keeper has the ball, and Roberts and Schick are playing patty cakes. I heard a whistle, the Referee was aware of the interaction based on his line of sight & possibly received confirmation from the AR. It was clear the referee showed the yellow card to Roberts once he regained his feet and then moved over and showed a direct red to Schick. I will assume the weak headshot to the face was considered VC and that they were both equally guilty of USB just prior to that? The head snap & chin grab by Roberts was delayed about a 9 .2 on the diving scale of sellability so possibly the extra acting job was the yellow? I suspect the restart was a free-kick out for Wales? If the stoppage was for the injury then a restart is a drop to the keeper!

You are correct, if indeed Conner had fouled Schick with a reckless action like holding and Schick only reacted with VC then a PK would have been a correct restart even as the Chezks go down a man. The irony of Roberts getting the 2nd caution for a chicken wing elbow that seemed more of a shoulder rest than a cheek smash, but credit the Chezk player for ensuring the severity of the action was well played up a good 9.3 lol .
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Petr
My take on it was that the Czech player # 10 Schick was involved with the Welsh #14 Roberts in an aerial challenge for the ball in the penalty area and there was arm contact by # 10 Schick on the head of #14 in that challenge after being manhandling by Roberts. The ball was caught cleanly by the Welsh goalkeeper yet there was "afters" involving both players.

Roberts #14 then seems to remonstrate immediately with Schick #10 on the head contact. Yellow #10 then raises his arm / hand in and around the face of #Red 14 who goes to ground holding his face.
Obviously the referee seen the action by Yellow #10 as violent conduct for which he was dismissed. Red #14 was cautioned for unsporting behaviour for his involvement in the incident. He later received a second yellow for a raised arm in an aerial challenge on an opponent for which he was dismissed.

Law 12 tells us that and I quote "In addition, a player who, when not challenging for the ball, deliberately strikes an opponent or any other person on the head or face with the hand or arm, is guilty of violent conduct unless the force used was negligible."

So the referee here decided that the contact was deliberate and not negligible hence the red card. Whether it was or not is a matter of opinion and the opinion of the referee is all that matters.
On the scale of violent conduct it is pretty low and perhaps on another day a referee may have gone with a yellow. Raising an arm toward the head of an opponent is always going to run the high risk of a card as even an attempt to strike is VC.

What this video and others show is that players at the highest level play up the severity of any contact as they know it could result in either a caution or a red card.

Anyway #14 Roberts gets a second yellow probably based on the reaction of his opponent for which he can have little complaint given he did it in the earlier incident.