Question Number: 34703

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 9/16/2022

RE: Rec Adult

Sal of Chicago , Illinois Usa asks...

White team is attacking just outside Blue team 18. The White team goalkeeper screams at the referee ‘You’re a Fu$&ing idiot’ in a very personal and very public way, referring to a previous call against them. Referee stops play, RC the goalkeeper. Restarts with a DFK.
My question is: Where on the field is the DFK granted, where the ball was when the game was stopped or from where the offending goalkeeper was standing?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Sal
Thanks for the question.
The first point is that the restart is not a direct free kick. All verbal offences are penalised with an INDIRECT free kick including the red card offences of offensive, insulting and abusive language.

The restart is an IDFK from where the offence took place that is the location from where the goalkeeper shouted the expletives at the referee. If the GK was inside the goal area the IDFK is taken on the 6 yard line at the point closest to where the offence took place.

When I first read this I thought it was the defending goalkeeper that committed the misconduct yet it was the attacking team's goalkeeper some 80 yards away! It would be highly unusual and something I never came across.
A referee would have to be certain of the offence before taking action here as it would result in play being brought to the other end of the FOP some 80 yards away. I once recall a referee failing to identify who spoke out of turn in a defensive wall and while he was moving away he was still close so it could have been any one of four players!

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Sal,
as my esteemed colleague Ref McHugh has mentioned all verbal offences are penalized with an indirect free kick.

The ball is in play, the stoppage is for a verbal outcry of OFFINABUS misconduct , which is a red card send off event, followed by an INDFK restart from the location of the event itself.

Once the old keeper is removed and the new keeper set in place, be it a field player taking the position of keeper or a field player being substituted so a replacement keeper can come in instead. The end results in a team of 11 is reduced to 10. The correct restart is an INDFK from the position of the keeper on the FOP where he decided by choice that he wished to leave the game.

This restart position is conditional to the special circumstances should the INDFK foul/misconduct occur within the 6yard goal area.

The ball is placed on the 6yard goal area line parallel to the goal line straight back towards the midfield from the actual spot of the misconduct. I have seen this even at the pro level done incorrectly.

The ball is NOT to be placed on the either of the two 6 yard perpendicular lines of the goal area unless it was on the intersection of the L portion where the two goal area lines meet.

Such verbiage garbage is a blight on the game but in other circumstances given there may be no direct threat of danger or safety concerns, even as it is a serious matter to red card and remove a player the advantage could be permitted if only whites 'opponents had an attack in progress. Showing the red card and send off to the white keeper could be delayed until the next restart, hopefully a goal in favour of the opposition, in which case the kickoff would be the restart.

However, given you stated white was attacking lol, in this instance there is no advantage to be considered as the indirect free kick from the white keeper's location is a very good restart most likely back in the white PA area unless the keeper is well up and out of his goal perhaps even joining in the attack. There is no goal scoring opportunity plausible given the white attack is at the opponent's defending PA. The white attack is a loss of ball possession basically stymied by their goofy keeper antics. The INDFK restart is taken from the white keeper's location on the FOP when he uttered the verbal garbage.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Hi Sal,

A couple of years back there were some modifications made to the laws - one such modification was that all offences against a referee were a DFK offence. Not long after, IFAB came out and said that they only meant physical offences.

So, for a brief period, the laws as written did provide for a DFK - even PK - for dissent or OFFINABUS (even though that was an oversight by IFAB). Now the laws clearly state, as always, that it's an IFK.

The restart is always where the offence occurred (except for the specific circumstances around the goal area)- this can mean that the ball is taken back 80 yards and given to the other team!!

Bear in mind that if you are going to issue a card for dissent or OFFINABUS, then unless the other team has possession, you MUST stop play and award the IFK.

You could not, in this situation, allow play to continue with white in possession then send off (or caution if the GK said something lesser and it was dissent) the player when the ball is out of play - it's no different to any advantage clause.

And to take it one step further - if the white team scored that would create another problem one of the conditions of scoring is that the attacking team didn't commit any offence in the leadup, but by carding the keeper you're stating an offence occurred so the goal cannot be awarded (and you can't justify allowing play to continue for advantage reasons)